8 Tips for Glowing Skin
The vibe at Hello Joyous is not anti-aging, but helping you to nurture your healthiest, happiest skin no matter what your age! That means we not only formulate products designed to help you achieve a stunning natural glow, but we dig into the other diet and lifestyle tips you can use to support glowing skin from the inside out.
We’ve written about how hyaluronic acid, organic cold-press rosehip oil and golden jojoba oil support glowing skin. We talk about the top 3 holistic lifestyle practices to support acne-prone skin, why everyone can benefit from adding a toner to their skinimal beauty routine, and how to best care for perimenopausal skin.
Today we’re going to share our top 8 favourite tips for glowing skin, whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, because we all deserve to feel and look fabulous!
1. Get your beauty sleep
If you’ve ever woken up from a terrible night’s sleep with puffy skin and bags under your eyes, then this one might seem obvious! When you're sleep-deprived, or sleeping for less than 8 hours a night, inflammatory chemicals are elevated which can lead to aging of the skin.
Another thing that happens when you're sleep deprived is that appetite hormones are increased. But your body doesn't just want any food – it wants carbohydrates – typically in the form of refined sugar, refined carbohydrates or alcohol. This is because it's the body's preferred form of energy since it has the potential to boost energy levels the fastest, although it almost always ends in an energy crash. And if you didn't already know, none of these are particularly skin-loving foods.
We suggest developing a wind-down routine that will help you drift off to dreamland for deep and healing rest. Our favourite way to unwind at the end of the day is with a soothing cuppa T.L.C. Tea. This honey sweet blend of organic chamomile, lemon balm, passion flower, and lavender is specially formulated to help calm your nervous system and promote deep calm and restful sleep.
2. Support a healthy gut microbiome
You’re likely familiar with the skin microbiome and its role in promoting a healthy glow, but your gut microbiome also plays an important role in your skin health. In fact, our co-founder Joy is a holistic nutritionist and often shares that your skin health can be a direct reflection of your gut health! Having the right balance of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract can help improve your digestion and immune system, both of which can impact your skin health.
You can support your gut microbiome by incorporating delicious fermented foods into your regular diet. Some of our faves include:
- Lacto-fermented sauerkraut (and other veggies!)
- Kimchi
- Kombucha–just check the sugar content of store-bought brands as they can be loaded with almost as much sugar as pop!
- Coconut kefir
- Kefir and yogurt–sheep and goat are best for those with acne-prone skin
- Apple cider vinegar
- Miso
When shopping for fermented foods make sure they are not pasteurized as the pasteurization process kills off all the beneficial bacteria that support a healthy gut microbiome.
If you want a little extra digestion and detox support, try sipping on some of our fresh and delicious Everyday Detox Tea! It’s made with a blend of organic ingredients, including ginger, milk thistle, dandelion and burdock root to support sluggish digestion or give your detox system a boost.
3. Cleanse only once per day!
You might think that the key to glowing skin lies in washing your face morning and night to keep it looking fresh. However, most people are over-cleansing their skin which can actually dry out the skin and in some cases, make it overproduce oil. Cleansing only once ensures your skin microbiome thrives which is an essential part of your natural glow. We suggest cleansing once per day with a gentle cleanser, like our Fresh Face, before you go to sleep at night. This will remove any makeup, dirt, or environmental toxins that can be dulling your glow and clogging your pores, without stripping your skin. The organic golden jojoba, comfrey root, and chamomile extract soothe and nourish your skin, while infusing it with moisture for skin that is clean, balanced, and healthy!
4. Exfoliate one or two times per week
Our skin is constantly renewing itself, which means older, dead skin cells get pushed to the top of our skin barrier. These dead skin cells can clog our pores and dull our complexions. That’s why we recommend exfoliating with a nourishing and gentle exfoliator to help slough off the cells and reveal your glowing skin.
Our Supernatural Mask is infused with organic comfrey root and calendula to help soothe and nourish your skin, leaving it soft, smooth, and revitalized. This gentle mask exfoliates by lifting away dead skin cells thanks to the organic oats, unclogging pores, and preventing breakouts with the help of oil balancing white clay to enhance your natural glow, without damaging your skin barrier.
5. Hydrate and moisturize your skin
Did you know that there’s a difference between hydrating and moisturizing your skin? While there is a distinct difference between dry and dehydrated skin, more often than not, your skin is a combination, both lacking moisture and hydration.
Hydrating products are best for dehydrated skin. You can improve skin hydration by drinking enough water every day and by using ingredients with humectant properties that attract water to the outer layer of the skin. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or organic vegetable glycerin.
The skin holds water within its outer cells and it gets drawn out by the dry air through osmosis. Dry air literally steals water from your skin! This can leave your skin dry, itchy and more prone to environmental irritation.
We suggest a one-two approach of hydrating and moisturizing your skin! Start with your Magical Mist Facial Toner that hydrates the skin thanks to skin-nourishing hydrosols and balances pH to support a healthy skin barrier. Spritz your skin for the perfect dewy surface to apply your serum.
Then apply a hydrating AND moisturizing product like our Hella Hydrating Serum. Thanks to the humectant action of hyaluronic acid and emollient power of rosehip oil, this serum moisturizes AND hydrates the skin for a complexion that glows.
6. Eat detoxifying and beautifying foods
Supporting the health and integrity of your skin starts on your plate! Enjoying foods that support your body’s natural detoxification pathways, including your liver, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract, and skin, can improve your complexion. Since we detox through our skin as well, if our other organs of detoxification aren’t functioning optimally, it can show up in our skin as blemishes, rashes, itchiness, redness, or irritation. We suggest incorporating some of the following nutrient-rich and detox-loving foods into your diet:
- Lemons and limes
- Broccoli and other brassica veggies like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale
- Chia seeds–they help with regularity and binding toxins in the colon
- Berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all rich in phytonutrients that support skin health
- Turmeric
- Beets
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Green tea
Some simple ways to boost your intake of these delicious foods and their benefits is through herbal teas! Our Rise and Shine Tea contains a blend of turmeric and ginger, while our Pure Radiance Tea has a base of detoxifying green and white teas plus skin-loving nutrients like nettles and rose petals! And of course, Everyday Detox Tea is loaded with organic lemon, ginger, milk thistle, and burdock root for even more delicious detox support!
7. Get your daily dose of nature
Stress can wreak havoc on your skin health, which is why one of our favourite tips to boost your glow is to get outside every single day! Spending time in nature has been shown to increase levels of the mood-supporting neurotransmitter, serotonin. This is why you might find you feel happier when you're in nature and when you are happy to your core, you have a natural glow to you!
Getting outside gives you an opportunity to soak up some vitamin D, also known as "the sunshine vitamin,” because our bodies manufacture the highest quality from contact between our skin and the sun. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in the body supporting everything from our immune system, to our mood and bone strength. It also plays a key role in the health of our skin since Vitamin D supports skin cell growth, repair and metabolism.
Since it plays such an essential role in regulating our immune system, it can also help to destroy free radicals that might otherwise contribute to premature aging. Of course, there's that sweet spot between too little and too much sun exposure, as too much sun can speed up the aging process. Typically you want to aim for 10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure daily, however keep in mind, if you live in North America, you actually can't synthesize Vitamin D from the sun between the months of November - May.
Another reason we suggest getting a daily dose of nature is because being outside exposes us to a variety of bacteria, especially if we are gardening or hiking. These bacteria are essential to our health and wellness as they help to form our skin microbiome. The microbes on our skin help protect us from infections and assist in boosting skin moisture and plumpness.
8. Stay hydrated for healthy skin
This one might seem obvious, but so many people skimp on their water intake that it deserves a place on our list! We mentioned that skin can be both dry and dehydrated, and one of the best ways to prevent skin dehydration is by drinking enough water and other liquids every single day. Water is so important for digestion and also helps to promote circulation, absorption and excretion to ensure we are eliminating toxins efficiently which might otherwise represent themselves on our face through blemishes or acne. Drinking an adequate amount also comes with anti-aging benefits for the skin.
Increase your water intake with these tips:
- Hydrate by eating more hydrating foods like watermelon, strawberries, smoothies and soups
- Add lemon or other fresh fruit to your water for added flavour. You can make it even more skin-loving as lemon stimulates cleansing and detoxification of the liver.
- Try changing things up with a refreshing mug of herbal tea. Can’t choose which one is your fave? Try our Tea Rituals Bundle, which includes all four of our bestselling organic wellness teas and saves you 10%!
- Set a reminder on your phone every 2 hours to drink 1 glass of water
- Carry a water bottle around with you everywhere to ensure you're never out of water and drink water first thing in the morning. We’re obsessed with this one!
We hope these tips help you reveal your glowing skin!
- Tags: Beauty Hacks