The 7 Foolproof Keys to Gorgeous Glowing Skin

Confession: I love dewy, satiny, glowing skin.  Nothing looks more radiantly healthy and sexy than skin that is illuminated from within and I have been known to highlight to the stratosphere on the daily, especially in the spring and summer. Becca Moonstone, I am looking at you.

 

Unless you follow me on Twitter, many people don’t realize that I have a strong background as a makeup artist and in advanced medispa skincare.  I love blending my passions for health and beauty into one.  Because truly, they go hand in hand.  Healthy IS beautiful.  Gorgeous glowing skin requires care from the inside out as much as it does the outside in.  Ready to embrace the glowing goddess that you are?  These are just a few of my insider secrets to help you highlight and strobe from within.

 

 

Protect Your Skin

Want to know of the best product to prevent skin aging?  Fortunately, it isn’t a magical, well-marketed, glamorous $400 cream in a pretty jar.  In fact, you should avoid any product sold in a jar as any beneficial ingredients are toast as soon as the jar is opened.  It’s sunscreen. 

 

I know all of your excuses for not wanting to wear sunscreen- it’s thick, it feels heavy, it leaves a white cast on your skin, you think that sunscreens are bad (they’re not), or you even want a tan.  But the fact of the matter is that unless one is religiously wearing sunscreen every day, rain, snow, or shine, no matter what, there is no point in using any other anti-aging products.

 

As per the skincare queen herself, Paula Begoun, just one minute of unprotected sun exposure is enough to start collagen breakdown.  So please wear a good broad-spectrum sunscreen daily, year round.  Don’t skimp, reapply as required after sun exposure and swimming/sweating.  Use bronzer or self-tanner instead if you want to look tanned.  Bonus points if you also wear big UVA/UVB protective sunglasses whenever you are outside or driving during daylight hours.

Green Juice

Fresh, raw green juice is packed with beauty enhancing and anti-inflammatory nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and silica and is a concentrated source of glow-inducing antioxidants.  A single green juice can easily contain pounds of fresh produce, which would be really difficult to consume that kind of volume any other way.  Instead of soft drinks, coffee, or blended drinks in the afternoon, try having a fresh green juice (mostly vegetables with just a little fruit) with a handful of raw walnuts instead.  It won’t be long before you will be feeling and looking younger and more energized.

 

Antioxidants

Free radicals are nasty little molecules that damage cells, tissue, and DNA by stealing an electron.  This creates a cascade of molecules that continue to cause more and more damage.  Antioxidants have an extra electron that they willingly give up to calm down the rampaging free radical to stop the chain reaction of destruction in its tracks.

Many foods are rich in antioxidants; berries, matcha green tea, pomegranates, greens, and spices like turmeric and even vanilla beans, among many others.  There are a wide variety of different antioxidants, so aim to get as many as you can through whole, fresh foods.  You can look up the ORAC values (the system that measures antioxidant potency) of different foods here.  Let me know in the comments which food you regularly eat has the highest ORAC score.

Don’t forget to apply antioxidants topically as well!  A couple of my favorites are a well-formulated vitamin C serum and CoQ10.

 

 

Exfoliate

What process can help dull skin find its glow, reduce acne, reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation, and can make pores look smoother?  Exfoliation!

 

Not manual scrubs, which can actually irritate and inflame skin (not to mention the plastic microbeads that are harming fish and other aquatic animals), but with alpha and beta hydroxy acids.  These products eat away built-up dead skin cells, revealing younger, fresher skin underneath.  Salicylic acid is excellent for oily and acne-prone skin as it is drawn to the oil in clogged pores, fighting acne, blackheads, and even inflammation.

 

The exact perfect product will depend on your skin type, sensitivity level, and concerns.  Speak with your dermatologist and check out BeautyPedia (a consumer site that reviews beauty products against the published research to determine if they live up to their claims) to determine which product will be best for you.

 

Healthy Fats

Since the fat-phobic 1980s and 1990s, fat has gotten such an undeserved bad rap.  Fat is critical to our survival; hormones, our cell membranes, myelin (nerve insulation), and even our brains are made up of fats and oils.  Aside from physical health, fats and oils also moisturize our skin from within and a critical piece of the glowing skin puzzle.

 

Good fats, like first cold-pressed extra virgin olive, avocado, and coconut oil, raw nuts, and seeds (especially chia, hemp, walnuts, ground flax, and sasha inchi seeds), avocado, wild salmon, and algae/sea veggies are wonderful sources of healthy fats.

 

Processed, inflammatory oils, like margarine, non-hydrogenated spreads, shortening, Crisco, and oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, soy, or generic vegetable oils fuel inflammation and act as free radical atomic bombs in the body.  They are anti-beauty foods, that will accelerate aging and disease.

 

Don’t forget oils for your face too!  Use fragrance-free beauty oils on your skin, either alone or mixed into your moisturizer for extra hydration and glow.  You can also add a drop or two of a beauty oil to your foundation to make your makeup look dewy and magical.  Those with oily skin shouldn’t skip this step either, as dry, stripped skin will produce more oil, and using an appropriate moisturizer/beauty oil will actually help the skin to produce less oil over time.

 

Sleep

A lack of sleep is really hard on your health and your body, including your skin.  Sleep is your body’s prime repairing and rebuilding time, so a lack of zzz’s is going to impede your skin’s ability to repair and regenerate.  Over time, a lack of sleep can definitely speed up the aging process and contribute to dull, tired looking skin.

 

Hot tip: sleep on silk pillowcases!  Silk pillowcases won’t pull on your skin or hair the way other fabrics do, which over time can lead to wrinkles and a loss of elasticity and frizz.  As an added bonus, they won’t absorb products off of your face or hair, letting them work all night long instead of going to waste.

 

 

Drink Water

So many people are so dehydrated, and drinking more coffee, tea, and soft drinks than actual water.  Drinking enough water helps our bodies to run more effectively and feel better, rather than caffeinated and sugary drinks that slow down metabolic processes, speed up aging, and dull skin luminosity.  So make sure you are properly hydrated with filtered water, alkaline if possible.

 

What are your favorite beauty secrets for gorgeous, glowing skin?  Let me know in the comments below and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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© 2016 Nutritionista.  Erin Luyendyk, RHN.  All rights reserved.

All material found on www.thenutritionista.ca is intended as general educational material only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition and has not been evaluated by the FDA.  Please consult with your personal physician before implementing any health, nutrition, skin care, supplement or exercise program to ensure its safety and suitability for your specific individual situation