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HOW TO GET GLOWING SKIN



13 really effective and sure-fire tips on how you can get glowing skin, at any age!




The Happy Sage has tried all, and probably still uses all the tips below!




a mature woman with beautiful radiant and glowing skin


Having fabulous fresh, dewy and healthy skin gives you a massive boost in the self-confidence department and despite what a lot of people think, it’s really not hard to get that look, whatever age you are!



HOW TO GET GLOWING SKIN – WHATEVER YOUR AGE


Most people rush out to buy the latest advertised expensive moisturiser with the new super potent anti-ageing ingredient in, hoping they’ll see huge improvements in their skin, and then get disappointed when no miracle occurs. The recipe for having fantastic skin is actually really quite simple – feed your skin from both the inside and out, and do it naturally.


Simply follow the steps below to see an improvement in your skin. It takes about 2 – 6 weeks to start to see initial improvements and about 2 – 3 months before you get people commenting on how well you look!


The first thing you have to realise is that no tips and treatments can massively improve your skin if you have a diet full of ultra-processed foods or if you smoke or vape. Ultra-processed foods are not nutritious, however many synthetic additives or vitamins the manufacturer has pushed in to the product.




The Effects of Smoking on Your Skin


Smoking starves the skin of oxygen. Each cigarette smoked also rapidly depletes the vitamin C in your body, which is why some heavy smokers don't heal well.


The act of smoking causes oxidative stress in the body. Vitamin C is a highly potent antioxidant and can search for and deal with the harmful oxidants that are created from cigarette smoke in the body. However, in the process of dealing with the oxidants, vitamin C is used up in the process. Vitamin C is also needed for the production of collagen (the scaffolding that holds your skin together) and when you smoke it increases the production of an enzyme called metalloproteinase which breaks down collagen resulting in saggy, wrinkled skin and accelerated skin ageing. Smoking is no friend to glowing skin!


Vaping has been sold as a safe way to smoke, but has also been shown to cause oxidative stress. Let's face it - the only thing that should be going into your lungs is fresh air if you want to be healthy. Both smoking and vaping can cause your skin to become grey in colour and lacking in vitality.


So, giving up smoking and vaping is a great first step towards getting glowing skin!



TIPS TO GET GLOWING SKIN


Follow the tips below and start your journey to glowing skin!


  • Help your skin from the inside by taking a quality collagen supplement. Collagen is a protein and acts a bit like scaffolding in the skin by supporting the structure of the skin and helping improves elasticity, giving more plumpness. We start to lose collagen from our 20’s and by the age of 50 we have lost a third of it, so it’s never too soon to start taking collagen once you get into your late twenties. Make sure you take a good quality hydrolysed collagen supplement. Hydrolysed means that it is broken down into micro-particles that are better absorbed by the body. There are many different types of collagen and you can read all about collagen, the different types of collagen and what they do in my article What is Collagen Good For? You can also read about some of the collagen products that I have tested and reviewed too. You will also find some collagen products that I have tested under the 'Product Reviews' pages. All collagen is beneficial but marine collagen, also known as ‘Type 1 collagen’, is said to be best for the skin and helps it get a more youthful dewy look. I have had great results with both marine and bovine collagen though, and bovine is usually cheaper, so take a look at my reviews.


Whatever type of collagen you decide to go for, just remember that it needs to be clean i.e. no antibiotics, hormones, and bovine should come from grass-fed beef. The brands that are clean will advertise the fact, those that don't probably aren't.




  • Eat plenty of foods containing vitamin C (citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, berries, leafy greens, red and green peppers and tomatoes) or take a good quality vitamin C supplement if you don’t eat a lot of food containing vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, so this will ensure that you are giving your body what it needs to make collagen. Vitamin C is also great for skin healing as well by helping you absorb iron, which helps keeps your skin a healthy pink colour. If you have to take a supplement try and take wholefood or food state ones, not synthetic ones which are likely to be the type bought in the supermarket. I recommend Cytoplan Cherry C.

  • Make sure you drink enough water. You’ve read this before and you’ll probably still ignore this tip because you’ve read it so often it's not new to you and you don't think that it will be of any use. You need to be drinking a couple of pints of pure water a day, on top of any other drinks like tea and coffee. Lack of water can make the skin look dehydrated and dull which then makes wrinkles and fine lines appear more prominent. Try drinking more water for 3 weeks and see the difference. You need to spread the water out throughout the day and evening, not just down a pint when you get up and a pint before you go to bed. You will probably notice that the whites of your eyes get brighter and more sparkly too! For those worried about frequent trips to the loo, your body will balance out to your increased fluid intake in this time and you will probably feel your energy levels rise too, which is a great side effect! For more information on just how important water is to our bodies, read 'Your Body's Many Cries for Water' by F Batmanghelidj if you can find a copy, although I think it is available on Audible if you have membership.




  • Your skin care regime should be based on gentle, natural products that don’t disrupt the skin’s delicate acid mantle. The acid mantle is a fragile thin film covering the surface of the skin which protects it, but many mainstream cleansing products and face washes contain harsh ingredients which strip this protective barrier from the skin. Without this protection the skin is prone to dryness, spots and infections and many people have a flushed skin tone or patchy blotches which often disappear completely when natural products are used. Swop all your facial skincare to natural products, including your make-up if you can, and if you wash your hair in the shower try and avoid getting water on your face when you are rinsing off your shampoo and conditioner (unless they are natural products too). With your protective skin barrier restored your skin will hold moisture better and fine lines and wrinkles will look less deep. If your skin is particularly bad in that it is dry and blotchy or red and irritated, I recommend The Probiotic Concentrate Serum from Aurelia London, which you apply to your skin under your moisturiser (I'd also recommend their Cell Repair Night oil - read the review and their Balance and Glow Day Oil).

  • Don’t sleep in your make-up! A pretty obvious one this but you would be surprised how many people don’t remove their makeup before bed, it’s like going to bed in your outdoor shoes! Skin needs to breathe overnight and repair. Use a gentle natural cleanser to get rid of eye make-up and then a balm based cleanser on the whole face and neck and follow with a serum and moisturiser. Another mistake for your skin is to use make-up remover wipes, even the natural ones! You'll end up dragging the delicate skin with this method of removing make-up, especially under the eyes. I absolutely love removing eye makeup with Green People's Gentle Cleanse and Makeup Remover with squalene and calendula then a full face cleanse with Lyonsleaf beeswax free Beauty Balm - read the review. You can also grab yourself a 20% off code for the Lyonleaf Beauty Balm! Use either a muslin cloth (also available from Lyonsleaf) or the wonderful double sided Bai Botanique Cleansing cloth - read the review, which has a soft terry side for cleansing around the eyes and a muslin surface on the other side for exfoliating the skin.




  • Exfoliate, exfoliate and exfoliate. No matter what your age you should be exfoliating. Skin cell turnover reduces as we age and dead skin cells give the skin a dull and tired appearance. You can literally improve your skin more or less instantaneously by exfoliating (if you don't do this on a regular basis). Exfoliating also prepares the skin beautifully for any moisturiser and/or makeup you apply and helps it stay smooth. You need to ensure that you are using an extremely natural and gentle exfoliator which contains evenly shaped exfoliating particles (if not they can cause micro-abrasions to the skin). Avoid Upcircle Coffee Face Scrub - read the review here, I recommend Green People's Soft Buff Skin Exfoliator, their Natural Fruit Scrub Exfoliator or Urban Veda's Radiance and Exfoliating Facial Polish with turmeric, marigold, patchouli and coriander - all available online or from Amazon. For more information - read my article about the Benefits of Exfoliating.

  • Use a natural based serum before you moisturise. Choose one that contains hyaluronic acid which is a must for boosting and plumping the skin cells for a more relaxed look. Apply serum and leave to sink in whilst you brush your teeth and then apply a moisturiser. If using at night try a face oil for even more of a moisture boost, I recommend Aurelia London's Cell Repair Night Oil - read the review. You could also try Green People's Nordic Roots Hyaluronic Booster Serum - read the review followed by their Nordic Roots Truffle Night Cream - read the review. The Nordic Roots range is scent free too, so perfect if you don't like to use products with essential oils.







  • Don’t apply too much make-up. Many people start to use more make-up as they get older but plastering it on just highlights imperfections and wrinkles, especially on dry skin. Use natural make-up products, a mineral powder foundation for a light look or a liquid mineral foundation and even a touch of mineral powder on top if you want a bit more coverage.

  • Exercise. Getting the blood pumping round your body helps your skin receive nutrients and oxygen so any form of aerobic activity is beneficial for the skin too. Just remember to clean your face properly after exercising.




  • Relaxation. Anything that encourages relaxation in the body also shows in the face. Some yoga, meditation or a body massage or facial can make you look years younger! A good facial can help relax muscles, particularly if you are tired or stressed and the results can be nothing short of miraculous! Facial are excellent for a short term boost if you have a big event coming up, but if you are not a regular it's a good idea to try one a little while before the big event to make sure you don't break out from any of the products used. Some beauty salons do have organic products and products for sensitive skin, so it's always worth looking around.

  • Try an LED Light Therapy machine. There are many of these on the market ranging from about a hundred pounds to many thousands, but be prepared to pay at least a few hundred pounds for a good one. These can be extremely effective but you do need to use them on a regular basis.


So why not change your beauty regime by following the tips above and see just how glowing your skin can be!


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