Time to Glow Up!
Getting glowing skin is the true holy grail of skincare. It screams fresh and youthful – and it is trending hard these days. Most importantly though, it translates to healthy skin. Healthy skin (not perfect skin) is the prettiest skin, and healthy skin glows. And, despite what you might think, just nutrition and hydration alone aren’t enough to take care of your body's biggest organ -- your skin. Since your skin can’t eat nutrients, it needs to get them through skincare. Skincare (like food) has nutrient-rich products and it also has junk food products. The best way to tell the difference is an aesthetician that is knowledgeable about ingredients and eager to help you get you your best skin yet.
Achieving glowing skin is surprisingly easy and we aren’t just talking about applying the newest Instagram filter. Snap some before shots, *follow this advice*, stay consistent, and you will be on your way to a major glow-up.
Question: What makes skin glow?
Answer: Skin glows from a combination of being properly exfoliated and properly hydrated and nourished.
As we get older, dead skin cells build up which leaves us looking dull. This is why children have glowing skin because their skin cells turn over so quickly and regularly. To keep up with the children we need help! We need chemical exfoliants (AKA alpha and beta hydroxy acids) to dissolve the glue that binds dead skins together. Physical exfoliants are also important because they buff off the outer layer of sticky dead skin. A safe combo of both of these will expose dewy, childlike skin. Of course, a non-negotiable is to not over-exfoliate, it will leave your skin red, raw, and angry.
Ok, now that you are exfoliated – bring on the hydration and nourishment. Also as we age, our skin gets dehydrated easily due to environmental and internal conditions (called TEWL or Transepidermal Water Loss). And we lose collagen – and with it goes that juicy, bounciness to our skin. This makes the skin kinda feel like a deflated balloon. All the water consumption in the world won’t necessarily change this, you need a potent hydration-based serum – usually hyaluronic acid. Not all hyaluronic acid is the same and cheaper hydrating serums don’t have the right size molecules to penetrate the skin. And don’t be fooled, moisturizer alone is not always enough to fully replenish the skin.
So the trick to glowing skin comes from creating balance. Do not try to be your own product expert – work with Skin MPLS (or at least our glow-approved products) to create a regimen. So many people on their own are already using several skincare products but are still struggling with dull, dry skin. The wrong concoction of ingredients will never work, lesser quality exfoliants will irritate the barrier, and using products in the wrong order will make them ineffective. Unfortunately, most products fall more into the junk food category than the health food one. Check out our blog here to learn more about how to avoid unhealthy products!
So if you think some are just simply born with glowing skin, well you are technically right. But that won’t stick around forever. Everyone will become duller as they age. Regardless of genetics, you can achieve glowing skin with these simple rules – work with a professional, exfoliate, hydrate, protect with SPF, and ditch products that aren’t serving you.
While we always recommend a consultation first, for the impatient you can skip ahead to order these four universal products that (if used correctly) we promise will get you glowier in two weeks!