The secret to glowing skin: Steps you should adopt in your routine

If you’re into beauty products and taking care of your skin, you’ll know that the trick to getting glowing skin is not in the pan of a highlighter palette. Although using good makeup products can help fake that look, getting a healthy, radiant and clear complexion requires practice, patience, and time. For most of us, a combination of lifestyle and targeted skincare routine can help give a more natural glow.

What are some of the steps I should adopt for glowing skin?

While your usual routine might work in keeping your skin moisturized, getting a glowy look requires a little bit more effort. Get your routine in order by including some of these tips if you have yet to do so:

Protect yourself from the sun

It’s no secret that SPF is the best way to go when prolonging healthy, glowing skin – even when you’re indoors. Damaged skin appears in the form of wrinkles, pigmentation and enlarged pores, and studies have shown that up to 90% may be caused by regular sun exposure. When it comes to SPF, prevention is better than cure. Even when you’re working from home, UVA rays can penetrate the glass and damage your skin cells. When picking out a sunblock, select a formula that offers broad-spectrum protection to guard against UVA, which causes premature aging, and UVB, one of the main causes of cancer.

Additionally, when out in the sun, wear sunglasses to protect against the UV rays. The area around your eye has the thinnest skin, and every squint will create lines and wrinkles in the long run.

Pick up skin-boosting products

When it comes to applying products, it’s time to invest in good ones. Check out the ingredient list for the best concoctions for your skin. Hyaluronic acid, which can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, will dial up your glow. It’ll be able to draw water into your skin layers to ensure your skin is always hydrated.

Research has also shown the benefits of Vitamin C when applied. Free radicals that are generated by UV light and pollution can damage your DNA and lead to premature skin aging. Vitamin C helps in fighting off this free radical damage. It also aids in the production of collagen, a crucial skin protein that is responsible for support, suppleness, and elasticity of the skin.

Lastly, if fine lines and dullness are your concern, you may want to add retinol to your routine. A derivative of Vitamin A, it can help speed up skin cell turnover, boost collagen, unblock pores, and calm inflammation – making it effective at treating wrinkles and signs of aging. Although beneficial, it has to be used with caution as it can cause dryness and irritation, which can lead to pigmentation instead.

Exfoliate chemically

If you’re using a scrub, you’re doing it wrong. It’s time to turn to acids and enzymes to help with your skin. Pores can be filled with dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and keratin which requires regular exfoliation. Clear out the gunk a few times a week with an exfoliator that contains AHA or BHA to speed up the turnover of skin cells. For those with sensitive skin, look to enzyme exfoliators to gently break down keratin, which allows the shedding and removal of dull dead skin.

Time to work on what’s within

Beyond just using the right products, having glowing skin requires you to have a healthy lifestyle. Switch out the alcohol for water, as regular alcohol intake will result in dehydration, leading to sallowness, inflammation, and prominent lines. Water, on the other hand, helps clear out the toxins that can cause inflammation and blemishes. Plus, you’ll save a lot of money that can be invested in your next favourite accessory. You should also try to eat more vegetables and fruits with antioxidant properties like blueberries that can help prevent wrinkles and maintain collagen production in your skin.

Choosing the right food to eat is not the only thing you’ll have to look out for. It’s time to get planning for some beauty sleep by adopting a regular sleep routine. Sleep deprivation slows down circulation which is why you will look washed out if you’ve only had a few hours of sleep.

Sleep a minimum of seven hours a night for glowing skin.

Keep it clean

You may wash your hands regularly, but germs are closer to you than you think. Your phone can get more germ-infested than a toilet in a public bathroom, and glass touch screens can even spread viruses! To keep your phone bacteria-free, clean your phone regularly to ensure germs do not collect on your phone.

Additionally, if you want to keep your complexion free from pimples and breakouts, avoid touching your face except when washing it. Also, wash your makeup brush and sponges regularly as they can collect bacteria over time.

Is there any other way to achieve a glowing complexion?

If you’ve tried all the above steps and yield unsatisfactory results, or have issues like acne that you can’t seem to target, you’ll be happy to know that there are other ways to achieve that glow you’re looking for. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a pampering session all while undergoing some self-care.

Unlike a typical facial session, a medi-facial procedure can ensure you’ll get the results you need. Using medical-grade equipment and products specially developed by doctors, the AQUAPURE system is a multi-functional facial and body care device that can be tailored to your skin needs. A non-invasive treatment, it’s developed to address a wide variety of skin concerns from acne and pigmentation to dry and sensitive skin.

During your session, your therapist will pamper your skin with a curated routine involving gentle enzyme exfoliation, deep cleansing using hydrodermabrasion technology, as well as manual extraction of stubborn comedones. Antioxidant rich ingredients are infused to nourish and hydrate the skin, and the facial is capped off with a treatment mask specially selected to target your skin concerns.

The duration of each facial is typically 60 – 90 minutes with no downtime required.

At Harmony Aesthetics, you’ll be able to choose from three different types of facials specially developed by doctors using medical-grade products:

1. The Vitality Facial
   Suitable for all skin types, hydrate and pamper yourself with this treatment as it deep cleanses and revitalises your skin. Using the AQUAPURE system, impurities from deep within your pores are cleared out while active ingredients are delivered into the skin for that glow you’ve been yearning for. If you are looking for a great perk-me-up, this one’s for you.
2. The Purity Facial
   Best suited for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin, this treatment is gentle enough to not further aggravate your breakouts while still being effective. On top of utilizing the signature AQUAPURE deep-cleansing programme, a signature blend of anti-inflammatory and oil control ingredients, followed by LED blue light therapy will be used to help heal scars and fight off any bacteria on your skin. With this facial, your acne woes will be a thing of the past.
3. The Restorativ Facial
   If you’re often struggling with dry, damaged and sensitive skin, this is the perfect solution for you. This facial starts off with the signature AQUAPURE deep-cleansing programme, before intensively repairing your skin via penetration of active ingredients through electroporation. Moisture and nourishing ingredients are then locked in with a double layer mask.

Although taking care of your skin may be a challenge, it can be made easier with these facial treatments that can immediately target your skin issues. With these medical-grade programmes created specially by doctors, you can say hello to healthy, glowing skin much sooner than you think!