Images: Imaxtree
The secret to glowing skin is so much more than a killer highlighter routine or the right products. Your skin can end up looking dull if your skin care regimen is missing a few steps. We often try to substitute natural glow with makeup, but healthy skin will always outshine a faux glow.
You don’t have to start with extensive and time-consuming beauty rituals or pricey serums. We’re talking the very basic skin care and makeup tricks you might be getting wrong, which in turn is affecting your skin. You may feel like you are working hard on your skin, but everyone needs a skin check-in every now and then.
For instance, are you always piling too many products on your skin? Do you try to cover up your pores instead of dealing with the gunk inside of them? Does your makeup removal routine involve only a towel and water? Here are the four questions you need to ask yourself in order to get that lit-from-within glow.
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4 beauty mistakes which are ruining your glow
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Are you letting your skin breathe?
We can't stress this enough: Your skin needs to breathe every now and then. Even if you are working 14-hour days and feel like you must pile on skin care products in your time off, resist doing so. Remember, your skin is clogged with sweat, pollution and makeup most of the day. Even at night when you are sleeping, your skin is working overtime after you put on a few essential products. Give your skin some time to just settle down so your pores can breathe and function right.
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Are you breaking too many rules?
Try as we might, it's rare that we're in bed by 10:00 p.m., much less sticking to a designated dinner time or workout schedule. And then there are the rich foods, the late nights and the glasses of wine. Our habits take a toll on our skin, and while indulging is fine once in a while, you shouldn't be reckless about it. Depending on your schedule, there are some things you can probably modify. You might need to stay up late, but you can watch your nutrition intake and be mindful of workouts. You can include juices and greens in your morning smoothie. You can have a steady skin care ritual. Indulge where you need to, but compensate in other areas of your life you can control.
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Do you have a routine?
Your bedtime beauty ritual can only involve as few as three things and yet, they won't make a difference unless you make it a habit. A moisturizer today and a serum tomorrow does not work. Your skin needs constant boosts and regular hydration and care. You need to stick to a routine, especially for mornings and nights. In fact, this handy guide might help you out.
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Are you getting enough hydration?
Oil-based moisturizers might not be your thing, but a water-based one always gets the job done. "When you’re feeling dehydrated, you drink water so your body can rehydrate, and the skin uses water to rehydrate, too. Applying a water-based moisturizer helps your skin lock in moisture and replenish nutrients. And since water doesn’t stick to the skin like oil does, it prevents it from filling pores and causing breakouts," New York-based specialist Lana Pinchasov told Well+Good.
