How to Glow Inside and Out
Everyone wants to glow. We all want our skin to have that healthy sheen and have an inner radiance that spreads our light to those around us. The number one way to light yourself up is to smile! But read on for more ways to turn on your glow from the inside and the outside.
Skin Care
Your skin, or the epidermis, is your largest organ, accounting for about 8 lbs and 22 sq. ft. of your body. Taking care of your skin with quality products will help it maintain its health which contributes to the health of your body. When looking for skin care products, there are a list of ingredients you should avoid:
- Mineral oil
- Parabens
- Aluminum
- Phthalates
- Sulfates
- Things that end in glycol (propylene glycol, butylene glycol, polyethylene glycol)
- Synthetic fragrances
Additionally, if you have sensitive skin, you may find that you need to avoid even more ingredients, and in some cases fragrances altogether.
Apply an SPF daily. Sun protection is extremely important and the recommended level of SPF protection for your face and body is SPF 30. You will want to reach for zinc based or mineral sunscreen as often as possible, especially if you are at the beach. You also want to ensure that you are washing off your SPF every night. SPF in addition to the daily dirt and grime your skin picks up everyday needs to be cleansed to keep your pores clear.
DIY full body spa with ingredients in your pantry
If you would rather make your own skin care products, that can be done. Various ingredients in your kitchen can be combined in new and exciting ways to turn on your glow from head to toe.
- Hair: If you style your hair a lot, you could have product build-up. Grate a lemon and mix with ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. Leave the mixture on your hair for 15 minutes and then rinse with cold water to restore shine.
- Face: Reap the benefits of caffeine and antioxidants to depuff and glow. Combine 1 tablespoon each of instant or ground coffee, powdered turmeric, and Greek yogurt. Smooth onto your face and let sit for 20 minutes. Gently wipe it away with warm water.
- Breasts: If you are looking to tighten the skin on your tatas, look no further than your refrigerator. Combine 2 tablespoons of apple juice and 1 cup of milk, massage it onto your breasts and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
- Body: Sugar scrubs are excellent for exfoliating and gentle enough to use all over. For a total body sugar scrub, soak in the tub to soften the skin first. Then apply your mixture of 1 cup of sugar (you’ll want to test out different sugars to see what works the best for your skin) to 3 tablespoons of oil (coconut, avocado, oil, etc.). The mixture shouldn’t be too runny or too gritty, you can adjust your sugar to oil ratios to get the appropriate texture. Massage into slightly dried skin after showering or bathing and then rinse. You will feel soft and smell sweet.
- Booty: Mix 2 cups of brown sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl. Spread over your cheeks and massage in. Rinse with warm water. Now your booty is smooth and smells delicious.
- Feet: To slough off dead skin and help with the fungus and bacteria that can thrive on the feet, combine two parts white vinegar to Listerine and soak for 45 minutes to an hour. You want enough to cover your feet. You can wash your feet or just pat dry. Apply a rich cream such as shea butter and slip into some comfy socks.
Get your sweat on
We all know that working out is good for you. But did you know that sweating helps release toxins? Additionally getting your blood pumping with cardio, strength training, hiit workouts, or sex will help you glow by increasing the circulation and oxygenation of your blood. You can workout from home with a mirror home gym, go for a run, lift weights, or mow your yard. Exercise also helps balance your hormones and increases your body’s natural collagen production.
Foods to make you shine
Certain foods with specific nutrients can increase your shine. Foods high in antioxidants, omega fatty acids, vitamins C, A, D, and E, and collagen are key for healthy, glowing skin. Ensure the following foods are on your plate:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Fish (especially salmon and mackerel)
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Avocado
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Eggs
- Bone Broth
While your body does naturally produce its own collagen, after about 30, the production of collagen slows down. Additionally, collagen can be hard to get through diet alone, so many people supplement with collagen peptides. It is important to ensure that your collagen product has both type I and III collagens and well-rounded selection of amino acids. Where your collagen comes from is also important; bovine collagen tends to be the most potent. In general animal-based collagen is going to give you better results than plant-based/vegan collagen. However, there are vegan collagen options available.
When looking at collagen powders, you want one that dissolves well in hot or cold liquid. There are a lot of different ways to take collagen from putting it in your coffee or smoothie to baking with it. In addition to healthier glowing skin, you may also find an improvement in your hair, nails, and joints when you begin taking collagen.
Additional Products/Activities to Make you Glow from Head to Toe
As you may have guessed given the recipes above, exfoliating, toning, and moisturizing are key activities to enhancing your skin’s glow. But there are additional products available to help you enhance the process. Face cupping WTHN is one method used to enhance blood flow and cell repair.
You can also look into dermarolling and fascia blasting products to help your skin cells regenerate and naturally increase your body’s collagen production. Massage also stimulates blood flow and increases oxygenation. Many people who get regular massages report better skin and a reduction in the appearance of cellulite.
Stay hydrated. While the standard fluid intake that we hear is 64 ozs, many experts recommend up to an ¾ your weight in ounces. So if you weigh 200 lbs., you would want to drink 150 oz of fluids a day. Additionally, while some people aim to hit that amount of straight water, it is important to calculate all your sources of fluid, except milk.
While you are upping your water intake, ensure you balance it out by ingesting or drinking electrolytes to ensure you are not just flushing all the nutrients out of your system. Whether you are reaching for Gatorade or just adding a little Himalayan salt to your veggies, there are a lot of ways to ensure your body is staying optimally hydrated.
We all want radiant skin. It is extremely important to take care of our bodies inside and out to maintain that glowing, youthful appearance. Everything that we put on and into our bodies can contribute to our health, especially the health of our skin.
