Discover lifestyle, dietary and skincare tips for a beautiful glow without the beauty overhaul

With a little help from professional skincare specialists, you can work towards a healthy glow, inside out. Keep reading for expert (and easy) lifestyle, diet and skincare tips you can start straight away at home – brought to you as part of our 21 Days to Glow campaign.

Lifestyle

Cut down your screen time

Whether it's video calls, working from home or late-night Netflix sessions, screen time is at an all-time high. More screen time means an increased exposure to blue light, which weakens the skin barrier – exposing your skin to darkening and damage.

Did you know…

• 16 hours blue light from screens everyday cause instant and delay tanning, pro-aging (fine lines, spots, lack of elasticity, etc) and skin dryness
• 30 hours blue light exposure from a smartphone or computer screen can increase the inflammation level in skin cells by 40%
• 4 days in front of your laptop is the equivalent of 20 minutes in midday sun

Source: Unilever Research & Development, 2020 

Skincare tip: Vitamin B3 offers 100% protection from blue light, protecting skin from premature aging, dullness, spots and dryness. You can find vitamin B3 in our ultra-hydrating Aqualuronic range – ideal for everyday screen defence.

Clean your phone

Speaking of technology, we need to tell you about a study by scientists at the University of Arizona¹. Their team found that the average phone screen is home to 10x more bacteria than most toilet seats (crazy, we know!). It’s easy for germs and bacteria to transfer onto your cheek and jawline each time you’re on the phone, leading to spots and irritation. The solution? Start cleaning your screen every day. A quick once over with one anti-bacterial wipe should do the trick.

Practice yoga

Yoga cleanses both body and mind, but some positions are especially helpful for glowing skin. By flushing out toxins from the body and encouraging blood circulation to the face, downward positions leave us looking healthy and radiant.

3 easy poses to try at home:

• Shoulder stand – helps improve skin texture and quality by promoting blood circulation towards your face. Practice 3-5 times a day to brighten signs of dullness
• Forward bend – promotes blood flow to the face for glowing results. This increases the oxygen supply to your skin cells and delivers nutrients to help encourage skin cell renewal
• Seated twist ­– aids digestion by helping to remove toxins and other harmful substances from your organs – a classic focus in glowing skin

Get enough sleep

It’s common knowledge that we should be aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but why is it so important for our skin? Overnight, our body repairs itself. Without sleep, our skin cannot recover from daily aggressors (like pollution and sun exposure) or fight signs of aging. It's important to create a calming sleep space to rest and reset mind, body and skin.

Creating your sleep space:

• Keep cool – National Sleep Foundation recommends 65F (18C) for undisturbed sleep²
• Declutter your bed area – clear bed, clear mind
• Avoid working in bed – your sleep space is for sleeping
• Put screens away at least one hour before bed – they can affect melatonin production (the hormone that helps our sleep-cycle)

Diet

Drink lots of water

The scientists are tied on whether water helps skin glow: some claim water helps clear toxins that lead to inflammation and blemishes, others say there’s not enough evidence to back these theories up. What we do know is, drinking more water during the day helps your skin’s natural moisture levels and many believe it helps them see healthy, glowing skin. By adding antioxidant-rich extras like lemon or mint, you can give your rehydration pitstop a glowing skin boost.

Give your water a boost:

• Lemon – rich in vitamin C, helping to form collagen while flushing out toxins and damaged cells for radiant, clear skin
• Strawberries – also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants
• Mint – helps aid digestion, to help you glow inside out
• Chia seeds – packed with antioxidants and omega-3s to help give glowing skin

Eat antioxidant-rich foods

Vegetables and nuts are loaded with vitamins and enzymes – ideal for maintaining a healthy balance for your skin and cleansing from toxins. Add antioxidant-rich foods to your diet to maximize your glow – and feel healthier on the inside, too.

Glowing skin shopping list:

• Cucumber – rich in vitamin A, E and other antioxidants, known to help protect and rejuvenate your skin
• Spinach – among antioxidants and beta-carotene, this leafy plant’s levels of iron and folate promote better blood supply to your skin, giving a healthy glow
• Carrot – full of brightening beta-carotene (it’s the reason behind its bright orange color, too)
• Beetroot – loaded with vitamin C and a natural antioxidant this root encourages collagen synthesis for youthful, radiant skin
• Macadamias nuts – packed with high-quality oils and fatty acids that help to rejuvenate and repair skin

Skincare

Stock up on hydrating ingredients

The secret to glowing skin? Hydration, hydration, hydration. Alongside your regular glasses of water, applying moisturizing ingredients ensures your skin is getting all the care it needs to look dewy and healthy. It’s easy to curate the ultimate glowing skin K-beauty ritual, you just need to know what to look out for on the ingredient list.

Top ingredients to take note of:

• Panthenol or provitamin B5– when absorbed into skin, this provitamin converts to pantothenic acid (a provitamin of B5). This binds water and enhances hydration, while encouraging cell growth. In Premium Hydra B5 and Premium EX Hydra B5
• Triple Hyaluronic Acid – the unique adaptation of hyaluronic acid, used in our Aqualuronic, opens in a new windowrange. This is three hyaluronic molecule sizes instead of one: low, medium, and high. Each one seeps into the different layers of skin for intensive, long-lasting hydration.
• Vitamin C or ascorbic acid – one of the key brightening ingredients in our Peony Bright, opens in a new window formulas. Vitamin C encourages the production of collagen, vital for skin to look firm and radiant.
• Peptides – naturally occurring in skin, vital in building collagen and elastin for healthy skin. In Essential Real Eye Cream for Face
• Ceramides – help to restore the skin barrier while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You’ll find three types of ceramide combined with three marine ingredients in our Aqualuronic, opens in a new windowrange

Top up your moisture levels

Glowing skin is all down to hydration. Whether you’re at home or on-the-go, giving your skin a moisture boost will act as a glowing top-up, too. A spritz of our Premium Hydra B5 Soothing Mist, opens in a new window immediately hydrates thirsty skin, thanks to a blend of panthenol and hyaluronic acid. Pat the moisture boost into your skin, then finish by gently pressing your hands over your face.

Massage in your formulas

Your skincare routine results are down to application as well as formula. Applying gentle pressure along your facial muscles stimulates blood circulation.  Watch our rejuvenating massage tutorial, opens in a new window to see how it’s done.

Discover more expert skincare tips for glowing skin on our Instagram channel, opens in a new window. We’ve invited professional aestheticians, facialists and beauty gurus on our 21 Days to Glow journey to help you enjoy the Korean aesthetic clinic experience (and results) at home.

References:

1. Why your cell phone has more germs than a toilet, University of Arizona , opens in a new window
2. What temperature should your bedroom be? National Sleep Foundation , opens in a new window