An important component (and sign) of healthy skin is a natural glow. But causes like lack of sleep, stress, age and even what you eat can deprive your complexion of its luminosity. The good news is that you can transform skin that looks dull and tired into bright and glowing at home. Simply follow these expert skin and makeup tips, home remedies, and top skin care picks from Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists and expert dermatologists on how to make your face glow the right way. natural, no matter how long it is: months, a week, overnight. Or even instantly!
1. Clean regularly (and thoroughly!)
FRESH Soy Facial Cleanser
Soy facial cleanser
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$40 AT WALMART
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Key to radiant skin: Clean the “canvas” by thoroughly removing debris such as dirt, oil and contaminant particles that can clog pores and cause dullness. Wash your face in the morning and evening by lightly massaging a small portion of facial cleanser with your fingers in circular motions, working from the inside of the face outward for full coverage, says GH Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann. .
For daily use, try Beauty Lab’s best-tested radiance-boosting facial cleanser, Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, and perform a deeper cleanse weekly by applying your facial cleanser with a facial cleansing brush, like Beauty Lab’s test winner and Good Housekeeping star ProX. by Olay Advanced Facial Cleansing Brush System.
MORE THAN GOOD CLEANING
How We Tested: Meal Delivery Services
US Good Housekeeping section preview: Beauty & Style
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2. Exfoliate your skin
“One of the best ways to brighten your skin and increase its glow both immediately and long-term is by exfoliating,” says Wizemann, but nearly half of GH readers skip it, according to our survey. “The process removes the outer layer of dead skin cells so that its surface is smoother, clearer and reflects light.”
Apply a physical exfoliant, such as a facial scrub, two to three times a week or a chemical exfoliant, such as a facial scrub, once a week for sensitive or dry skin and three times maximum for other skin types, she suggests. Try GH Beauty Lab’s top-tested skin-brightening facial scrub, Acure Brightening Facial Scrub, or Philosophy The Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel, which also evens skin tone, 71% of testers reported.
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3. Then, hydrate and protect
For more radiance, follow with a layer of moisturizer, like GH Beauty Lab’s favorite Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. When skin is hydrated, it also reflects light, making it appear instantly brighter. And be sure to protect your skin with broad-spectrum SPF 30+ facial sunscreen or day cream, since exfoliation makes it more prone to sun damage, including dark spots. The GH Beauty Lab test winner, L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal SPF 30, also contains glycolic acid, a gentle exfoliant, plus brightening vitamin C.
Illuminates the skin
Brightening facial scrub
Acure Brightening Facial Scrub
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CREDIT: AMAZON.COM
IT UNIFIES THE TONE OF THE SKIN
Rejuvenating exfoliation with microdelivery
Philosophy Peeling Resurfacing Microdelivery
$72 AT SEPHORA
$72 AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
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MOISTURIZER MOISTURIZER
Hydro Boost Water Gel
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
Now 37% discount
$17 ON AMAZON
$15 AT WALMART
$30 ON ULTIMATE BEAUTY
CREDIT: AMAZON
ILLUMINATING LOTION
Revitalift Bright Revelation SPF 30
L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal SPF 30
Now 30% discount
$14 ON AMAZON
$18 AT WALMART
$24 AT MACY’S
CREDIT: AMAZON
4. Look for brightening skin care ingredients.
For topical skin care treatments, such as serums and moisturizers, look on the packaging.
for terms like “brightener” and “even skin tone” and active skin care ingredients like:
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Vitamin C, “an antioxidant that brightens skin by blocking an enzyme that produces pigment,” says GH Beauty Lab chemist Danusia Wnek. Try GH Seal star No7 Early Defense Brightening Activating Serum, made with Vitamin C.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) “slows down the production of pigments to
