Maintaining a healthy complexion can be tough, we won’t lie—between sleepless nights and dark undereye circles, all kinds of acne across your face, or too-deep wrinkles you wish would disappear, we all want that perfectly luminous skin we see everywhere on social media and online. Of course, it’s important to note that so many of those photos are altered, and social media is just a highlight reel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate products and practices into your day-to-day to help you achieve your healthiest complexion yet. Below, you’ll find our best tips for getting your glow back, and keeping it going for good.
1. Cleansing is key.
If you’re one to wear makeup often, it’s very important to cleanse the skin thoroughly every day before heading to bed—the worst thing you can do for your skin is to go to bed with makeup on, not having washed your face.
When on the hunt for a great cleanser, make sure you select one that’s best for your skin type. Oil-based cleansers or cream cleansers are ideal for those with dry skin, while foaming cleansers are great for oilier complexions. If you suffer from acne, consider trying out a cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide—two key ingredients that have been proven to treat and prevent acne from forming.
If you’re someone with sensitive skin, it’s best to only wash your face once a day (in the evening), rather than twice a day. Sometimes cleansers can be too aggravating for sensitive skin if used too often, and your skin might need a break from all the sudsing. In the morning, opt for a splash of cold water on your face, or use micellar water on a cotton round and sweep across your skin for a fresh feeling, without the added cleansing with soaps and surfactants.
2. Exfoliate when necessary.
If you’re after a beautifully healthy complexion, you’re going to want to slough off dead skin cells to reveal newer skin every so often. The frequency that you exfoliate, along with the type of exfoliation, really depends on your skin type.
For oilier complexions, it’s safe to use chemical and physical exfoliants 2-3 times per week. For those with drier skin types, stick to exfoliating with gentle chemical exfoliants (like lactic acid or glycolic acid) 1-2 times per week.
3. Apply an essence.
One of the most important steps in nailing a healthy complexion is hydration. Regardless of whether you have oily, dry, acne-prone, sensitive, or mature skin, you should always be hydrating, both day and night. Applying an essence after cleansing (and exfoliating, if you choose to do so) is an incredible way to give the skin a kick start of moisture, further helping your moisturizers and creams to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin more effectively. An essence is like a watery serum that provides a ton of moisture deep within the skin, restoring the natural moisture balance.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
After you’ve applied your essence, you’ll want to seal everything in with a moisturizer. Look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides, and other plumping, skin-loving ingredients when choosing a moisturizer. If your skin is on the oiler side, look for a lightweight lotion or water-based gel moisturizer to offer hydration, without adding excess oil. If your skin is on the drier side, look for a thick cream or emollient to help add hydration back into the skin.
For mature skin, consider using a moisturizer with anti-aging properties, such as a retinol at night or vitamin C in the morning. Since mature skin loses collagen and elastin at a faster rate, and also tends to be more on the dry side, it’s important to find a thick, emollient cream moisturizer that will add hydration back into the skin for a super healthy complexion.
For those with acneic skin, you can go with one of two options. The first option is to use a moisturizer that has acne-fighting ingredients in it, like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or retinol (only at night). The other option is to choose a normal moisturizer or lotion (without the added acne-fighting ingredients) to treat your skin.
The benefit of using a “plain” moisturizer on skin with acne has to do with the formation of acne. Acne forms when there is an excess of oil on and underneath the skin. Sometimes, when you’re trying to “dry out” your acne using blemish-fighting ingredients, you actually make your skin drier, and it starts to produce even more oil to counteract the dryness. This can lead to more acne. By actually hydrating your acne with a plain moisturizer or lotion, you reverse the excessive oil production that causes acne in the first place.
5. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Just as important as what you apply on the skin, what you put into your body affects your complexion, too. It’s important to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains when trying to achieve a healthy complexion. If you’d like to go a step further, consider drinking fresh celery juice every morning to get clearer, healthier skin. Celery juice is loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and water, all of which can help rejuvenate your skin and boost your healthy complexion. Additionally, drinking celery juice every morning on an empty stomach might help your digestion and gut health, an issue that has been recently linked to skin health.
6. Use makeup to lightly veil imperfections.
One of the easiest ways to fake a healthy complexion is to use makeup. At Veil Cosmetics, we’ve created beautiful, lightweight products that make it so easy to enhance your natural beauty while veiling anything you’d like to camouflage. Using our hero product, the Complexion Fix Concealer, you’ll be able to spot treat any problematic areas, without looking cakey or overdone. Our oil-free concealer can be used in multiple ways.
Firstly, you can use the product as a concealer to naturally “veil” imperfections to create a smooth, even canvas. Secondly, you can use this concealer as a corrector for darker pigmentation, such as dark circles or sunspots—just make sure you choose a shade that’s deeper than your skin tone to help neutralize. Finally, use the Complexion Fix Concealer as a shimmer-free, water-based highlighter. You want to use a full shade that’s lighter than your skin tone to help make your highlight blend seamlessly.
For an even healthier-looking complexion, you can finish off your look with our Automatte Mattifying Balm. Non-drying and non-caking, Automatte’s weightless and breathable veil provides a soft-focus effect that leaves your skin looking naturally smooth. Plus, the formula’s clarifying and brightening properties soothe the complexion and assist in collagen synthesis and protection. This balm is available in one universal tint for all skin tones, and can be used as a primer, with or without makeup, to prevent shine and oil build-up, as well as a touch-up throughout the day.
Achieving a healthy complexion might take some time, along with some work, but with a few key skincare products, healthy lifestyle choices, and a few Veil Cosmetics products to add to your arsenal, you’ll be glowing in no time.
