We all want to have glowing skin, don’t we? To achieve the radiance that emanates from a healthy complexion?
It’s the kind of glow that comes from being healthy on the inside and happy in your skin and you can get it at any age.
Following you’ll find five ways to boost your luminosity, but first the definition:
luminous
/ˈluːmɪnəs/ Learn to pronounce
adjective
giving off light; bright or shining
1. Hydrate
Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash
Some people may think it’s ‘old hat’ because they’ve heard about it so often but drinking water frequently definitely makes a difference to health, skin and energy levels. It makes us feel better and if you don’t drink enough you run the risk of becoming dehydrated which can lead to things like headaches and muscle tension.
I like Cameron Diaz’s trick of drinking an entire bottle on waking. It really does set you up for the day. Check her and Dr Oz out in this video – demonstrating!
It’s much easier to get your quota during summer but keeping up your H2O levels up is just as important in winter. The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda recommends drinking water at lukewarm temperatures which is perfect for cooler days. Herbal teas count too (coffee doesn’t, sorry!) And eating foods that have a high water concentration like watermelon, oranges, cucumber, lettuce, celery, cabbage, cauliflower and soups. Happy hydrating. 🍉🥒
2. Green Leafies
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If you take care of number one (hydration) and increase the number of leafy greens in your diet it’s incredible how you literally feel ready to take on the world. Seriously. Compare it with how you feel when you have coffee and cake. Granted it’s delish but it doesn’t make you feel as if you’re brimming with radiance. Leafy green veggies are chock-full of antioxidants and vitamins, minerals and fibre. (Fibre encourages poop; let’s face we’re not often blinded by the luminous glow of a constipated person! 🤣🤣🤣). Green leafies are also rich in chlorophyll, which helps cleanse, energise and deodorise the body. Add them to your diet wherever you can – to a daily smoothie and to every meal. Choose from greenies like nutrient-dense kale, microgreens, spinach (so easy to add to everything!), bok choy, endive, lettuce and whatever else you can find. Just look for green leaves at the market and experiment. Easy peasy.
3. Coconut Oil
Photo by Tijana Drndarski on Unsplash
Coconut oil is such a great multi-tasker. We can eat it, drink it, cook with it, and apply it topically. As a beauty product, it makes a wonderful cleanser and you can also use it as a face, body and hair moisturiser. It’s also very soothing and healing and if you have an itch it will help. Especially ‘down there’. Sorry to go there (shhh!) but with hormone shifts post-40 declining estrogen can cause an itchy va-jay-jay and/or vaginal dryness. Coconut oil is a natural helper. It’s also a great weight loss aid as it helps with feelings of satiety. Not too many studies back that up but I find if I eat a tablespoon of solid coconut oil it reduces cravings.
Related: 4 Ways To Use Coconut Oil
4. Exfoliate
Gently. Gentle exfoliation helps stimulate the skin’s circulation and famously gets rid of dead skin cells. It is true that as we get older our natural skin sloughing slows down so giving it a boost helps speed things up again. The key is with the word ‘gentle’. As we wrote in our cleansing article being overzealous isn’t skin cherishing but gentle products and movements work a treat. It’s a great feeling when you’ve got a dry scaly patch and after exfoliation, it magically becomes smooth again. There are some great products out there but did you know your kitchen pantry also offers up some excellent exfoliants? Baking soda, sea salt, oatmeal and ground almonds are at your service.
Related: How To Cleanse Your Face
5. Embrace The Facial
Photo by Antonika Chanel on Unsplash
Many people think of a trip to the beauty therapist as a pampering treat but in actual fact, a facial in the hands of a pro is all about skin health and condition. As a beauty editor of decades (eeek!) I’ve had trillions of facials and a lot of therapists will say they can tell how well my skin has been looked after. And I was no angel lifestyle-wise when I was younger. A monthly facial will repay you and your luminosity in spades. End of story.
Hope that helps.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
YOURS IN HEALTH & HAPPINESS 😀
