15 effective ways to get glowing skin

By Dr. Kanchan Harjwani | March 19, 2016

Skin is the largest and fastest growing organ in the human body. It has 3 layers which are named as epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat layer. The skin has very important role in the protective mechanism of the body. As it covers the whole body it protects internal organs from the bacteria and virus which are present in the environment. It also protects our organs from sun, cold, scrapes, and cuts.

Like any other internal organs in the body, your skin can also be healthy or diseased. It can be good nourished or malnourished. As we age, our skin also undergoes many changes it becomes thinner and drier. And also, other more troublesome things happen to our skin like age spots, wrinkles and enlarged pores, and dark circles. You can’t control your age, but you can control many other factors that affect the skin like excessive exposure to sunlight, stress, bad dietary habits, and smoking etc.

Naturally beautiful skin is genetic. Yes its true, genes play a very important role, but along with genetics other factors like taking good care of your skin and a healthy lifestyle are also equally important.

There are different skin types. Not all individual have same skin type. Some have dry skin and some have oily skin, which is more prone to acne and some have a combination of both dry and oily skin.

There are many beauty creams and lotions available in the market which promises to give you glowing skin, but you should understand your skin type first and then you can use the appropriate product, but then too you cannot be sure about the desirable result. Also the sensitivity of skin is a matter of concern. So natural ways for glowing skin is more reliable and easy.

Home remedies for glowing skin

Getting beautiful glowing skin is dream of every person, let's see how you can get glowing skin by trying some natural things in few easy steps:

1. Lemon juice: Lemon is rich in vitamin C which is the key ingredient for healthy glowing skin, it helps to reduce dark spots on the skin. It also has a great antibacterial property which is important to treat acne. The citric acid in lemon helps to shed all the dead cells, it acts as an exfoliant and clears the skin complexion.

How to use: Fresh lemon juice can be applied t o any discoloration or spots on the skin. You can keep it for 15 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Lemon juice can give you some irritation on the skin, so you can dilute it with a little water if you cannot bear the irritation. People having dry skin should avoid using lemon juice directly, you can dilute it with water and make sure you apply a good moisturizer after washing your face with lemon juice. If your skin is oily then you can add some cucumber juice with lemon juice. Use this at least thrice in a week to get desirable results.

You can also add honey to lemon juice this combination act as a natural exfoliant which can be used once in a week for healthy skin, make sure you avoid exfoliating your skin when there is acne present, because they may spread infection and acne may increase. Make sure to avoid going out in the sun after application of this lemon juice mixtures because you may prone to sunburns and it may damage your skin.

2. Turmeric powder: One of the most ancient valuable discovery by our ancestors was turmeric powder which has all the medicinal properties like antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and other property like enhancing the skin complexion. It helps to remove scars and discoloration on the skin.

How to use: For dry skin, you can make a paste of sandalwood and turmeric mix with water. You can make a paste of turmeric powder and pineapple juice, apply it evenly on your face and let it dry and later wash it off with water. It helps to reduce spots on the skin. You can use this mixture twice a week for better results. For skin lightening, you can add gram flour to turmeric powder and use milk or water, you have to scrub it gently for removing it. Avoid scrubbing option if you have acne as it may spread the infection.

3. Walnut: Walnuts are a great antioxidant which helps to repair the skin cells. It act as the best cleanser in powder form and can be used as an exfoliant to remove the dead cells and dirt from the skin.

4. Mint: First thing that comes to mind after word “mint” is freshness, Yes same is the benefit when it is used as an ingredient in the food or when used for skin. It has great content called as menthol which has soothing properties, so when used on the face gives it fresh glowing effect. It has a great antiseptic property which is useful for treating acne.

How to use: you can apply freshly made a mint paste on the skin. Mint paste is made up of ground fresh mint leaves with little water in it. This will be beneficial for skin as it will reduce the chance of developing a bacterial infection and will also give a fresh glow to the skin. You can also use another paste that is by mixing the mint powder with plain yogurt and fuller's earth (Multani Matti) soak this mixture for 20-30 minutes. Apply it on your face and then rinse it off after it dries up. You can use it once a week for beautiful glowing skin.

5. Papaya: This fruit has very rich content called as papain, which is natural health tonic that helps in removing dead skin and improves the texture of skin.

How to use: You can take ripe papaya and mix it with honey, grind it make a paste and apply it on the face. Leave it for 15 minutes and then rinse it off with water and then finally apply rose water for moisturizing your skin. Use this face pack once a week.

6. Drink Adequate plenty of water: Water is the most important thing and you can start your day with a glass of water and try drinking as much water as you can, it helps to flush out toxins from the body, which in turn will help to clear your skin.

Try substituting your regular caffeinated beverages with fresh fruit juices and green tea. Hydrate your skin with lots of water and you can see naturally glowing skin.

7. Healthy balanced diet: Healthy eating habits is key to the good health. As rightly said by Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

Always consume a diet which is balanced that means including all the proteins and vitamins in proper proportion. These simple dietary changes can help you see your desired results very soon. Some of the important nutrients for skin are as follows:

Omega 3 fatty acids. These are richly present in fish and walnuts, which are very important for naturally glowing skin.
All the vitamins but especially Vitamin C: food rich in vitamin C are lemons, green leafy vegetables.

8. Regular exercise: It elevates blood circulation which in turn is important not only for the healthy skin but overall health.

9. Washing face regularly: washing face for at least 3 to 4 times a day with water helps to keep skin free from any infections.

10. Sound sleep: Sound sleep is key to the beautiful skin. Ones you wake up having good sleep there is a natural glow to the skin if you have more stress and less sleep it can be easily seen on your face and stress hormone, in turn, releases excessive oil which makes your skin greasy and more acne prone.

11. Remove makeup before sleep: Firstly try and avoid much makeup as it has lots of skin-harming chemicals, even if you apply it make sure you wash your face thoroughly with face wash before going to the bed no matter how tired you are. As this makeup can clog the pore by attracting dirt and can lead to unhealthy skin or acne.

12. Sunlight: Avoid going out in the sun without applying sunscreen lotion. Sunlight is rich in vitamin D but only in the morning from 7 am to 9 am, after that, it has high UV rays which may damage your skin.

13. Personal hygiene: It is very important to keep your towels, soaps, and makeup brush separate and follow personal hygiene which is essential for healthy skin.

14. Moisturizing your skin: it is very important to take good care of your skin by applying regular moisturizer according to your skin type, which will leave your skin healthy and fresh till the end of the day.

15. Positive thoughts and inner happiness: It is the most natural thing, the face is the first part of the body which expresses your feelings. So once you are happy it is easily recognized on your skin and it has very natural glow. So be positive and be happy for good health and glowing skin.

“Beautiful skin requires commitment not a miracle” Erno laszlo

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