How to Get Rid of Dull Skin Once and For All?

As if fine lines and wrinkles weren’t enough of a worry for many, there’s also a dull skin complexion that makes us lose sleep. This greyish color that vividly reminds us of the misty landscapes of Scotland is definitely not a desirable look and requires immediate action. Misery loves company, right? In addition to dull skin, we often simultaneously fight dark circles, pimples, and a number of other skin problems. How and why does a dull complexion even appear? Can we escape it? What are the solutions? Keep on reading and find all the answers on dull complexion and how to fight against it.

What causes dull skin?

Natural aging of the skin

Aging is inevitable and as we move away from our most youthful years, our skin loses its radiance and firmness. Cell renewal slows down, collagen is distributed drop by drop, wrinkles suddenly appear and our complexion becomes dull!

Poor diet

An unbalanced diet low in fruits and vegetables can have harmful effects on the skin. Besides the lack of vitamins, your skin will suffer from glycation, a chemical reaction that results in sugar binding to proteins. In the long run, glycation will accelerate the aging of the skin by preventing the proper development of collagen and microcirculation. Glycation is particularly strong in people who eat too much sugar or grilled meat!

Tiredness

No need to explain this in much detail, we have all already noticed that after a wild night (or binge-watching Netflix until late), our face turns pale. During the night, our skin regenerates: cell multiplication, as well as collagen production, are at their highest level during this resting phase. If our night's sleep is cut by a handful of hours, our skin suffers! 

Poor blood circulation

Blood serves as a distributor of oxygen, nutrients, and vitamins throughout our bodies. If the blood circulates poorly, our skin doesn’t get enough of the vitamins and nutrients it needs. It then loses its glow and the characteristic pinky color.

Winter

Cold and fresh air, wind when outside, warm and dry air, and heating when inside - all these conditions specific to winter have a harmful effect on the skin. In particular, because of the excessive dehydration skin suffers in such conditions. This is why it is particularly important to hydrate your skin well in winter!

Hormonal imbalance

Hormones play a vital role in both our inner well-being and our skin. Estrogen is essential for a rosy and fresh complexion while cortisol, the stress hormone, can make the complexion dull and prone to pimples if secreted in too large quantities. 

When our hormones are well balanced, cell renewal, the health of our muscles and our general well-being is ensured. But when certain hormones are in overdrive or run low, even our skin suffers the consequences.

Stress

Cortisol is the cause of stress and can be harmful to the skin. This hormone, naturally present in our bodies and usually secreted in reasonable quantities, begins to spread from the inside when we stress too much. The skin is then attacked by free radicals which harm our beautiful skin cells. Even though it is not always possible, we should aim to control our stress levels as it is beneficial for our overall health, as well as for the skin.

Alcohol

On the extensive list of negative effects of alcohol, one of the top ones is dehydration! Even if you just have one drink, it still severely dehydrates the body and especially the skin. It becomes dry, making the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and a dull complexion more visible.

Pollution and cigarettes

The harmful chemicals found in cigarettes cause the multiplication of free radicals on the skin and lead to oxidative stress. Collagen is poorly renewed, skin cells lose quality, and this shows on the skin: it loses its glowy complexion, and its elasticity and wrinkles appear on the dull skin. The same process happens when the skin is in contact with excessive and everyday pollution. 

Dehydration

Drinking a lot of water is the key! Proper hydration is essential for our general state of health, but also for our skin. If you don't drink enough water, your skin dries out and your complexion becomes dull and no longer manages to fulfil its role as a protective barrier.

What are the solutions against dull skin?

Cleanse your skin thoroughly morning and evening

This has a double advantage: the skin is rid of impurities and dead cells that clog the pores and is massaged simultaneously. This stimulates circulation and gives us beautiful rosy cheeks! For an even more effective massage/cleansing/scrub combo, you can use a vibrating cleansing brush. 

Speaking of vibrating cleansing brushes, LUNA™ 3 could (and should) be your pick because it’s a one-time investment for a lifetime of results. This ultra-soft cleansing brush delivers a gentle, yet efficient deep cleanse and a momentary look of rejuvenated skin. The ultra-hygienic silicone bristles paired with a deeply enjoyable T-Sonic™ massage expertly remove up to 99% of impurities while providing a pro prep for enhanced absorption of your favorite skincare. But, not only that. If you flip your LUNA™ 3, you’ll get a firming massage treatment so you can enjoy, not only in deep cleanse, but in the immediate lift, too.

Unclog skin pores

Take a hot shower to unclog the pores. The heat and humidity will help your pores to open, making them easier to clean. 

Exfoliate once a week

The surface of our skin is an ongoing battlefield strewn with many dead cells. They clog the pores and delay the arrival of our brand new cells. Cleansing your skin daily eliminates some of it, but every other day you have to ‘dig’ a little deeper. Exfoliate your skin once a week to let it breathe and facilitate the absorption of your skincare products. You can also use some organic ingredients to exfoliate (coffee, yogurt, oats, etc.).

Use face masks

After cleansing your skin, use a face mask to nourish it and make it brighter. Choose masks according to your own skin’s needs, but favor masks that moisturize and nourish the skin.

FOREO's UFO™ 2 will upgrade your masking routine leaving you with an instantly nourished, healthy glow from the very first use.

Hydrate the skin

With age, our natural hydration of the skin needs a little boost. Make sure to moisturize your skin morning and evening, after having cleansed it well. This helps it to better absorb the vitamins and nutrients necessary for a radiant complexion. In addition, well-hydrated skin will be stronger and can defend itself against external attacks.

Chemical peel 

This type of peeling is performed by a doctor who applies an acid solution that eliminates the skin of its superficial layer where dead cells and other impurities often stagnate. This allows the skin to renew with brand new cells while clearing the skin of its imperfections and restoring all its radiance!

Exercise

In addition to all the many benefits for the heart and the body in general, exercising is also excellent for your skin! By sweating during exercise, you eliminate toxins from the skin and stimulate blood circulation. A perfect combination for glowy skin.

Consume beta-carotenes

You may have heard it during your childhood: "Eat your carrots, it gives you pink cheeks!" Well, that's not entirely wrong. Carrots, but also mangoes, melons, watermelons, apricots, sweet potatoes, or pumpkins, are well supplied with beta-carotene, a provitamin A rich in antioxidants. Beta-carotene is renowned for its ability to protect skin cells against free radicals and oxidative stress. It also plays a role in the synthesis of melanin, responsible for the pigmentation of our skin and its protection against the sun.

Use cutting-edge technology

Use cutting-edge technology to stimulate your facial muscles, and activate cell renewal and collagen production! This is what microcurrent technology does: lifts the skin without surgery and restores radiance to a dull skin complexion. No need to go to the salon, you can get your own microcurrent device to use while lounging on the couch. 

BEAR™ and BEAR™ mini are microcurrent devices that helps improve facial contour, sagging & the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles in just 2 minutes.

While you’re at it, a dull complexion is also more prominent when your dark circles are very visible. Use a special eye contour massager to activate the microcirculation under the eyes and thus make the puffy eyes less visible. 

Take your vitamins

Vitamin C combined with vitamin E creates a strong shield against free radicals. The combination protects the cells of the skin and thus indirectly slows down its aging process and loss of radiance. Vitamin C is especially important as it gives energy not just to you, but to your skin also. Furthermore, it is a very important vitamin for the proper functioning of the immune system and reduces fatigue.

Mesotherapy

If your budget allows it, mesotherapy might just be what your skin needs. Mesotherapy is a procedure of injecting treatment adapted to your needs directly into the skin. This allows the product in question to directly integrate the dermis without transiting through the blood or any other parallel channel. The doctor might suggest that you do a mesolift which gives your skin a youthful look and radiance by injecting solutions full of vitamins and antioxidants via a micro-needle. On the other hand, he might suggest a microneedling session to boost collagen production and achieve a better penetration of your anti-aging skincare products.

Use makeup and tinted cream

While waiting for the results of your carrot-melon diet or your mesotherapy appointment, there are other steps you can take in the meantime. Starting with the tinted cream, when evenly spread over the face, it will give the impression that you have just come back from the beach.  

Similarly, with well-balanced make-up, your dull complexion will disappear, leaving you with glowy and radiant skin (at least for a couple of hours).

Give in to the call of strobing

Strobing is a fun and easy makeup technique that consists of illuminating certain parts of the face in such a way as to give your face a particular glow. To do this, use an illuminator suitable to your skin tone, and apply it to the curved areas of your face: forehead, cheekbones, chin. Voila, a face with a radiant complexion!

Say goodbye to dull skin

By adopting the right routine and taking the right steps, your dull skin will transform into radiant and luminous... an exhilarating feeling!

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