The best skincare products for a glowing complexion

I love skincare. And quite frankly, I don’t understand why everybody isn’t like that. For one, it is the largest organ of your body. It deserves the extra attention. But also, it is one of the first things people will notice about you. Especially your complexion. I have been somewhat conscious of my skin for the best part of my teenage and adult life. It’s not that I had acne, but I’m not blessed with perfect skin either. And for the past few years, I have grown a special interest in having healthy looking, glowing skin. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to look tired or even sickly. Hence why I went in search for the best skincare products for a healthy and glowing complexion. This is what I do every morning, without fail. Get comfy and prepare to take some notes!

Step 1: Cleansing

Step 1 in getting a healthy, glowing complexion: washing your face first thing in the morning. For some people, just using water might be enough. I like to add a gentle cleanser. The one I’m currently using is perfect for my combination skin. It is a cleansing gel by FormelSkin (click here), formulated with salicylic acid to combat impurities. To give the salicylic acid a chance to really get into the pores, I like to take my time with it. For about a minute, I gently massage my face, before rinsing it off. This can also get rid of some of the puffiness around the eyes, which is normal to have in the mornings.

Step 2: The brightening ingredient

Brightening ingredients are the secret to a healthy, glowing complexion. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, meaning they help build up your skins protective barrier. They help with impurities, as well as dark spots. And can also reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines. There are a couple different ones I like to use in the mornings:

1) a vitamine C-serum

2) a niacinamide-serum

Please note that I am not using both at the same time, but interchangeably. If you’re just getting started with these ingredients, you should ease your way into it, to get your skin used to the new products. For example, start off with using a brightening ingredient 2-3 times a week. If your skin handles it well, increase it to 3-4 times a week and so on. Or, you could start by mixing equal parts of brightening ingredient serum with a moisturizing serum or cream. However you decide to do it, keep a close eye on your skin. It should never feel dry or irritated.

Here are some of my favorites:

Out of these three, the Lumene Nordic C Oil-Cocktail (shop here) is my favorite. As the name suggests, it is oil based, but doesn’t leave a sticky or greasy feeling to the skin. It’s a bi-phase product, so shake well before use. The Ascorbyl Glucoside 12%-serum by The Ordinary is a close second (shop here). Plus, it is less than half the prize of the Lumene serum. This one does leave a little bit of an oily feeling on your skin, so make sure you don’t use too much. Or, if that bothers you, you can use it in the evenings. When I use the Niacinamide booster by Colibri (shop here), I will usually mix it with a hyaluronic serum or my moisturizer, as it can be a little drying on my skin.

So like I said, if you’re just getting started with active ingredients like these, incorporate them into your routine slowly. After all, we are trying to achieve a glow, not crusty looking skin, right?

Step 3: Moisturizing

Another crucial step in my morning skincare routine to achieve glowing skin is a good moisturizer. If you have oily skin, you don’t necessarily have to do this step. But because I work in the medical field and thus have to wear a medical facemask all day, my skin gets super dry. And now that we are in winter, with the heating on and everything, my skin needs moisture more than ever. These are the two moisturizers I use:

Both of these face creams have a light, yet moisturizing formula. If I had to choose, I would opt for the FormelSkin (click here) one, as it is even lighter on my skin. But the Calming Moisturizer by Colibri (shop here) is a really nice alternative as well.

Step 4: Sunscreen

I wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine, summer or winter. Even though my skin doesn’t burn easily, it is super important to protect it. Not only to prevent horrible diseases like skin cancer, but also to combat premature skin aging. I want to youthful, glowing complexion, not a dull and wrinkly one. And if like me, you are using other active ingredients on your face in the evenings, you need it more than ever.

Active ingredients like retinol, chemically exfoliate your skin. Which is great if you’re aiming for a healthy glow. But they also lower your skins ability to protect itself from the UV-rays. Therefore, you need to apply an SPF 30-50, everyday. Even if you’re not really leaving the house. Not all of the UV-rays are filtered by windows, meaning if you’re sat near a window all day, your skin is still exposed to some of them. Even in the winter, even when it’s cloudy.

I generally like to use a sunscreen with a high SPF, but light formula, like this one:

The Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV SPF (shop here) is my favorite, as it has a very high SPF (50+), as well as hyaluronic acid. And, as I have said before, my skin can get very dry, so I need all the moisture I can get.

Step 5: BB- or CC-Serum

I have only recently added this step into my morning routine and would say it is optional. But I find, using a BB- or CC-cream/-serum can help to get an even more glowing complexion, especially if you’re not wearing make-up on a day to day basis. You could also swap it out for a tinted moisturizer or sunscreen. See below for the options I like to use:

The Erborian (shop here) CC Water is quite an interesting product. It’s a clear, gel-like consistency, with little white pearls in it. But when you rub it onto your skin, the little pearls burst, releasing a color-correcting liquid, that adapts to your skin tone. Pretty cool, eh? The coverage of it however is very low to non-existent. It merely gives a very nice, healthy glow to your complexion. If you struggle with blemishes or redness, and are looking for a product to cover that up, this isn’t the one for you. What I do is, I use this product first, then add concealer to wherever I feel needs a little extra. Works for me 🙂

The Nivea tinted SPF/BB-cream (shop here) uses the same technology of adapting its color to your skin tone, or at least so it claims. I mostly used this one in the summer, as it is SPF 50+. The downside to it: it doesn’t blend super well, and needs a little getting used to. And again, for a more flawless look, you would have to add some concealer/foundation.

Timing

As you can tell, there are quite a few steps in my morning routine. When using multiple products, it’s important to allow each of them ample time to do their thing. I have already mentioned that I allow my cleanser about a minute to work on my skin. For your brightening ingredient, you want to make sure it is the first thing you apply to your skin, after cleansing. You also want to give it 5-10 minutes to absorb properly.

Since time in the mornings is usually short for most of us, I like to use this time to prepare my breakfast. Afterwards, I apply my moisturizer. Make sure you wash your hands before that, as you don’t want to touch your clean face with dirty fingers. Then, I’ll make myself a cup of coffee, while the moisturizer is sinking in. Once that’s done, I put on my sunscreen. Here you want to allow 10-15 minutes to let it set, as you don’t want to dilute it with your CC-serum or makeup. So I drink my coffee, read a little bit, and then apply the CC-Serum and the rest of my makeup.

This routine really works for me, because it’s easily integrated into my morning. For you, it might be different. Just try and see what works for you!

What else to consider

Obviously, the best of morning skincare routines is useless if you’re not doing it regularly. Find something that works for you, and then make sure you stick to it. It doesn’t have to be a fancy 25 step-routine, if you don’t have the time in the mornings.

Also, the loveliest products on the world won’t be able to compensate a poor diet, not enough water, or lack of sleep. Make sure you’ve got your nutrition down, with lots of veggies and plenty of water. There’s no need to spend money on skin supplements, you can get all the vitamins and minerals from real food. As for sleep, I like to aim for at least 8 hours every night. You also want to change over your pillowcase regularly, as bacteria builds up in there and can cause irritations or breakouts.

And finally: when trying a new product, don’t be too quick to judge. You want to give it a good few weeks, before you can really see if it’s working or not. With active ingredients, don’t be surprised if in the beginning your skin seems to get worse. This is known as “skin purging”, where your skin is getting rid of the stuff that has build up in it. I know it sucks, but it will get better. Also, don’t try too many new products at once. Introduce them one after the other, so you know which product works for you, and which doesn’t.

So, there you have it, maybes products for a healthy and glowing complexion! Let me know your favorites in the comments, I love to test out new things!

Thanks for reading!

Lots of Love,
Lena

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.