Have you noticed that your skin doesn’t have the radiant glow it once did? Maybe you’re chalking it up to ageing, or perhaps just the colder weather taking its toll on your skin, but dull skin can tell a much deeper story about your overall health. Here are some reasons you may be losing your lustre.
Stress
Stress can wreak havoc on your skin in a lot of ways. It affects your hormonal balance, which can lead to breakouts; it prevents you from sleeping, which hinders the renewal and repair of skin cells; and, because of the two previous factors, it makes you way more inclined to indulge in foods and activities (like smoking and drinking) that further dull your skin.
Poor Diet
You are what you eat! You’ve no doubt heard this before, but have you ever thought about how it’s literally true? What we eat gets broken down during digestion, and rebuilt into various compounds that create and help repair our cells. Eating junk will eventually lead to an unhealthy body that just does not function properly. You can’t build something good out of bad materials. The skin relies on hydration, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats to look its best. Make sure to drink a lot of water, and fill your plate with veggies, and healthy fats like fish, avocado, and nuts.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes is genuinely one of the worst things you can do for your body overall. It inhibits blood flow to the face, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching your skin, causing a dull complexion. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin, two substances that make up the structure of the skin, maintain its firmness, and promote a youthful appearance.
Lack of exfoliation
A lot of the time dull skin just comes from a buildup of old skin cells on your face. Remedy this by adding exfoliation into your beauty routine twice a week. Follow this up with a hydrating moisturizer to help prevent dryness. Also, use SPF on your face all year ‘round! Yes, even when it’s cloudy. UV rays can penetrate cloud cover and contribute to drying, damaging, and ageing your skin.