My Plan to Get the Glowiest Glowing Skin in One Week
My good friend Lauren is getting married in Chicago at the end of December, and it's my goal to have the glowiest glowing skin for this wedding. And I really want to go all out, changing up my skincare routine and lifestyle so that I can be the most radiant bridesmaid in the history of bridesmaids. Or at least the most radiant I've been as a bridesmaid.
Let's be real, though. I have neither the discipline nor the inclination to devote my life to getting glowy. But I figure I can devote a week to the task. Here's a breakdown of what I'm currently doing and how I plan to step it up the week before the wedding.
My Current Beauty Routine
My skin is acne-prone and oily.
AM:
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Cleanser: S.W. Basics Cleanser
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Acne treatment: Eau Thermale Avène Cleanance Expert or prescription acne medication. I have some samples of Aczone right now, but I'm not 100% sure I'll be using that in December.
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Toner: Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner
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Makeup: varies, but almost always includes Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer and transluscent powder.
PM:
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Cleansers for double cleanse: Banila Co. Clean It Zero, S.W. Basics Cleanser
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Serum: Cosrx Triple C Lightning Liquid with 20.5% vitamin C
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Retinoid: prescription tretinoin (applied a few hours later because retinoids can mess with vitamin C)
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Oil: either argan oil, a custom oil serum mixed by Source Vitál apothecary, or the S.W. Basics Oil Serum
Glowing Skin Plan of Attack
AM:
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Drink a glass of lemon water right upon waking. The benefits of drinking lemon water potentially include improved digestion and weight loss, though science has yet to confirm that. However, drinking lemon water first thing in the morning will hydrate my skin, at the very least. It will also give my body some vitamin C, which can help with collagen production. Plus, I'll be scurvy-free!
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Go through normal AM skincare routine, add a few drops of pure argan oil to skin before makeup. Argan oil helps hydrate and nourish skin without clogging pores.
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Eat more fruits and vegetables for breakfast and lunch, and sprinkle chia seeds onto food. Eating more fruits and veggies almost always has a positive effect on my skin, but I suspect it's not really because I'm eating more carrots so much as it's because I'm eating less junk. As far as the chia seeds go, they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce dryness, fight inflammation, and increase circulation.
PM:
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Go through normal PM skincare routine, swap out the retinoid for an AHA (glycolic or lactic) or BHA (salicylic) acid 1–2 times a week. Acids help resurface skin for a brighter, more even complexion. But I don't want to overexfoliate and cause dryness, which may happen if I pair the acids with my prescription retinoid. So I'll either do the acids a few times in place of the retinoid, or I'll add the acids to my morning routine 1–2 times that week.
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Do a sheet mask every night except for one. On that one, do a clay mask mixed with apple-cider vinegar. Sheet masks help lock in hydration, making them an easy way to boost a glow. The clay mask mixed with ACV helps cut down on oil production. I want to be glowy, not shiny.
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Drink spearmint tea after dinner. Acneic Reddit users on the Skincare Addiction sub-Reddit forum have been singing the praises of spearmint tea for a while now. There is evidence that the tea has an anti-androgen effect, which means it suppresses the hormones that can lead to acne. Whether or not it clears up skin hasn't been determined, but I spoke to my dermatologist about trying it and he said it couldn't hurt. Plus, it's tasty.
Some Notes ...
On Skin
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Because my skin is oily, it should be a bit easier for me to get radiant skin than people with normal to dry complexions. But to me, glowing skin means few breakouts, so I'll have to focus on fighting my hormonal breakouts without irritating my face. *nervous laughter*
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I will get an oxygen facial if I have time. I got one at Bliss Spa in Chicago a while ago, and it really gave me glowing skin that lasted for a few days.
On Diet
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I plan on paying attention to my water intake, and you know, drinking it, instead of filling up my 20-ounce water bottle and letting it sit on my desk for hours. I do chug copious amounts of green tea because I love it and it's freezing in my office, so I will continue to do that. I drink about 36 ounces of green tea per day during the week, which seems insane now that I'm typing out the number. Despite that, I re-steep the tea leaves each time, so the caffeine gets diluted.
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I won't drink any coffee (!). This may be sacrilegious to some, but I'm not a huge coffee drinker—though I do go through phases where I want it every morning. I've read several beauty articles lately about how giving up coffee has improved their hormonal acne (coffee can dehydrate you and may throw your hormones out of whack). I figure it's worth forgoing for a week for clear skin.
- I won't drink alcohol in the days leading up to the wedding (!!), except for during the rehearsal dinner. I'm not about to say no to an open bar.
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I won't eat any cheese or dairy products (!!!—yes, I am more upset about this than not drinking). There's some evidence to suggest that dairy actually can cause breakouts. Dr. Whitney Bowe, a board-certified dermatologist, told Men's Health that "milk and ice cream have been associated with acne." My own derm told me to cut out milk a while ago, and I don't really eat ice cream, so all that's left to worry about is cheese (Dr. Bowe said that cheese may or may not cause breakouts). I'm obsessed with cheese, but I can go without it for a week.
On Exercise
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I don't do it. I mean, I play volleyball once a week, but I'm not about that workout life. Yet when I was hitting the gym before my wedding, my skin was the clearest and most radiant it's ever looked. So I know I have to add some sort of exercise into my daily routine (boooo). I'm thinking at least 20 minutes of cardio a day to make sure I sweat.
I'll post an update with my results after the wedding at the end of December. We will know once and for all if some lifestyle tweaks are enough to get the glowiest glowing skin.
Photography by Michelle Klosinski
RELATED READS:
Hyaluronic Acid Can Give You the Glow You've Always Wanted A dermatologist talks to us about this glow-inducing skincare ingredient.
A Complete Guide to Retinoids, the Holy Grail of Anti-Aging Skincare Here's why you should start using retinoids in your routine.
