13 Must-Try Tips for Glowing Skin

No matter your skin type, it’s safe to say that having radiant, glowing skin is a goal that most of us share. But while a youthful, dewy glow looks effortless in an “I woke up like this” kind of way, that’s not always the case. Achieving smooth, glowy skin requires building the right skincare routine—and sticking to it. Knowing which makeup products choose to make your skin look more luminous goes a long way, too.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry: we’re breaking it all down here. Ahead, we’ll reveal how to make your skin glow with a gorgeous, lit-from-within radiance and introduce you to some of our favorite skincare and makeup products for a dewy-looking complexion. Read on—and get ready to glow.

How Can I Get Glowing Skin Naturally?

Naturally glowy skin is born from a combination of many different factors. Being well-hydrated and well-rested helps, as does following a skincare routine tailored to your skin type and unique needs.

If you have oily skin, you may already have a glowing face brought on by overactive oil glands. While this may make you want to forgo moisturizer, all skin types need hydration, and skipping it can lead to a dull, lackluster skin tone. (It can also lead to dehydration, which may ramp up your skin’s oil production even further). Instead, you’ll want to use a lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer that provides hydration without weighing your skin down. Those with dry skin, meanwhile, typically require deeper, more intense hydration to achieve a natural-looking glow. Look for moisturizers and serums that can deliver long-lasting hydration to help combat dryness and dullness.

Makeup can also be an incredibly helpful tool for those wondering how to make their skin glow. Consider swapping out your go-to matte foundation for a radiant-finish option, opting for liquid and cream products instead of powders, and applying highlighter to the high points of your face to make your skin look naturally luminous.

Finally, when determining how to make your skin glow, remember that perfect skin is a big (and frankly, unattainable) goal—everyone has some skin concerns, and that’s completely normal. Instead of chasing flawlessness, shift your focus on giving your skin what it needs to look and feel its best.

How To Get Glowing Skin

Achieving smooth, glowy skin requires building a skincare routine tailored to your skin type, being consistent, and addressing any skin concerns that can affect your skin texture and tone. Ahead, discover 13 of our best tips to get glowing skin.

1. Be consistent with your skincare routine

Adopt a daily skincare routine for glowing skin and stick to it—consistency is key when it comes to how your skin looks and feels. Establishing a regular skincare routine helps maintain your skin's balance and can help keep concerns like dryness or oiliness at bay. Keep in mind that your routine doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective: If you want to keep things simple, you can check all of the boxes in just a few steps (cleansing, moisturizing, and wearing sunscreen are musts).

It’s also important to remember to be patient (we know, easier said than done). But the longer you stick to a skincare routine, the better results you’ll see over time—and that’s how you can make your face glow naturally.

2. Exfoliate regularly (but not too much)

Exfoliating your skin helps remove the dead surface skin cells that can leave your complexion dull or uneven-looking. It can also help address certain skin concerns, such as clogged pores, discoloration, and breakouts. However, over-exfoliation can dry out or irritate your skin, so it's essential to use gentle products and not overdo it.

Both physical and chemical exfoliants have their advantages, but for gentle exfoliation, we prefer the latter. Look for products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic acid or lactic acid. If you’re new to exfoliation, you may want to start with a mild exfoliating cleanser, such as the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 3.5% Glycolic Acid Cleanser. The mild formula helps resurface the skin while removing dirt, oil, and other impurities to reveal smoother, brighter-looking skin over time. It’s suitable for all skin types and can be used daily as the first step in your skincare routine.

3. Try a vitamin C serum

Vitamin C can be a powerful ally when you’re on a quest to get glowing skin. Studies show that products with the ingredient can help brighten the skin, improve the appearance of discolorations, and support a radiant, luminous complexion. It’s also often used to help address other age-related skin concerns, like fine lines and wrinkles.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate vitamin C into your skincare routine, but we suggest opting for a vitamin C serum, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum. It contains 12% pure L-ascorbic acid as well as vitamin E (another antioxidant) and salicylic acid. The brightening formula instantly increases radiance while helping to smooth skin texture and visibly even skin tone over time. Plus, it’s suitable for all skin types and tones and gentle enough for use morning and night.

4. Target dark spots 

Dark spots, like post-acne marks and age spots, can put a damper on your glowing complexion. If you’re prone to discoloration, consider adding a dark spot serum to your routine to help fade stubborn dark spots. Like vitamin C, products with this powerful ingredient can help brighten the skin, improve the appearance of discoloration, and help support a more even, radiant appearance.

You can incorporate niacinamide into your daily routine with the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal 12% [Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid] Dark Spot Serum. It’s made for all skin types and tones and helps visibly fade the appearance of dark spots within one week of use. It also provides gentle exfoliation to help brighten, smooth, and refine the skin. 

5. Add retinol to your routine

Retinol is a well-studied skincare ingredient often used to help target the visible signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. With regular use, products with retinol may also help improve the appearance of dark spots and unevenness to promote even, glowy skin.

If overused, retinol can be irritating, so we suggest adding it to your routine slowly. It’s also a good idea to opt for lower concentrations of retinol to minimize irritation. Try the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives Night Serum, 0.3% Pure Retinol, which is formulated to help balance the potential drying effects of retinol. If you're new to retinol, start by using it once or twice a week and gradually increase the frequency as your skin builds tolerance. If you’re worried about dryness, layer it over a lightweight hydrating serum, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

6. Hydrate your skin

If you want glowing skin, you’ve got to hydrate—both inside and out. Doing so helps combat dullness, dry patches, and dehydration, common issues that can make your skin look tired and lackluster. (Plus, well-hydrated skin is better able to protect itself against environmental stressors).

After smoothing on your facial serum (and giving it a minute or two to absorb), apply a moisturizer to help lock in hydration. For daytime, try the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives Micro Hyaluronic Acid + Ceramides Line-Plumping Water Cream. It’s a lightweight moisturizer that applies like a watery gel, packing your skin with hydration without a greasy look or feel. Over time, it helps plump the skin and visibly reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

At night, you may want to reach for a heavier cream to help trap in moisture while you snooze. We love the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Skin Care Cell Renewal Midnight Cream, which boasts a rich yet non-greasy texture and provides up to 24 hours of hydration for smooth, radiant-looking skin.

The L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power Anti-Aging Moisturizer is also a great option. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and Pro-Retinol and helps visibly reduce wrinkles, improve firmness, and brighten skin tone.

7. Never skip SPF

A day spent soaking up the sun may seem harmless, but in reality, sun exposure can contribute to an array of skin concerns, including fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, and dullness. So to get glowing skin, sunscreen is a must—every day, rain or shine. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends everybody wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 daily. It’s also important to reapply your sunscreen frequently—at least every two hours, or after sweating or swimming.

To help ensure you’re diligent about your sunscreen application, look for a formula that feels nice on the skin. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion, which is lightweight, non-greasy, and suitable for all skin types and tones. The multi-tasking formula with vitamins C and E also helps brighten and even the skin, making it doubly useful for those looking to get glowy skin. Finally, remember that sunscreen is only one aspect of sun protection—you should also wear protective clothing and seek shade whenever possible to help protect your skin.

8. Try an at-home peel 

Chemical peels can be a great way to score glowy skin, but shelling out money on a professional treatment each month isn’t always feasible. To reap similar results at a fraction of the cost, consider adding a gentle at-home peel to your regular routine. The L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel is an excellent pick for all skin types and tones. The professional-inspired formula contains a blend of alpha-, beta-, and polyhydroxy acids and helps visibly reduce dark spots while boosting brightness and refining skin texture. Keep in mind that this isn’t an everyday treatment—four times per week (at night) is ideal. When you do use it, skip your other exfoliants or retinoids to avoid irritating your skin.

9. Switch to a luminous foundation

Knowinghow to make skin glow with makeup is an art—there’s a fine line between glowy and shiny. In our experience, opting for luminous makeup products is one of the easiest ways to make your skin look naturally radiant. Rather than swiping on a matte-finish foundation, we suggest reaching for a lightweight, dewy option to give your skin a glowy finish. The L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glow Skin Tint is an excellent pick. It’s packed with reflective pearls and blurring pigments and provides seamless coverage with a glowy, second-skin finish. Plus, it’s buildable, so you can sheer it out or build it up as needed. For added glow, mix in a few drops of the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer, a pearlescent tinted moisturizer that you can use on your face and body.

10. Use liquid and cream makeup

A bit of well-placed bush and highlighter can go a long way toward making your skin look healthy and glowy. That being said, it’s best to stick with liquid and cream formulas—powder makeup can mattify the glow you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

After applying your foundation, add color to your cheeks with a liquid blush, such as the L'Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush. The lightweight, blendable formula comes in six shades—three dewy, and three glowy—and is buildable, so you can customize your flush to your liking. If you find that you want even more glow when you’ve finished applying your base and blush, reach for a highlighter. For a natural-looking finish, we suggest steering clear of glittery formulas and instead opting for a highlighter with a glassy finish, such as the Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick. Swipe the easy-glide stick over the high points of your face—such as your cheekbones, Cupid’s bow, and brow bones—to put the perfect finishing touch on your glowing skin look. 

11. Try self-tanner

A beachy, sun-kissed tan can take your subtle glow to the next level. But figuring out how to make your skin glow without sun damage is essential—as we’ve established, sun exposure doesn’t do your skin any favors. Fortunately, you don’t have to risk damaging your skin for a bronzy glow—self-tanner does the job perfectly well. By helping to create the appearance of a more uniform complexion, self-tanner can make your skin look smoother, more even, and more radiant. Plus, you can control the depth of your tan by adjusting the frequency and amount of product you use to get a natural-looking result.

We recommend L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Facial Drops for a hydrating, bronzed complexion. Mix these drops with your favorite moisturizer to gradually build your facial tan drop by drop. It’s a clear, lightweight formula free from added fragrance and dye, so it works for all skin types.

12. Adjust your routine seasonally 

You likely change your daily wardrobe with the seasons—your skincare routine deserves the same level of attention, too. In the summertime, you may gravitate toward lightweight, water-based products that hydrate without feeling heavy on the skin. But come winter, those ultra-light serums and lotions may not provide the nourishment your skin needs to stay plump, smooth, and hydrated in sub-zero temps. At the start of each eason, it’s a good idea to assess how your skin looks and feels and make adjustments accordingly. For example, if your usual retinol serum begins feeling a bit drying in the autumn or winter, consider swapping it out for a retinol-infused moisturizer to help keep your skin feeling hydrated. We’re fond of the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Pressed Night Moisturizer with Retinol + Niacinamide—it’s made with a 12% complex of soothing ingredients and is designed to help balance the potential drying effects of retinol. One thing that shouldn’t change with the seasons, however, is your SPF usage: No matter how cold (or warm) it is, sunscreen is a must, every single day.

13. Prioritize self-care 

A proper skincare routine is a must for achieving (and maintaining) glowing skin, but so is proper self-care. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep (we’re talking at least eight hours a night) can help support a healthy-looking complexion. Minimizing your stress levels can be helpful, too—research shows that psychological stress can compound skin concerns such as dryness, redness, and even acne. So don’t forget to take some time out of each and every day to unwind and do something that makes you feel good—your mind and skin will be the better for it. 

Next Up: How To Get Glass Skin: 15 Tips To Try

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris