Are you fed up of your skin looking and feeling dull and tired? It doesn’t have to be that way! Read on for ten common causes of dull skin and some quick and simple changes you can make to your skincare routine and your lifestyle to see a difference!
A big culprit of dull looking skin is excess dead skin cells sitting on top of the skin. Your skin sheds millions of skin cells every day so it’s not surprising that they can get stuck on top of the skin. If you imagine it a bit like a layer of dust building on the skin, you can see how it can leave your skin looking dull and tired.
What’s the answer?
There are two types of exfoliators. Physical exfoliators use abrasive ingredients to physically remove dead skin cells. Chemical exfoliators dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells to remove the dead cells.
For a physical exfoliator that is gentle enough to use daily but is effective at removing dead skin cells and restoring that skin glow, try Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant:
If you are looking for a chemical exfoliator that is more powerful and is a professional strength peel safe to use at home, try Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel:
We live in a world where we have lots of pollutants in the air, especially if you live in a city. This has an effect on your skin - causing free radicals. That’s a chemical reaction creating molecules missing an electron, that try to borrow a spare electron from healthy skin cells. The result is that cells become unstable, causing damage to the skin. This causes collagen damage which can lead to deepening lines and wrinkles and uneven skin tone which can look dull.
What’s the answer?
Well, in short, any antioxidant - of which Vitamin E is a powerful one! Antioxidants are able to neutralise free radicals and also protect the skin against future damage. Vitamin E is found in lots of skincare products and is also great for moisturising dry skin.
A lot of us recognise when our skin is dry - that’s lacking oil. But a lot of us aren’t as clear when our skin is lacking moisture - that’s water itself. Dehydrated skin can look dull and tired and can actually lose volume at the deeper levels of the dermis, which can leave skin looking hollow and saggy.
What’s the answer?
You need to boost moisture. This isn’t as simple as washing your face - you need skincare ingredients that put back moisture into the deeper layers. One great choice is hyaluronic acid - which is found in lots of skincare products - this active ingredient holds up to a thousand times its weight in water and can penetrate deep into the skin.
The truth about sun exposure is - it’s happening every day, whether it looks sunny outside or not. Sun damage can cause collagen damage, hyperpigmentation and premature ageing of the skin. All of this can make the skin look dull and tired.
What’s the answer?
Choose an SPF you can use all year round, not just when it’s super sunny. Some face creams have built in SPF and there are boosters you can use to add SPF to your usual moisturiser.
We call it beauty sleep for a reason! While you sleep your skin is working hard to repair, detox and reboot itself! On average we need 7-8 hours sleep a day - any less and your skin can start to look dull and tired, as it isn’t getting the time it needs to rest and repair.
What’s the answer?
Try using a night cream that not only promotes a good night sleep but also gives your skin the nutrients it needs to repair and renew itself as you sleep. Sound Sleep Cocoon has lavender which helps you to sleep soundly whilst a combination of seven active ingredients work to repair and renew skin.
Sometimes we think our skin is dull and tired when actually it is sagging, which leaves the skin to look duller and lack lustre. This occurs when your skin starts to lose collagen. This is a natural process as the skin ages but also can be speeded up by sun exposure and free radical damage.
What’s the answer?
Choosing skincare products with collagen boosting ingredients can help to accelerate your skin’s natural collagen production. Payot Supreme Jeunesse Concentre is a booster that has brown algae extract which is rich in amino acids and Vitamin C which also stimulates collagen production, as well as being an antioxidant and great for skin brightening.
Skin health often reflects your diet - if you are eating mainly processed foods, lots of sugar, alcohol and factory farmed meat, you will likely see the impact on your skin.
What’s the answer?
We all like treats every now and then. But choosing to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables, get enough water and choosing nutrient rich foods will help your skin to stay radiant and healthy.
Someone once said the windows are ‘the eyes to the soul’. Whilst that may or may not be the case, one thing that is true is that tired eyes can make your whole face look dull and tired. Dark circles, eye bags and dull tired eyes can have an effect on your overall skin radiance.
What’s the answer?
Try using an eye mask that is packed full of active ingredients to treat your specific eye concerns. Guinot Yeux Instant Eye Mask has horse chestnut that works to reduce the appearance of dark circles, sodium hyaluronate, a form of hyaluronic acid, which works to hydrate tired eyes and a cooling gel formula to cool and refresh tired eyes.
A major culprit of dull looking skin can be a build up of dirt, grime, oil and left over makeup that sits on top of the skin and clogs up pores. Over time this can rob us of our naturally radiant skin glow.
What’s the answer?
We love the double cleanse at Jersey Beauty! The first cleanse is great for taking off makeup and removing surface dirt and grime - using a dedicated pre-cleanse this can leave the skin clean on the surface and makeup free. The second cleanse works to cleanse deeply, cleaning out pores and treating specific skin concerns. Using a cleanser with active ingredients suitable for your unique skin can help to restore and maintain your skin health.
Our last cause of dull and tired looking skin is dry skin - not to be confused with dehydrated skin, that we covered earlier. Dry skin is where the skin lacks oil. The lipid barrier, that sits on top of the skin protecting the deeper layers, can become impaired when there isn’t enough oil to hold the cells together. This can lead to skin irritation, redness and flaking. It can also leave the skin feeling and looking dull.
What’s the answer?
Try Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil, which has Camellia and Tamanu oils to help to repair and rebuild the lipid barrier and sunflower, rice bran and rosemary extracts which build a luminous skin barrier to brighten and protect the skin.
Understanding the causes of your dull and tired looking skin is the first step to being able to treat your unique skin and restore your natural, remarkable skin glow! To find out more about your unique skin, why not download our free Ultimate Guide to Skincare now?
