If you have dull skin, you need to know that all is not lost. Dull skin is fixable! In this post, we’re diving into why your skin is dull and sharing tips on how to get your radiant glow back. Vitamin C Matters! Vitamin C is one of the ingredients most well known to help revive dull skin into radiant, glowing skin. It is found in our skin’s outermost layers (epidermis and dermis) but it depletes as we get older.
Sun damage and pollution can accelerate this decline, leading to skin that looks and feels dull, uneven and less firm. Replenish it with our Bespoke Vitamin C Serum, available in two concentrations 10% (for sensitive skin) and 15% (for normal/tolerant skin).
Why Does My Skin Look Dull and Tired? 7 Reasons
1. You’re Drowning In Dead Skin Cells
I know, ewww….You may not know it, but we shed millions of skin cells each day. Most of them just stay put at the top of our skin’s surface, acting like a fine layer of dust, leaving us with skin that looks dull and grey.
The Fix? Exfoliate. Remove the dead, dry skin cells so that the new ones can shine through. Ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin c (l-ascorbic acid) found in our Bespoke Vitamin C Serum, help to dissolve the dead skin cells, leaving you with brighter looking skin. Scrubs work too (manual exfoliation), but it’s easy to apply too much pressure so we recommend sticking with treatments (like serums) that ‘dissolve’ the skin cells instead.
2. Pollution
Every time we step outside, we’re exposing our skin to polluted air, which contains dirt and gases like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, which are harmful to skin. These can lead to the development of free radicals. Over time, free radicals damage skin, leading to wrinkles and fine lines plus pigmentation. This uneven skin tone and texture, diffuses light and leaving skin looking dull.
The Fix? Wash your face every night to remove dirt and makeup, which can damage skin while you sleep.
3. You’re Stressed Out
Stress is inevitable for most of us. It has an impact on our overall wellness and also on our skin. Prolonged stress not only makes you more tired over time, it also impacts the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, along with adrenaline. Increased levels of these hormones caus our heart rate to go up, our blood pressure to rise and sugar to accumulate in our bloodstream. Cortisol increases oil production, leading to acne or sensitive skin. Plus, its presence can increase the break down of skin components like collagen and elastin leading to wrinkles, lines and you got it, dull skin.
The Fix? Getting stress under control will help, so try to do that as much as you can. When it comes to your skin, focus on gentle cleansing (our Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Crème is a great option) along with moisturizers and treatments rich in antioxidants, and other skin nourishing ingredients to help combat the impact of stress.
4. Blame Your Hormones
Fluctuating hormone levels, like those we experience through puberty and menopause, can affect our skin’s appearance. Beyond acne and blemishes, menopause leads to a dip in estrogen levels, which can result in skin that’s drier, leaving it looking dull and lackluster.
The Fix? Switch to more hydrating moisturizers and and apply them more often if needed. Consider adding in oils like our Antioxidant Face Oil. Also, lifestyle changes can help to help combat the dryness. More in this post.
5. Your Skin is Dehydrated
Without enough hydration, dull skin often follows. Moisture helps to plump up skin cells, leaving them looking more radiant. This isn’t about drinking more water, because increased water consumption can’t make it’s way to dry skin.
The Fix? Topical treatments that contain both humectants (like glycerin and hyaluronic acid), attract moisture into skin and emollients (like plant oils or fatty alcohols), soften skin, leaving skin looking less dry and dull. If your skin is particularly dry, add in occlusives (like lanolin, oils and butters) to trap in moisture.
6. Choose Your Drinks Carefully
Alcohol and caffeine are dehydrating and can lead to skin that is dry and dull.
The Fix? Enjoy them in moderation, swapping out for herbal teas, and non-alcoholic or low alcohol alternatives when you can.
7. Skipping out on Sunscreen
UV rays are one of the biggest causes of skin damage. Over time, unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays can damage your skin’s protective barrier, leaving skin looking tired, dark and dull.
The Fix? This one’s pretty straightforward – wear your sunscreen every day!
What Products Are Good for Dull Skin?
If the solutions above weren’t enough, consider the following:
1. Add a Serum to Your Routine
Serums are often formulated with high concentrations of active ingredients to help brighten, boost hydration and diminish the signs of aging. Vitamin C serums brighten skin tone, while retinoids help to boost collagen production, pushing away old skin cells and allowing fresh, new ones to come to the surface.
There are many forms of vitamin C to choose from – all are great antioxidants but have different effects. L-ascorbic acid has the most skin-related research of any form of vitamin C. Other beneficial forms supported by research include tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl glucoside.
2. Ditch the Aggressive Cleansers
Avoid harsh scrubs and drying soaps, which can irritate skin leaving it looking red, tight and flaky.
3. Stick With Lukewarm Water
Hot water can strip away natural oils, disrupting the skin’s protective barrier and leaving it open to dryness (hello dullness) and irritation.
4. Consider a Procedure
Topical treatments and lifestyle changes can go a long way but sometimes you may need a bit more help from your dermatologist. Check in with one if you need more help.
