We've all heard the expression "looking dull," but do you know exactly what it means? Skin that loses its luminosity and radiance can have several causes. To avoid these and maintain a radiant glow, discover what makes your complexion look dull and how to get that dreamy glow back.
How to recognize dull skin?
A dull complexion is uneven, reflects light less well, appears blurred, or even grayish. Dark, more pigmented spots can also appear on certain areas of the face and multiply after sun exposure. This lack of regularity and harmony gives the face an aged, tired, and dull appearance.
What makes my complexion dull?
Inadequate skin cleansing
The skin on our face is the part of the body most exposed to our external environment. Organic waste accumulates there, such as sebum, dead cells, and sweat, to which are added external impurities such as pollution particles, for example. All of this forms a thin, obstructive layer that clogs the pores and prevents the skin from breathing properly. Poorly oxygenated, the skin becomes fragile and cannot properly fulfill its role as a protective barrier. The results: imperfections, skin sensitivity, and, of course, a dull complexion. To banish dullness, it's important to cleanse your skin thoroughly at the end of the day to clear the air.
Lack of sleep
The skin regenerates at night, after defending itself against external aggressions all day. This reconstitution phase is accompanied by an acceleration of cell renewal, an increase in microcirculation, better permeability of the epidermis and a boost in collagen production. This process begins when sleep hormones are secreted. If we don't get enough sleep, our biorhythm is disrupted and the skin doesn't have time to recover properly. Skin cells can't perform their functions optimally and it shows: features are drawn, the face is wrinkled and the complexion loses its radiance.
Stress
Stress is a powerful skin troublemaker. When the brain is unstable, it releases stress hormones (especially cortisol) throughout the body, even into the epidermis. These hormones unbalance the entire body and weaken our delicate skin. Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress exhausts the body and skin, drastically reducing their energy capacity. This can cause discomfort, such as a dull complexion, or even worsen.
The cigarette
The nicotine in cigarettes destroys vitamin C. This is a problem because the skin uses vitamin C to create collagen fibers, one of its structural proteins that ensures its elasticity. Nicotine is so toxic that it also causes nonsmokers to lose vitamin C when exposed to cigarette smoke. A breakdown of collagen due to a lack of vitamin C results in sagging and dull skin. Cigarette smoke is also harmful to the skin because of its effect on the blood system. Blood provides skin cells with the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels. This significantly reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the epidermal cells, which can give the skin a grayish tint.
How to restore skin's radiance?
In the evening: suitable cleansing and night mask
To have beautiful, luminous skin, it's essential to cleanse your face thoroughly in the evening. Cleanse your face by gently removing makeup and impurities accumulated throughout the day. Your skin is then clean and ready to begin its nighttime regeneration phase. To give it a boost, use a radiance-boosting night mask like the new Sleeping Masque Eclat. This night mask, with its super ingredients of organic pomegranate, organic goji, and acai, boosts your skin's radiance while you sleep. Its fresh, jelly-like texture melts gently into the skin.
To brighten your complexion, a gentle exfoliation routine is incredibly effective. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, making way for new, fresh, youthful cells. A healthy glow is guaranteed!
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In the morning: hydration and complexion perfector
Since your skin will have been meticulously cleansed of all impurities the night before, we only need to do a light cleansing in the morning to simply remove the excess sebum secreted during the night. We then help the skin stay balanced and preserve its role as a shield against external aggressions by applying a moisturizer. The latter provides the epidermis with a large quantity of water as well as lipids to be able to retain this water supply optimally.
Our favorite tip for the finishing touch to our anti-dull skin routine: perfecting care! And not just any skincare, the Radiance Tinted Cream SPF15 from our ultimate radiance range. This perfecting treatment with extracts of 3 super ingredients (organic pomegranate, organic goji, and acai) unifies, illuminates, and protects the skin from UV rays. The universal texture of this silky fluid with encapsulated pigments and illuminating pearls adapts to all skin tones for an ultra-natural, bare-skin effect.