Cruelty-Free Skincare Hacks for Dull Skin

Dull skin is hard to ignore. You look in the mirror and see skin that looks unhealthy, sallow, and definitely the opposite of radiant. 

When you were younger, dull skin probably wasn’t even on your radar. If you’ve never changed up your skincare routine, it can be hard to put a finger on what’s causing the dullness now. 

Un-glowing skin is usually caused by a combination of internal and external factors. We’ll cover those and tell you how to fix your dull skin for good.

What causes dull skin?

External stressors, gaps in your skincare routine, and lifestyle choices can all create the perfect storm that results in dull skin. 

Dehydration

Keeping your skin hydrated is a two-sided coin. Sure, you need to drink plenty of water, but the flip side is making sure you use products that adequately moisturize and hydrate your skin. Even if you drink ample water, your skin can still be dehydrated. 

If you’re blemish-prone, you could be using ingredients that remove excess oil from your skin. Sometimes, these products can be overly harsh and drying, leaving your skin looking dull and desperate for hydration and moisture.

External irritants

You've heard of free radical damage, but you might not know exactly what free radicals are or how they damage your skin. Free radicals are unbalanced molecules that need one more electron to balance out. They find balanced, healthy molecules and rob them of one of their electrons, leaving the healthy molecule damaged.

The healthy molecules that live in your skin cells (like proteins and water) are responsible for keeping your skin looking healthy, and helping your skin create collagen and elastin. When they are attacked by free radicals, they become damaged, right down to their DNA. 

Some free radical damage happens naturally, inside your body, but much of it comes from external stressors like:

• UV rays
• Cigarette smoke
• Pollution

If you suspect free radical damage is taking its toll on your skin, you can load up on antioxidants for protection. We’ll talk more about those later.

Sun damage

The sun helps your skin synthesize vitamin D, which is vital for your body and your skin. However, too much sun exposure is a detriment to your skin’s health. Not only can it place you at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer, but it can also cause fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and dullness—no thanks. 

The sun attacks your skin and changes the way it functions. Before you ever develop sunspots or even a line or wrinkle, your skin may look dull due to over-exposure to the sun. 

Age

Your age plays a major role in your skin’s brightness. As we age, two components of our skin, collagen and elastin, begin to decline. Less elastin and collagen production means your skin will become thinner, and your face may appear more hollow. 

Aging skin also renews less quickly than younger skin. The time it takes for new skin to develop is around 28-30 days, compared to 7-10 days in your youth. Dead skin cells hang out on your epidermis until they are sloughed away, which can cause your skin to look dull. Exfoliation can help, but using products to encourage skin cell renewal is key. 

How can I help my dull skin?

There are numerous cures for dull skin that will get you glowing in no time. Here are our favorite go-to solutions to help make skin look as healthy and youthful as you feel. 

Follow your skincare routine

Consistency is key with any skincare routine, but so is using products formulated to work synergistically with your skin. 

Traditional skincare can be drying, leaving your skin dehydrated and seeking more moisture. This can even cause your skin to produce more oil—the exact opposite of what most of those products are going for.

Harsh chemicals in your skincare can also rob your skin of its brightness, making your skin appear lackluster. A better solution is to use plant-based ingredients loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to protect, hydrate, and heal your skin. 

If you aren’t sure where to begin with clean skincare, Kinder Beauty has your back. We have some of the highest standards in the industry. The products we offer in our monthly beauty boxes are vegan, cruelty-free, and never contain ingredients that could harm your skin or leave it dull.

Always wear sunscreen

Your dermatologist is right—you need sunscreen every single day. The type of sunscreen you choose also matters. You have two options: chemical or physical. Here’s what you should know about both.

• Chemical. Chemical sunscreens work by coating your skin with a chemical that absorbs ultraviolet rays and releases them back into the atmosphere as heatwaves. Chemical sunscreens can pass the skin barrier and enter your bloodstream. Studies show that even after weeks of discontinuing the use of chemical sunscreen, it can still be detected in your tissues. So, chemical sunscreen sounds like a pass to us. 

• Physical. Physical sunscreen is applied to the skin and works by reflecting ultraviolet rays off of your skin. These ingredients sit on top of the skin and don’t cross the skin barrier. They’re safer, more natural, and work better than chemical sunscreens. There are two main types of physical sunscreens: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Of these two ingredients, zinc oxide is considered safer. You’ll also want to make sure that the formula you use isn’t a spray to avoid inhalation concerns. 

Remove your makeup

We’ve all fallen asleep in our makeup once or twice—it just happens. However, if you make a habit out of it, it can have a massive impact on your skin, leaving it looking dull and lifeless. 

Your skin does the majority of its repair work overnight, so if you leave makeup on your skin, it can’t properly repair and restore itself. Even if you use a simple makeup wipe, getting your makeup off your skin before hitting the pillow will help make for a better complexion. 

Drink water

If you don’t drink water, start. It’s one of the foundational ways to hydrate your skin (and your body). 

You don’t need to drink gallon upon gallon a day—drinking enough to keep your urine clear is a good litmus test to ensure you’re getting enough hydration.

Exfoliate regularly

Exfoliating will help remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, leaving it looking more radiant and encouraging your skin to make new skin sooner. You only need to use a mild exfoliant once a week to keep the surface of your skin shiny and encourage your skin to renew more quickly.

Moisturize daily

All skin needs moisture, so if you aren’t using a daily moisturizer morning and evening, here’s your sign to start. Oily skin may even be the result of skin that is dehydrated. When your skin is dehydrated, your sebaceous glands go into overdrive, making more oil to keep your skin moisturized.

This extra sebum can make your skin oily, and the solution is to hydrate your skin properly with a clean moisturizer that penetrates deeply. 

Embrace antioxidants

Antioxidants help protect your skin from free radical damage, so they’re super important when used in your skincare routine. The best sources of antioxidants come from nature, in the form of vitamins like A, C, and E. 

A powerful serum loaded with antioxidants can protect your skin and help keep it looking youthful and radiant. 

Use vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants available in nature. Vitamin C protects your skin from external stressors that can cause cellular oxidation (aka free radical damage), while also helping to brighten your skin and even out your skin tone. 

Here are two of our favorite vitamin C serums that are vegan, cruelty-free, and provide powerful results: 

• Shikai Healthy Glow Facial Care System. An entire skincare system built on the foundation of vitamin C and plant-based CBD oil, Shikai’s facial care system helps lessen the appearance of dark spots, dial up skin’s radiance, and deeply hydrate for hours. 

• Jubel Naturals Vitamin C + Brightening Serum. A powerful vitamin C serum that works to firm the skin and encourage deep hydration, this serum helps your skin balance natural moisture levels and brighten the skin to destroy dullness.

Is management different for oil and dry skin?

The best solution for both oily and dry skin types is to use plant-based ingredients and focus on weeding out sneaky chemicals that can cause your skin harm. So many traditional beauty care products can contain ingredients that aren’t nourishing to your skin. 

Focusing on healing and restoring your skin with better products will give you brighter, firmer, and more youthful-looking skin, naturally. 

Goodbye, dull skin!

Banishing dull skin is easy once you understand what’s causing it. Using better skincare with plant-based ingredients is a good start, followed by implementing a consistent skincare routine and always protecting your skin when you’re in the sun. 

If you want to discover vegan, cruelty-free skincare products without ever having to leave your house, the Kinder Beauty Box is your solution. Sign up today and wave goodbye to dull skin. 

Sources:

Is the human body made of cells or atoms or molecules? | Socratic.org 

Skin Photoaging and the Role of Antioxidants in Its Prevention | NCBI