I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of Internet trends focusing on “glow-ups” lately. The “that girl” and “healthy/fit living” lifestyle is being promoted like crazy, which is a nice change from some of the toxic and unhealthy trends we’ve seen in the past. But unfortunately, a lot of these influencers just focus on a few aspects of a healthy lifestyle, like consistent exercise and a good skin-care routine. While those are both undeniably crucial parts of a glow-up, I believe a true glow-up must incorporate your mind, body, and soul. A glow-up isn’t just about how you look on the outside, it’s about how you feel on the inside radiating out and truly giving you a glow that no skincare routine can achieve. If we just focus on our outer appearance and don’t work on what’s going on inside of us, we will never experience that magical glow.
I am 24 years old, and I have underwent a serious glow-up since college. The people around me notice it and it does feel good to receive their praise. But even more importantly than external validation is that I feel so much better about myself and in my own skin. I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been, and that is not by accident. I had to put in the work! So, in today’s blog, I want to share with you how I achieved a serious glow-up from the inside out. To reach my glow-up, I focused on improving my skin, hair, diet and exercise, mental health, spirituality, and relationships. This blog will be about my skin, hair, and diet and exercise glow up. My next blog will focus on how improving my mental health, spirituality, and relationships was an integral part of my internal glow-up that eventually shined through to the outside. So let’s just get right into it!
How I achieved my skin glow-up
This will be brief, because I have an in-depth skin-care blog coming soon. But I want to let you all know that a few years ago, I had almost no skincare routine. I either did nothing at all, or just used a $5 drugstore cleanser on my face with a dirty washcloth, and that was it. (Cringe, I know!!) Luckily, I was young and had decent skin to begin with, so I could get away with it for the time being. But eventually our habits catch up with us, and by the time I was 21 I decided that I should probably hop on the skincare and anti-aging train. It’s way easier to prevent aging than it is to reverse aging that has already occurred. Listen, ladies, you are never too young to start your anti-aging routine. Anti-aging is not just for women in their forties and fifties, we need to start in our twenties if we want to look young for as long as possible. But whatever age you are, now is the time to get started if you haven’t already!
1. I invested in quality skincare products
An extensive review of all my products with links is coming very soon. But for now, I just want to emphasize how important it is to invest in quality products with good reputations. Ask your friend with picture-perfect skin what products they recommend, or spend some time reading online reviews. I was hesitant to get into skincare for so long because it is such a saturated market with an overwhelming amount of options and I didn’t even know where to begin. This is why it’s so helpful to ask the people around you that you trust for their advice and do your research.
2. I do my skincare routine twice a day
Like I said, I used to barely wash my face at all, but when I did, it was only ever at night. I didn’t even really know that double-cleansing was a thing. But, wow, it makes a world of difference. Make sure you are doing your routine in the morning and at night. Light some candles and make it something you enjoy. Carving this time for yourself every single day will not only benefit your skin, but your mental wellbeing too.
3. I always take my makeup off
There were many drunken nights in college that I passed out with a full-face of makeup on. I admittedly kind of enjoyed doing that, because the next morning I would “wake up in a glam” and look ready for the day. I cringe at this now because sleeping in makeup can truly wreak havoc on your skin! It allows bacteria to build up and can give you serious acne.
I know better than anyone that there will be some nights where you’ll be so tired that the probability of you doing your full skincare routine is next to zero. This is why I always keep some makeup remover wipes on hand, so at the very least I can take my makeup off if I don’t have the energy for my full routine.
4. I invest in facials every other month
If you think facials are just for rich people, think again. They are a pricy indulgence, yes, but it’s a lot easier to fit it into your budget if you make it a priority. The average facial costs around $150, but you can find some that start at $65 (just make sure you’re going to a reputable place!) You may need to cut back your Starbucks visits or your impulsive online shopping sprees to afford it, but I promise it’s worth it. These facials have made a world of difference to my skin, and it’s even better if you can form a relationship with your esthetician. She will get to know your skin and will be able to tailor each treatment to fit your specific needs that day. Facials are essential for anti-aging.
How I achieved my hair glow-up
My hair was in a really rough state for years. It would make me cry because it just looked so awful all the time and I didn’t understand why. My hair glow-up has probably been the hardest part of my journey because having damaged hair can be incredibly demoralizing. It can take years to undo damage and get healthy, luscious locks, but that’s why it’s so important to start now and to have patience. My hair is still not quite where I want it to be, but I remind myself of how far it has come. Again, this is going to be brief because I have an in-depth hair care blog coming soon! But these are the main steps that I’ve taken to drastically improve the quality of my hair.
1.I stopped dyeing it
Since I stopped chasing after an unsustainable platinum blonde color and embraced my natural dirty-blonde locks, my hair is so much happier! And I actually like the way I look better with my natural color, and chances are you will too. If there’s no way in hell you’ll consider stopping dyeing your hair, see if you can color it less frequently or opt for a darker color that will cause less damage. And make sure you’re going to a quality salon instead of using cheap dye and doing it yourself.
2. I rarely use heat on it
My hair is very fine and prone to heat damage. I almost never curl and straighten my hair now, and if I do, it’s usually for a special occasion. And I always, always use a heat protectant. I do still blow dry my hair a few times a week, but I keep the heat on medium and only blow dry it for five minutes top.
3. I wash it every other day
I used to believe that the less often I washed my hair, the better, but that wasn’t actually true for my hair. I have fine, light, and oily hair that needs to be washed more often. My hair was constantly dirty because I feared shampoo, but that wasn’t doing me any favors. Since I started giving into my hair’s needs and washing it when it looked bad, my hair has looked much better.
4. I’m gentle on my hair
I used to brush my hair very roughly and aggressively dry it with a towel—God, I’m horrified just thinking about my old habits! I now treat my hair like the fine and delicate thing that it is. I brush my hair gently and lovingly with a quality hair brush and would never dream of towel drying it now.
How I improved my diet and exercise
Having a good diet and exercise regimen is an important part of being a healthy, glowing person. It affects us in so many ways beyond just the number on the scale. What we put into our bodies affects us from the inside out, and there’s no way you can look your best is you’re constantly feeding your body toxic foods. I have an in-depth blog on my diet and exercise routine coming soon, but for now, these are the changes I made to improve my physical health.
1.I changed my mentality towards diet and exercise
I no longer view diet and exercise as a chore or something I have to do to punish myself into looking a certain way. I now take care of myself because I love my body and I want it to feel its best, not because I hate it. Instead of saying “I have to work out”, I say “I get to work out”. This mindset shift was huge for me, because getting to workout and having access to healthy foods is a privilege that many people do not have. There are millions of people who do not have access to quality food, and people who are sick and immobile who are physically incapable of working out. We owe it to ourselves to acknowledge this privilege and honor our bodies for the miracles they are, and this starts with eating healthy and exercising.
2. I cut way back on sugar and artificial ingredients
I used to diet and restrict my sugar intake simply because I wanted to look skinny for an upcoming vacation. But this was never a sustainable or healthy approach for me, and my motive just wasn’t strong enough for me to give up on my favorite foods. However, once I started researching the mystery ingredients that no one can pronounce that make up the hallmarks of the American diet, I was appalled and vowed to make a change. This had nothing to do with wanting to be skinny, but with wanting to only put nutritious things in my body that are going to better me, not make me chronically sick. Making good choices for my health was just way better motivation for me than trying to look like a Victoria’s Secret model. Opt for organic, whole foods whenever you can and pay attention to ingredients! If it sounds like something that was manufactured in a lab, it’s probably best to avoid it.
3. I cut way back on alcohol
For years, I was a self-professed party girl, and I took pride in it. I could out-drink any frat boy and dance until the wee hours of the night seven days a week and still make it to my 8 AM class the next morning. But as soon as college ended and we were thrown into a pandemic, my partying ways drastically changed. I still indulge from time to time, but for the most part, I live a sober life and I look and feel significantly better because of it.
Alcohol takes a serious toll on your appearance in both the long and short-term. It not only majorly speeds up the aging process, but it can make us look and feel terrible the next day too. The quality of our sleep is inferior after a night of drinking, it often leads to mindless consumption of unhealthy food, it causes bloating and puffiness, and the list goes on. When I reduced my alcohol intake, everything changed. I wasn’t able to glow when I was drinking all the time, and now that I’ve stopped I feel like the healthy young woman that I am meant to be. One of the biggest changes I noticed when I cut back on alcohol that caught me by surprise was actually how much the quality of my hair immediately improved. This taught me that alcohol affects us in more ways than we realize. Try cutting it out for 30 days and see what changes you notice.
4. I move my body everyday
I used to work out a few times a week really intensely and would push myself to my limit every single time. But on my off days, I would lay around and do absolutely nothing. I have much more balance now, and prioritize movement on a daily basis. My workouts aren’t always as intense and I like to mix it up. Some days that will mean a 70 minute sweat sesh in the gym, but other days it will mean taking a long walk, playing tennis, or just stretching. Our bodies were meant to move and we’re not designed to live sedentary lives. Even if you workout for an hour every single day, if you’re a sedentary person overall, the time you spend in the gym won’t be able to combat that.
Conclusion
I honestly could have made this blog ten times longer because I am so passionate about taking care of myself on the inside and outside and there are so many factors that have gone into my glow up. But this is long enough already, so I thank you if you have made it this far and I hope you found some of these tips helpful! All-in-all, to achieve my glow up from the inside out, I worked on these external factors: skin, hair, diet and exercise, and I have noticed a world of difference because of the changes that I’ve made.