Take a look at the account of the average Instagrammer, and what do you see? Mostly, dewy bronze skin and not much clothing. Somehow, these queens of social media seem to get the perfect look – every time! 

Meanwhile, in the real world, your skin problems seem to know no end. You wake up after a full eight hours of sleep, only to discover that your skin is as dull and lifeless as when you went to bed. 

What’s going on? Why don’t you have those sun-kissed cheeks and pouty lips like the girls on your Instagram feed?

You Don’t Get Enough Quality Sleep

When it comes to sleep, there are two types: light and deep. Researchers are now finding that different types of sleep offer varying levels of benefit. And light sleep, it appears, doesn’t seem to be all that helpful – at least when it comes to skin. 

The real fountain of youth is deep sleep. During these episodes, the skin drains all of the fluid and toxins that build up over the day. The body then recycles the skin cells, helping to make them look lively and resilient. 

You can see, therefore, that it is not the number of hours you sleep that matter, but how well you rest while you’re in bed. 

You Feel Stressed All The Time

The human body didn’t evolve to cope with the pressures of the modern world. We’ve had to adapt on the fly, using our cognitive capacities. Biology hasn’t had a chance to play catch up yet. And it probably won’t for tens of thousands of years. 

If you want to prevent maturing skin, the best thing you can do is relax. Feeling stress all the time causes your liver, kidneys, and brain to release inflammatory factors. While these provide you with a jolt of energy in the short term, they can harm you considerably if their levels remain high. 

Reducing stress isn’t always easy, especially if you face deadlines and complicated relationships. The trick is to give yourself some time out in the evenings to de-stress and chill out. Everyone deserves a break. Your studies or email inbox can wait. 

Research found that women who find time for stress management are “super-agers” – people who look around ten years younger than they are. That’s a pretty good result!

Something In Your Environment Is Making Your Skin Look Dull

Like other organs in the human body, the skin is susceptible to pollution damage. And being on the outside, skin cells tend to get the brunt of diesel fumes and factory soot. That’s not good.

Enacting solutions for this problem is challenging. Unless you move from the city to the country, there’s not a lot that you can do about air quality. 

You can, however, control how much pollution seeps into your internal environments. If you drive to work, for instance, consider fitting your vehicle with a HEPA filter. These sieve out even the smallest particles, keeping your skin and airways free. You can also have your home professionally sealed and then put new filters on your HVAC. It’s extreme but worth a shot. 

You’re Eating Junk

By far, the most crucial factor for keeping your skin looking healthy and plush is what you put in your body. Eating donuts and French fries all day long won’t help. You’ll create a firestorm of inflammation, and it’ll show up in your complexion. 

All those dewy-skinned Instagrammers you follow – most of them eat eight or more portions of fruit and veg per day. Whole plant foods provide the skin with chemicals that it needs to become healthier and get a bright glow. The more you eat, the better the skin looks. 

You’re Not Using Essential Oils

Skin without makeup can look particularly dull in the winter. Grey faces reflect the grey and unappealing weather. When you’re not wearing makeup, you can see how dry your skin looks. 

Here, putting a little extra oil on your face at night can help to keep things supple. Where possible, use a natural product, like rosehip, that penetrates the skin and provides it with nourishment. Using a commercial moisturizer is good. You want a product that rejuvenates the skin, not just covers up imperfections. That’s the key. 

Just remember, dull skin is an unfortunate reality of life. Even people who make a living from their looks have to contend with it sometimes. The good news is that with a few lifestyle modifications, you can turn things around and get the skin you’ve always wanted.