But bright, healthy skin doesn’t just happen by simply wishing it into existence. In contrast, everyone can benefit from working to achieve a glowing complexion—regardless of your skin tone, age, or gender. Skin brightening focuses on banishing dullness, reducing hyperpigmentation, and removing dry, flaky skin, which can make you look tired, with uneven tone. Thankfully, brightening your skin doesn’t have to involve questionable ingredients or practices. Depending on your overall goals, you can focus on brightening through a range of options. Plus, these techniques can be used all over your body—not just on your face. Skin brightening relies on four key steps: cleansing, exfoliating, cell turnover, and moisturizing. While cleansing and exfoliating are always the first two steps, depending on your specific skin care concerns, you can tweak the other two steps to suit your needs. Also note, you might not need to exfoliate every day, and in many cases shouldn’t if you have sensitive skin. Typically, cellular turnover is achieved with topical serums like retinol, which are designed to penetrate your skin’s layers. But this is also why serums usually shouldn’t be applied until after you’ve cleansed and exfoliated your skin, for maximum efficacy. While you can’t entirely avoid the sun, Audrey Kunin, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and the chief product officer of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, and the founder of DERMAdoctor, encourages her patients to wear a 30 SPF broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. “The sun works against your glowing skin wishes: It ages skin, leading to a thickening of the epidermis, which creates a dull complexion.” Also note that if you’ve recently exfoliated, begun using retinol or alpha-hydroxy acids, you’ll want to be sure to wear sunscreen when you head outside as these all cause increased photosensitivity. According to Jacob Steiger, M.D., a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, “Vitamin C is all-natural and delivers skin-enhancing benefits to aid in rejuvenating the skin…[it] promotes collagen production, which is essential for generating healthy new skin.” To be clear, although we’re listing quite a few natural ingredients that can boost your skin’s brightness, that’s not a green light to slather everything on your face all at once. Not all ingredients will play well together, so it’s important to do your research when creating a brightening regimen. According to Michael Somenek, M.D., a board-certified facial plastic surgeon from Washington, D.C., “Supplements like collagen contain amino acids, which stimulate your cells’ fibroblasts and promote a healthy, firm complexion."* Check out our favorite collagen supplements here. Additionally, you can naturally increase collagen intake by adding citrus fruits, egg whites, and nuts. Likewise, Somenek urges people to drink plenty of water to boost skin hydration. “Proper hydration is directly related to cell regeneration, and therefore drinking around eight to 10 cups per day of water or unsweetened drinks can help skin glow,” he says. Your skin gets more of the attention at night when you’re organs are resting—that’s when skin gets the most nutrients and revitalization.” Unlike in the daytime, when busy schedules mean you have limited time to focus on a multistep skin care process, at night you can allow yourself to spend a bit more time on yourself. This is when you can indulge in a bit of self-care while also giving your skin the TLC it needs. Consider incorporating multiple serum layers, a hydrating face mask, or even using a face roller. However, mind your order of operations as you’ll always want to remember that you cleanse and exfoliate first. Serums and moisturizers should occur after exfoliation and toning for maximum skin absorption. According to Jen Graybeal, a director at the skin care brand Beekman 1802, “Retinol can cause redness, peeling, and irritate the skin, which is why plant-based actives like bakuchiol are great alternatives. In fact, bakuchiol is four times safer and more gentle on the skin.” Also note, if you’re pregnant you’ll want to steer clear of retinol and opt for bakuchiol, which—according to current research—is safe when used by pregnant women. Shrankhla Holecek, the founder of the skin care brand Uma, notes that DIY masks are great for correcting hyperpigmentation, a common concern across all skin tones. She especially recommends lemon-juice-based masks, which can aid in cell turnover. One popular (and simple!) recipe is to combine 1 tablespoon of organic honey with juice from half a lemon. Mix and apply over your face and neck, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing and moisturizing afterward. While lemon-juice-based masks can be easily created in your kitchen, Holecek urges people to only use them in the evening and to be sure to wear sunscreen when stepping outside because it can increase your skin’s photosensitivity to the sun. And never use lemon juice alone—always blend it with a buffering ingredient, like honey—as the acids are too strong for skin alone. There are a few ways that you can exfoliate with the two main forms being topical and manual methods. Topical or chemical means that you’re relying on products to aid in skin removal—such as serums, cleansers, and scrubs. And manual means that you’re introducing a tool, like a brush, loofah sponge, or even a textured cloth, to help slough off dead skin cells. Note that you can use topical and manual methods together. Whichever you choose, an added benefit for makeup wearers is that your products will apply better on smoother skin. She advises not to dry brush more than three to five times a week and to pick a brush with soft bristles to avoid scraping your skin. Corey L. Hartman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and a partner for the brand Bio-Oil recommends immediately following any cleansing or exfoliating steps in your skin care routine with a good moisturizer. “When skin is moisturized, it also reflects light, making it instantly appear more glowing.” Whichever methods and products you choose, your goal is to find a solution that’s convenient for your lifestyle and that you’re most likely to maintain—as a bright, glowing complexion requires consistency. Just remember, that much like any other niche in the beauty world, skin care is personal. With that in mind: The next time you head to your favorite beauty counter, Cassandra Bankson, a skin care expert and medical aesthetician, advises consumers on the following natural topical ingredients (known as tyrosinase inhibitors1) that can control hyperpigmentation and discoloration. Look for naturally derived ingredients to minimize the risk of skin irritation, research thoroughly before incorporating new products into your routine, and don’t forget to tweak your hydration and eating habits to give your skin a boost!
