Today we’re focusing on 10 different ways those of us who are older can bring a beautiful glow to our skin which is a topic I’m pretty darn passionate about. I’m passionate about it because as we get older, our skin not only gets paler but also duller.

So why is glow important? Getting our glow back translates into looking our best because we look healthier, more radiant and let’s be honest, more youthful. Fortunately, that beautiful, fresh, radiant glow we had when we were younger is something we can recreate thanks to a few lifestyle tweaks and the magic of skin care and makeup products.

The loss of luster in our skin as we get older is due to several reasons – most notably the loss of collagen and elastin as well as the slowing down of the process of shedding dead skin cells. So I’ll first touch briefly on four lifestyle and skin care options that can help us recreate some glow and then focus on six types of makeup products that are truly effective in helping us add a beautiful glow to our skin.

4 Lifestyle and Skincare Tweaks to Bring Back More Glow

#1: Adding Moisture to Our Drier, Older Skin

I’m sure that most of us use a good moisturizer, but we sometimes forget the importance of drinking more water. In addition to causing dry, itchy skin, not drinking enough water can cause an elevated heart rate, muscle cramps, and fatigue. And drinking coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol can exacerbate the situation because they are all diuretics.

In addition, as we get older the thirst center in our brain isn’t as active so our brain doesn’t always give signals that we need to drink water. So drinking more water becomes even more important as we get older.

#2: Exercise

Exercise increases circulation which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin thus keeping the skin healthy. Exercise also promotes collagen production and the growth of new skin cells. But here’s the really interesting part.

A research study that examined the skin of individuals who were 65 and older revealed some impressive findings. The study took a base sample of the community members’ skin. Then, these individuals were asked to maintain a moderate aerobic exercise routine for three months. The findings after the three month exercise period were remarkable.

The skin of the individuals who were exercising more frequently closely resembled the healthy skin of individuals between 20 and 40. This recent research indicates that exercising may actually make it possible for us to turn back the clock of our skin. All it takes is just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.

#3: Exfoliation

We’re most familiar with the fact that exfoliating helps remove the buildup of dead skin cells which makes our skin look duller. It can also help by unclogging pores, helping other skincare products penetrate more deeply, boosting circulation and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating collagen synthesis.

Exfoliating twice a week can really make a difference. There are many really good exfoliating products on the market, but one of my favorites is Tatcha Rice Polish which is a foaming enzyme powder. It provides non-abrasive exfoliation and doesn’t strip the skin of essential moisture or break the skin’s barrier function.

It also includes a trio of Japanese superfoods – green tea, rice and algae – which help restore healthy looking, youthful radiance. If you watch the video which accompanies this article on YouTube, you’ll find links to all the products I mention in the description box which you can find by clicking on “Show More” under the video and to the left.

#4: Brightening Skin Serum

This skin serum consists of Vitamin C plus E plus Ferulic Acid. Vitamin C is a very potent anti-oxidant which neutralizes free radicals, helps slow down signs of photoaging and prevents dark spots from forming by inhibiting the production of melanin. And, because of its acidic nature, Vitamin C also signals our skin to heal itself by accelerating the production of collagen and elastin.

Mixing Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid with Vitamin C helps stabilize and boost the effectiveness of the serum and both Vitamin E and ferulic acid help make Vitamin C easier for our skin to absorb. In addition, ferulic acid helps stabilize both vitamins C and E and doubles the serum’s defense against photodamage.

6 Makeup Products That Can Create a Beautiful Glow

#1: Primer with Built-in Glow

This is a face primer that’s applied after moisturizer and sunscreen, but before foundation. There are many good illuminating primers on the market including Benefit’s POREfessional Pearl Primer, Laura Mercier’s Pure Canvas Illuminating Primer, Becca’s Backlit Priming Filter and Milani’s Prime Light Strobing and Pore Minimizing Face Primer.  

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

#2: Sunscreen with Glow

One I particularly like because it’s a mineral sunscreen is Colorescience’s Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Glow with an SPF of 50. It’s lightweight and provides a really lovely glow.

#3: Foundation with Glow

There is a boatload of good products out there. Probably the gold standard is a high end foundation which is a cult favorite among celebrity makeup artists: Giorgio Armani’s Liquid Silk Foundation. It’s full-coverage and radiance-boosting without leaving behind even a hint of oily residue. It’s a stunning foundation which now also comes in a mini size.

Another cult classic foundation that has beautiful glow is Nars’ Radiant Longwear Foundation.  It is definitely long wearing and provides fuller coverage. A newer entry into the world of glowy foundations is Anastasia of Beverly Hills’ Luminous Foundation. It’s more of a “your skin but better” foundation since it’s buildable and very blendable.

Now let’s take a look at two drugstore glowy foundations. First up is one from NYX. It’s their Born to Glow Radiant Foundation. It has an impressive range of shades and has a lightweight but buildable formula. The best part is the cost. It’s only $10.00!

Another good drugstore option is Revlon’s Photo-Ready Candid Anti-Pollution Foundation. On days when our complexion needs a wake-up call, this product can fill the bill.

#4: Filters and Serums

This is a large group of products that can be applied under or over foundation or mixed with a matte foundation to provide some lovely soft glow. Probably the best known among these types of products is Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter which provides a beautiful candlelit glow-from-within look while blurring imperfections. And it now comes in a mini version that costs only $15.

Other good options include two from L’Oreal: their Visible Lift Luminous Serum which comes in 5 shades and provides hydration and their True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer. This product comes in four shades and provides more glow and shimmer than the two mentioned above.

Another more affordable option is Revlon’s Skinlights Face Glow Illuminator which comes in two shades – champagne and dark bronze. It also helps minimize pores and fine lines.

#5: Highlighters

Just about every makeup company makes highlighters in a variety of formulas – from powders to creams to liquids. The type of product you choose very much depends on the type of highlight you personally like.

To create a beautiful soft sheen on the skin, I love clean beauty brand RMS’ Living Luminizer which has a satin translucent-pearl finish and comes in five shades. A similar clean beauty product which has a lovely sheen is Merit’s Day Glow Highlighting Balm.

A product more in the mid-range price area is Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Liquid Luminizer. This is a beautiful liquid product that comes in eight different shades.

Next is my favorite drugstore highlighter: Wet ‘n Wild’s Megaglow cream stick and Megaglow Liquid highlighters. The liquid highlighter definitely packs more punch, but if you don’t want quite as much glow, just apply a very small amount and sheer it out.

#6: Skin Mist

And this last one is one of my favorites – and the quickest way – to get beautiful, instant glow. I like to simply spray some of my Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist onto my dampened makeup sponge and then just pat it onto the areas of my skin where I want glow. It’s really lovely. And luckily there’s a mini size which is less expensive.

Do you do any of the skincare and lifestyle tweaks mentioned in this article? Have you used any types of makeup products to create a beautiful glow on your skin? If so, what are your favorites?