Of course, most of us want to have beautiful, glowy skin whatever the season. Whether you wear makeup or not, you can get flawless, model-worthy skin that will “wow” everyone. But how? Achieving this has just got easier with these 3 simple steps to get glowy skin this summer.

Exfoliate Your Skin

Since high school I have suffered from acne massively. My problem areas focus on my chin, chest, shoulders and back. It’s the bane of my life and really limits my summer fashion sense. I hate wearing clothing that gets my shoulders or chest out and end up covering up so much, my skin gets hardly any vitamin D (which can actually help clear up acne) and get sweaty which no doubt makes the problem worse. So, the first thing I learnt I must do was exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.

Keeping your skin clean and smooth is crucial for a) getting rid of bad bacteria that can cause acne and b) for maintaining a summer glow. Most people are afraid that by exfoliating it’ll make your tan fade, though in contrast, it makes it last a lot longer.

How Often Should You Exfoliate?

For different skin types, the number of times you should exfoliate varies. However, as a rough guideline, you should exfoliate your body once to twice a week. I have very oily skin and find that by exfoliating this often does nothing but good to my skin. It helps to keep my body gleaming by removing dirt and de-clogging pores – gross but it works!

I use exfoliating gloves along with a body scrub, though understand people with sensitive skin might find this’ll irritate the skin and make it quite sore. You have to find what works best for you.

Use Body Shimmers and Glow Lotions

Once you’ve got rid of the excess dirt on your skin, you should apply body shimmers and glow lotions. There is plenty on the market to choose from, though the 3 shimmer lotions that are my go-to are:

• MAC Prep & Prime Fix+ Shimmer

• Solait Shimmer Tan Oil

• Solait Glow Lotion

The Solait products include fake-tan which is great if you’re not going on holiday and still want a bronzed, glowy-look. However, it’s important to remember that, if you’re like me and have acne prone skin, you’ll want to limit how often you use fake tan as it can clog your pores and increase the likelihood of getting spots.

Alternative glow lotions that don’t contain fake tan include:

• Elf Glow Lotion

• Iconic Prep Set Glow Lotion

• NYX Born To Glow

When To Apply?

I tend to apply my body shimmers and body oils approximately 4-5 hours after I’ve washed and exfoliated my body. After giving your skin a good scrub in the shower, you’re best leaving it to settle for a while to allow your pores chance to close. This will stop them from being filled with more oils and creams that can clog them again.

I then apply a glow lotion (usually the elf glow lotion) to my face and neck area before adding any makeup if I decide to do so. Alternatively, you can use a few drops of liquid highlight on top of primer before applying your foundation and other makeup products, though if you’re going natural, a simple glow lotion will do the trick without going completely OTT. Unless of course, you like that look then go for it!

Make Small Dietary Changes

In order to get glowy skin you have to work on cleaning out the inside of your body as well as the outside. That means cutting out sugar-filled foods and other toxins and filling your stomach with nutrients your skin will thank you for.

Cut Out Toxins

Some of the main toxins that people don’t realise are contributing to their dull skin is alcohol, caffeine and high sugar foods. It’s important to start phasing each of these out of your daily routine and instead replacing them with things that will do you good. Swap your morning coffee for a cup of hot water and a slice of lemon. Not only will it help to improve your skin’s appearance but it can kickstart your metabolism too. For people looking to lose weight or generally become healthier, this is a great addition to your daily routine.

Another tip is in between alcoholic drinks, have a cup of water. We should all know by now that water is amazing for your body. It keeps you hydrated and flushes out toxins which make your face look a little lifeless. As well as this, it can help reduce your alcohol intake or at least help reduce the dreaded aftermath hangover. Perfect!

Detox Your Body By Juicing

Alongside cutting out toxins, you should also give your body a detox. Now, you’ll hear many beauty gurus saying that you don’t need to “detox” using juices and so on but instead just drink lots of water. I completely agree that drinking plenty of water (8 glasses a day), can help rid the toxins in your body. However, juice cleanses are great for those wanting to add some goodness into your gut as well as removing out the bad. Plus, for people who dislike water (I mean, how can you?!), it means you are still feeling the benefits of flushing  out the crap within your body, in a more enjoyable way.

My favourite skin booster juice includes:

• 2 green apples

• 1 handful of kale

• 1 stick of celery

• 8-10cm of cucumber

• 1 lemon

• 1 tsp of ginger (powder or fresh) or cinnamon

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder

• 3-4 fresh mint leaves

Summary

Getting glowy skin is actually quite easy. No matter if you have dry skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin or different, the method to obtain flawless, shiny skin is pretty similar. Exfoliate and keep your body clean, use shimmer oils and glow lotions even if applying makeup and finally eat a cleaner diet and drink lots of water. Simple.

This guest post was written by Kate Rose, a lifestyle blogger at ok Kate.