7 Reasons Your Skin Looks Dull

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Do you find yourself wondering why your skin looks so dull? You might have been spending a fortune on skincare products, but the sparkle isn’t there. If that’s the case, don’t despair – getting glowing skin with fancy creams and serums is not always possible!

There are many reasons why your complexion may not be as radiant as you want it to be, but knowing those underlying causes can help you take actionable measures.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss seven essential factors that could explain why your skin isn’t showing its true potential, from lifestyle habits to environmental factors – by addressing and refining these details in each area over time; you’re setting yourself up for clear and luminous results. So let’s dive into how to make your healthy glow shine.

internal and external causes

Our complexion can take a toll due to an array of internal and external factors, ranging from lack of sleep or hormone fluctuations to our environment and what we consume. As these things accumulate over time, they may cast a gloomy shadow on our skin’s vitality – dulling its luster with every passing day.

Did you know that your skin is incredibly complex? The 20-square-foot organ is part of an integumentary system comprising 64% water and three layers – the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. It protects against microbes and elements while regulating body temperature so we can feel every soft touch or chill breeze. Truly fascinating!

“It’s never too late to look after yourself. Never too late to eat healthily, get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and look after your skin. You’d be amazed at how quickly your skin and body can rejuvenate given the right environment.” ― Jana Elston.

“Your skin is the fingerprint of what is going on inside your body, and all skin conditions, from psoriasis to acne to aging, are the manifestations of your body’s internal needs, including its nutritional needs.” ― Dr. Georgianna Donadio.

Seven Surprising Factors Dimming Your Skin’s Radiance

Unleash your inner glow by tackling these seven sneaky culprits behind a dull complexion!
Discover tips, the secret to radiant skin, and our Green Superfood DIY Face Mask recipe – a luxurious treat that will have you shining bright.

1. Stress 

Living under constant stress is disastrous to your complexion and harmful to your health and well-being. It causes low immunity, premature wrinkles, puffy eyes, and dark circles.

Stress also restricts blood supply to your skin, resulting in less oxygen. When deprived of nourishment, it stops producing regenerating cells, leading to uneven skin tone and pigmentation. The skin also endures moisture loss, softness, and luminosity—looking dull.

2. How hormones affect your skin 

• Estrogen – The loss of estrogen impacts aging skin far more quickly than sun damage. Starting around the mid-30s and onward. Sleep disruption, stress, poor eating habits, and illness can all adversely affect estrogen production.

• Cortisol – Cortisol-induced collagen loss, disrupted sleep, accelerated age spots, and wrinkles..
• Testosterone –  Testosterone works in conjunction with healthy levels of estrogen. Testosterone’s energetic effects have significant implications for your complexion, particularly if you’re experiencing fatigue during waking hours and less-than-nourishing sleep during sleeping hours.
• Progesterone –Here, we come to one of your most critical hormones for beauty and vitality. Progesterone decreases with age, and that’s a shame because it’s the hormone that has a lot to do with your energy and appearance. If your nails, heels, and hands are dry and cracking, you might be low in Progesterone. But also, like estrogen, its levels are not irretrievable – your body can make more.
  • Simple dietary changes can also help support healthy estrogen levels.
  • Supplementation for Progesterone – particularly with a formula containing chaste berry, has been clinically proven to prompt your body to increase its levels of Progesterone naturally. Chaste berry is a terrific way to balance this particular hormone, whose levels tend to stabilize the others.

3. Nutrition and hydration

Nutrition plays an indispensable role in the maintenance of healthy skin.  Like the idiom, “you are what you eat.” If your diet is deficient in nutrients, it will eventually manifest through. Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) and micronutrients (vitamins and nutritionally essential minerals) work together to maintain skin barrier functions.  Changes in nutritional status can also directly affect the appearance.

For incredible skin, the most beneficial nutrition involves a healthy, clean diet of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Check out our article on Wheatgrass benefits and how to grow it at home for more helpful information about nutrition.

Hydration –

Drinking a sufficient amount of water daily is imperative for overall good health. Water aids in digestion, circulation, absorption, and even excretion.

But what about drinking plentiful amounts of water for proper skin health? Claims expressed that drinking water gives you a radiant, healthy, younger-looking complexion, while others say it does not affect appearance.

Which is correct?

The skin is an organ, and just like any other part of the body, your skin cells are composed of 64% water. With water, the organs will undoubtedly function correctly and efficiently.

If you are not getting sufficient water, the lack of hydration will exhibit itself by turning your skin dry, tight, and flaky. With less resilience, it is more prone to wrinkling.

Water quality –

Hard water leaves alkaline minerals on the skin, which can cause dryness and irritation. This notation explains why individuals often note that their skin flares in hard water areas.

The minerals in hard water can remain on the skin and hair after washing as they can be difficult to remove, causing irritation and dryness, thus leaving subsequent damage to the skin barrier and leaving sensitive skin reactive. Hard water can also flare inflammatory conditions such as eczema and rosacea.

Helpful Note: Drink at least eight glasses a day or more of clean water with a ph. of 7+; this will help rid the body and skin of toxins. Everyone will not agree that water consumption will improve the skin. However, many people often report that their skin has a more radiant glow by increasing water intake. Those who suffer from acne have also expressed the same results.

Results will not happen overnight, but after a good couple of weeks of increasing your water intake, it should be enough to see how hydration affects your skin; along with a clean, healthy diet of organic nutrients, it will improve your overall health too.

4. Dead skin cells

Did you know that, during an average 24-hour span, we shed almost a million skin cells? That’s around 30,000-40,000 dead skin cells an hour!

These cells are called ‘keratinocytes’ and comprise the fibrous protein keratin. These cells are produced at the base of the epidermis and steadily move up through the skin until they reach the outer surface layer, where they die, forming what is known as the “stratum corneum” – around 15-20 layers of dead cells.

Eventually, the cells at the top of the stratum corneum break away and fall off, allowing new cells to push up from beneath—the natural life cycle of the skin.

Helpful note:  Gently exfoliate your skin at least twice a week in a circular motion. This will help remove any accumulation of buildup from dead cells. Discover the wonders of Dry Skin Brushing in this captivating article,

5. Poor circulation

The heart and blood vessels maintain a perpetual blood flow throughout the body. It provides all the body’s tissues with constant oxygen and nutrients while carrying away carbon dioxide and other waste products.

When blood circulation is inadequate, blood flow to a particular body area can deliver too little oxygen. In the face, when circulation is poor, blood may not reach the outermost layers of the skin, leaving you with a dull, ashy, or pallid complexion.

6. How the environment in which you live affects your skin

Pollution particles are microscopic, ten to twenty times smaller than our pore size, and can infiltrate deep skin layers, increasing inflammation.

Free radicals (generated by environmental pollution) also up-regulate damaging enzymes such as MMP-1, which collapse collagen and elastin, our skin’s scaffolding—thus leading to sagging and wrinkles.

Helpful note: It is essential to remove these particles at night, so ensure you are cleansing your skin by taking a steamy shower to “wash the day away” or by washing your face to remove the buildup from toxins that you have encountered, as well as makeup.

Nighttime is when our skin regenerates, so it’s the perfect time to let our skin breathe. An excellent organic antioxidant serum will help protect against that daytime free radical damage from pollution, stress, and UV exposure.

7. Sleep and the skin

When you lack sleep or are sleep deprived, as many are, this directly applies stress to the body. Chronic stress harms the integrity of the collagen in the skin. Collagen is a crucial ingredient in the elasticity and structure of the skin. When collagen is destroyed, the skin shows more noticeable aging signs, becoming thinner and less firm. 

• The Cycles Of Sleep – During the first three hours of sleep, your body will start producing the human growth hormone from the pituitary gland. This hormone is necessary for maintaining youthful and radiant skin as we age. Without this hormone release, the skin is not repaired from daily damage and thus induces aging.
  • The middle two hours of sleep is when melatonin is enhanced. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm (sleep/wake patterns) and acts as an antioxidant that helps protect the skin from damaging free radicals.
  • During the final three hours, or the active REM sleep stage, cortisol, aka the stress hormone, decreases. The skin’s temperature also drops to its lowest point allowing muscles to relax and become immobile, giving skin its most profound recovery.

• Lack Of Sleep –When you miss sleep, your cortisol levels increase. Cortisol triggers inflammation, breaking down the skin’s proteins that keep it radiant and smooth. 
  • When you are tired, your body’s blood is not flowing efficiently, resulting in a lack of oxygen. This lack of oxygen causes your skin to appear ashy, pigmented, or blotchy.

Did you know that during sleep, you perspire more?

While asleep, your body’s hydration rebalances and recovers extra moisture. This process makes sleep a natural moisturizer that can help smooth out skin wrinkles.

If you miss out on sleep, it can also affect your skin’s moisture levels and lower your complexion’s pH. Naturally, our skin has a pH level of around 5.5 (slightly acidic).

Additionally, a skin imbalance occurs when your PH levels drop below this. This imbalance causes your skin not to produce the moisture it so desperately needs leading to drier skin, sensitivity, blemishes, and breakouts.

Looking for more natural beauty secrets? Discover wholesome recipes to help you radiate from the inside out.