How to get glowing skin naturally

If you ask a woman about what she desires in life, having a picture-perfect glowing skin is one thing that she’ll place on the list. But sadly, there’s no easy fix to get a radiant skin.

The only way to get glowing skin naturally without any makeup, is regular skin care.

But lack of sleep, stress, ageing, pollution, harmful sun rays, excessive smoking, drinking alcohol and following an unhealthy diet rips that natural glow from the skin, leaving it dull and shabby.

Have you been there, too? Then, don’t worry. You cannot always protect your skin from environmental stressors as they are unfortunately a part of our lives. Work related stress also continues to take a toll on our skin health. (1)

However, you can always follow simple remedies and a healthy diet to restore the lost radiance to the skin. Ayurveda has many such glowing skin secrets that can help us in protecting our skin.

Ayurvedic tools like facial oils, packs, scrubs and ubtans gently nourish your skin, cleanse the pores and help the skin breathe better. And what’s more interesting is that you can find most of these ingredients in your kitchen!

So, if you’ve always wondered how you can get a glowing skin, these natural remedies for healthy and radiant skin will be your answer.

1. Apply Turmeric Paste on your skin

Turmeric is one of the most powerful Ayurvedic ingredients for skin. In Sanskrit, it’s known by names such as “Haridra”(“The Yellow One”), “Gauri” (“The One Whose Face is Light and Shining”) and “Kanchani” (“Golden Goddess”). These names and the ancient traditions of women applying turmeric (haldi) on their face are evidence of its ability to reveal a glowing complexion.

How To Make: Mix one teaspoon of Turmeric powder with 4 tablespoons of Gram Flour and add enough milk or water to form a smooth paste.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste to your face and neck and leave it on for about 15 to 20 mins. Then, rinse it off with plain water. Repeat this process once or twice a week.

Why This Works: Turmeric contains a substance called curcumin which has very strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. So, it eliminates the harmful free radicals that damage the skin. Turmeric also keeps the skin supple and glowing by enhancing collagen production. Gram flour makes the skin clean and bright by gently cleansing it. (2,3)

2. Use Saffron and Honey mask on your skin

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and not without reason. Only three strands of saffron can be extracted from a single Saffron flower. Saffron is a time-honoured Ayurvedic ingredient that balances all three doshas, nurtures the skin and makes it blemish free and radiant. (4)

How To Make: Soak a few strands of Saffron in one tablespoon of honey and leave it for a couple of minutes.

How And When To Apply: Apply the Saffron-infused Honey on the face and neck and wash it off after 10 minutes. Repeat this three to four times a week.

Why This Works: Saffron is an ancient remedy to get glowing skin naturally. The antioxidants present in it helps in keeping the skin healthy and protects it from sun damage.

3. Use Kumkumadi Oil as facial serum at night

Kumkumadi Tailam (made from 16 unique herbs and oil) is one of Ayurveda's most effective glowing skin home remedies. The name Kumkumadi comes from one of its key ingredients - red-gold Saffron, which is known as Kumkuma in Sanskrit.

How To Make: As the process of preparing Kumkumadi Oil at home is complex and requires many ingredients to be used in the exact proportions, it’s recommended to buy Kumkumadi Oil from Ayurvedic beauty brands. For instance, Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi Brightening Serum has Kumkumadi Oil which will help you get a perfect glowing skin.

How And When To Apply: At night, take (2-3 drops) of Kumkumadi Serum on your palm, apply over the face with fingertips and gently massage onto the skin until fully absorbed.

Why This Works: Kumkumadi oil works as a natural skin illuminator by lightening the skin tone, improves skin texture and brightens dull skin.

Also read - Kumkumadi Tailam: Ultimate Guide To The Miracle Beauty Oil

4. Tone your skin with Rose Water

Rose is a special Ayurvedic ingredient that has soothing properties. It’s known to balance Sadhaka Pitta which in turn controls our emotions and makes us calmer and happier. By removing stress along with impurities from our skin, rose water helps in getting a natural glow.

How To Use: Though there are ways to make rose water at home, we recommend you to use Pure Rose Water prepared by using the steam distillation method. Kama Ayurveda’s Pure Rose Water is one such option.

How And When To Apply: Soak a cotton ball with rose water and apply it all over the face and neck. Repeat this process every morning and evening. Alternatively, store your bottle of rose water in the refrigerator.

Why This Works: Rosewater is generally used as toner as it cleanses and refreshes the skin. By stimulating blood circulation, it also brightens the skin tone and balances the pH of the skin (5).

Also read - 5 Secrets About Kama Ayurveda Rose Water

5. Use Sandalwood Powder on your skin

Sandalwood is famous for its fragrance that’s known as The Fragrance of Paradise according to Hindu religion. Sandalwood induces Saumanasya Janana (Tranquillity, Placidity, Mind-Body Union) and is a long-lasting solution for smooth, taut and younger-looking skin.

How To Make: Mix two spoons of Sandalwood powder and Rose Water in a bowl to make a smooth paste.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck and rinse it after 15 to 20 mins. Repeat this twice a week.

Why This Works: The antiseptic properties in Sandalwood prevents pimples, acne and sores from developing. As one of the oldest blood purifiers, it also helps in removing pigmentation and dark spots.

Alternatively, you can use Kama Ayurveda’s Suvarna Haldi Chandan Face Pack. The Pure Chandan Oil in Suvarna is from sustainably sourced trees in Maharashtra, the heartwood of which has taken 60 years to mature.

6. Exfoliate gently with Lemon Sugar scrub

How To Make: Take two teaspoons of Lemon juice and two teaspoons of Sugar and mix them well in a bowl. Add a few drops of honey to prepare the scrub.

How And When To Apply: Apply the mixture on the face, scrub it in the circular motions and leave it on for 10 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water. Scrub this way twice a week.

Why This Works: Lemon helps in cleansing, bleaching and removing the tan from the skin (6,7). The sugar granules work as a scrub and help in getting rid of the dead skin. Lemon is considered as one of nature's best skin brightening agents.

7. Apply ripe Papaya on your skin

Ripe papaya contains an enzyme called papain. It acts as a mild exfoliator which gently removes the top layer of dead cells on the face and makes your skin radiant and younger-looking.

How To Use: Take a few pieces of ripe Papaya and add one teaspoon of Sandalwood powder or Multani Mitti and one teaspoon of honey. Mix these ingredients to get a paste-like consistency.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water. Repeat this once every week.

Why This Works: Papaya also helps us in clearing the dirt and oil that can lead to acne and breakouts on the face (8). Multani Mitti absorbs the excess oil and honey moisturizes and hydrates the skin. Honey also helps in reducing the blemishes (10). Overall, this face pack acts as an anti-ageing and skin firming pack which helps you get a glowing skin.

8. Moisturize your skin with honey

How And When To Apply: Apply pure Honey evenly on a clear and damp face and massage it thoroughly for a few minutes. Then, wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this on every alternative day.

Why It Works: The anti-microbial and hygroscopic properties in honey gives you clear and soft skin. As it is rich in antioxidants, honey will reduce blemishes and make the skin soft and healthy (11).

9. Massage your skin with Aloe Vera gel

How To Use: Mix one tablespoon of Aloe Vera gel from the aloe vera plant with a pinch of turmeric and one teaspoon of honey in a bowl. You can also add a teaspoon of milk to it.

How And When To Apply: Apply the mixture all over the face and neck and leave it for about 20 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water and pat dry it. Do this once or twice a week.

Why It Works: The ultimate remedy for skin problems is Aloe Vera. It nourishes, heals and rejuvenates the skin to give it a natural glow (12).

10. Apply ripe Banana paste on your skin

How To Use: Mash a ripe Banana and with it with two teaspoons of milk and make it a smooth paste.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and then rinse it off with plain water. Now, rub an ice cube all over the applied area for a few seconds. Do this once or twice every week.

Why It Works: A ripe Banana contains vitamin A, B, C and E, minerals such as potassium, etc. These minerals hydrate the skin, lighten the blemishes and leave it soft and glowing (13).

11. Apply Milk on your skin

How to get glowing skin naturally? The answer lies in one of your most common day-to-day beverages! The lactic acid present in Milk has a mild bleaching action that reveals a brighter complexion.

How To Use: Add two teaspoons of Milk to 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of besan and mix them well to form a homogenous paste. Alternatively, you can simply add Saffron to milk and leave it overnight and use the milk next morning on your skin.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck and leave it for 20 mins until it gets dry. Then rinse off the paste with warm water. Do this twice a week for best results.

Why It Works: This remedy is an age-old formula for a healthy and soft skin. People say Cleopatra’s beauty routine too included milk and honey. Raw milk is rich in skin-friendly ingredients such as saturated fat, protein, calcium, and vitamin C. (14)

12. Use Green Tea on face to get a glowing skin

How To make: Boil one tablespoon of Green tea leaves in water until they impart colour. Then turn off the flame and cool it down. Now take 2 spoons of the solution and mix it with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cream. Mix it well and make a smooth paste.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck and scrub it gently in circular motions. Wash it off after 10 minutes with cold water. Repeat the process once or twice a week.

Why It Works: Green tea leaves maintain the collagen production in the skin as they are rich in flavonoids. They help in maintaining the elasticity of the skin and reversing the signs of ageing (15). Green tea leaves also make your skin glow.

13. Drink Bitter Gourd juice for a glowing skin

How To Make: Take 2 or 3 Bitter Gourds, peel them and remove the seeds. Wash them thoroughly with water. Now, cut them into small pieces and blend them with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Add salt and black pepper for taste.

When To Drink: Drink the bitter gourd juice early every day or at least every alternate day.

Why This Works: Bitter gourds help in improving digestion and eliminating almost all infections. It’s the best food for skin glow as it works internally by purifying the blood (16, 17).

14. Orange Peel For Glowing Skin

How To Make: Take a few pieces of Orange peel and blend them well with 2 teaspoons of rose water. Make a thin smooth paste.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste all over the face and neck and leave it on for about 10 minutes. Wash it off with cold water. You can do this once every few days.

Why It Works: The large amounts of citric acid and vitamin 3 in Orange will refresh the skin and relieve acne. It also helps in firming the skin and giving it a natural glow (18).

15. Coconut Oil For Glowing Skin

How To Make: Take a few drops of extra virgin coconut oil and warm it up. You can also add sugar granules to exfoliate the skin.

How And When To Apply: Apply the oil all over the face and neck and massage the skin gently in circular motions. Leave it on for an entire night. You can do this every night before going to bed. To exfoliate the skin, you can also add sugar and scrub your face gently every once or twice a week.

Why It Works: This will work best for dry and dull skin as the oil locks the moisture in the skin. Coconut oil also nourishes the skin with essential fatty acids. It gives glowing skin as the phenolic compounds contribute to its antioxidant activity (19).

16. Ubtan For A Glowing Skin

How To Make: Grind 1 cup of split red lentils (masoor dal) or chickpea flour (besan), ¼ cup of raw rice and 8 to 9 almonds either separately or together. To this, add ½ cup of oatmeal and a pinch of turmeric powder.

Mix this powdered mixture well and add enough water or rose water to make it a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can use Kama Ayurveda Ubtan as it’s one of the most effective glowing skin home remedies.

How And When To Apply: Apply the paste evenly all over the face and neck. You can also apply it all over the body. Let the pack dry and then wash it off with plain water. You can repeat this once every 7 to 10 days.

Why It Works: Ubtan is a face pack recipe that has been passed down from generations. It is mainly used for healthy and glowing skin. The lentils, rice and oatmeal will help in removing dirt and dead cells from the skin (20, 21). We all know turmeric will help in fading out the blemishes and will give a natural glow. Almonds also help in nourishing the skin and keep it hydrated (22).

Diet For Glowing Skin

In Ayurveda, there’s an equal emphasis on eating the right food. A healthy skin is impossible to get and maintain without a healthy diet. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables will help you in getting a younger and glowing skin as they are a storehouse of lots of vitamins and minerals. So, try to include them in your daily diet.

Some of the best fruits for glowing skin are papaya, oranges, guava, mangoes and kiwi. Vegetables like carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers and green leafy vegetables also will give you a glowing skin. Remember, what you eat also reflects on your skin.

Read - 17 Best Foods For Glowing Skin According to Ayurveda

To conclude, following these glowing skin tips and using the best products for glowing skin can help you maintain a clear, radiant skin. If you need help in creating the best skin care routine for yourself, you can book a free consultation with our Ayurvedic beauty experts.