As we age, it’s normal to compare our complexions to the radiant skin we may have once had, but it’s a fact of life that skin loses volume and can appear duller over time. Some people may turn to cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers or Botox to counteract these effects of ageing, but if you’re looking for a more natural approach to a plumper visage, there are other ways to maintain a healthy-looking glow. If your skin’s feeling dry, dull and tired, don’t despair — try these skin-plumping tips.
Looking for more essential beauty tips? Read our simple guide to the perfect skincare routine order.
What Does Plump Skin Mean?
Plump skin appears bright and bouncy because it has a good level of elasticity — this is its ability to “snap back” into place after being stretched. To maintain elasticity in your skin, it needs to be full of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid (HA), all of which are naturally occurring. As you get older, your skin can lack the nutrients and moisture needed to stay plump and hydrated, so you may need to do more to nourish it.
From early adulthood, collagen production declines by about 1.0-1.5% a year. In your late twenties, thirties and beyond, you can expect your body to work in a collagen deficit, which means you’re using more collagen than you produce. This is when you’ll begin to notice more signs of ageing like wrinkles and sagging skin.
What’s the Point of Plumping My Skin?
You may wonder whether plump skin is something you want. Of course, there’s beauty in ageing gracefully, but when we talk about plump skin, we’re not referring to unnatural volume or a chubby-cheeked look. What we mean by “plump” is skin that’s bright, lifted and refreshed, with a natural glow and a healthy, hydrated appearance.
How to Get Plump Skin Naturally
Add lustre and life to tired, drooping skin with these natural skin-plumping tips:
Start with Beauty Sleep
We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing, but did you know it helps maintain skin health, too? A study published in Nature Cell Biology found that our collagen repairs itself while we sleep, helping skin stay plump and youthful-looking. Enhanced collagen production helps prevent sagging and keeps fine lines and wrinkles at bay, so if you’re wondering how to get plump skin, a good sleep routine is the first step.
Most adults need between six and nine hours of sleep every night — this is what you should aim for if you want to reap the beauty benefits of an excellent night’s rest. Try to keep regular sleeping hours, create a bedtime routine that helps you wind down and avoid using smartphones, tablets or other electronic devices for an hour or so before you go to sleep.
You could also try diffusing your favourite essential oil to help you relax — lavender is associated with relaxation and can have a calming effect, which may be what you need to help you drift off.
Stimulate Muscle Tissue with a Massage
One simple way to promote plump skin naturally is by gently massaging your face. This technique works by stimulating the muscle tissue, which can help to improve your skin’s volume. There are a few ways to do this for best results — try using your fingers or a quartz roller to make gentle upward motions, encouraging blood and oxygen circulation.
Change Your Diet
Making some simple changes to your diet could benefit your health and improve the appearance of your skin at the same time. If you want to eat your way to fabulous skin, look out for foods containing vitamins, healthy fats, collagen and hyaluronic acid. These will help you replenish your skin from the inside out and maintain a healthy, hydrated glow. If you’re unsure where to start, try these ten nutritious superfoods:
- Avocado
- Leafy greens
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Olive oil
- Sweet potatoes
- Citrus fruit
- Broccoli
- Pomegranate.
Do Regular Exercise
Regular workouts are necessary to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle, but great skin is yet another reason to be consistent with your exercise routine. If you’ve ever noticed a post-workout glow after a vigorous gym session, you’re not imagining it — this results from a combination of increased blood flow and endorphins released during exercise.
When you get your heart pumping while running, swimming, or whatever else you enjoy, you’re boosting blood flow around the body. This nourishes your skin cells with oxygen and other essential nutrients, resulting in a glowing complexion. Exercise promotes collagen production and new skin cells too, keeping the skin looking radiant while also being helpful for anti-ageing.
Working up a sweat can also clear out your pores, so it may help to keep breakouts at bay. Just make sure to remove any makeup or products that could potentially clog the pores before exercise by giving your face a quick cleanse.
Make Your Own Face Mask
Give your skin an extra treat by making your own hydrating face mask at home. This moisturising olive face mask recipe contains several skin-boosting nutrients and gives you the option to add water-soluble active ingredients for enhanced results.
Use Hyaluronic Acid
If you want to know how to get plump skin naturally, hyaluronic acid is the ingredient you need to remember. This gel-like substance exists naturally in the body and plays a big part in the plumpness of your skin.
HA is a humectant — a substance that retains moisture. It’s capable of binding over one thousand times its weight in water, helping your cells retain as much of it as possible so your skin can stay hydrated and healthy. Hyaluronic acid also has the ability to regulate moisture within the cells, never allowing them to take in too much.
Similarly to collagen and elastin, the amount of HA we produce decreases as we get older. Thankfully though, lost hyaluronic acid is easy to replenish through your skincare routine for smooth, plump skin. Try adding our hyaluronic acid gel to your homemade moisturisers, anti-ageing creams, and lotions to boost hydration.
Don’t Forget to Exfoliate
To achieve a plump, radiant look, you first need to tackle any dryness or dead skin cells. Remember to exfoliate at least once a week, as this will help you get rid of any flaky patches and enable skincare products to penetrate your skin more easily.
Apply Sunscreen Every Day
Skin ageing isn’t only caused by a loss of key nutrients in the skin — it can also be down to sun damage. Wearing sunscreen every day will keep your skin protected against harmful rays and help to prevent premature ageing, so your skin can stay bright and smooth.