This post is brought to you by our Esthetics Experts Panel, composed of skin care professionals, educators + authorities with decades of experience in the industry.

No one wants skin that appears dull and drab. While there are many factors that cause your skin to look lackluster, there are easy steps you can take to get a bright complexion, and more luminous skin that glows. Read on to learn how to make skin glow.

There are many factors that cause skin to take on a dull appearance. Here are the main reasons why you have dull skin and how to make skin glow.

skin toxicity

In today's world, we are constantly bombarded with factors that cause skin toxicity. Pollution, stress, and poor nutrition are some of the top causes of skin toxicity. If you don't protect your skin from these factors or detoxify your skin regularly, you leave your skin vulnerable to a slew of different skin concerns from dull skin to clogged pores and more.

To detoxify the skin, you need to avoid or lessen triggers mentioned above and use detoxifying products, like vc10 Daily Glow and Kerafole. Professional detoxifying facials repair damage as well, so find a Bioelements spa near you. To learn more about skin detoxification, click here.

lifestyle habits

A huge component of healthy skin that glows is your lifestyle. Poor skin care habits, smoking, lack of physical exercise, poor diet and lack of sleep all contribute to an unhealthy body, which includes your skin. Lack of sleep is arguably the biggest factor, with 30% of adults getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night when the recommended amount is 7-8 hours.*

To make skin glow, get more sleep, avoid the sun, drink more water and eat a diet high in vegetables and fruits.

hyperpigmentation

Up to 90% of women note some degree of hyperpigmentation throughout pregnancy and many experience it after. ** Overall discoloration and dark pigmented spots contribute to an uneven and lackluster appearance. Hyperpigmentation can be triggered by UV exposure, hormonal imbalances and injury to the skin (acne, inflammation, etc).

To lighten discoloration, use Bioelements LightPlex MegaWatt Skin Brightener and LightPlex GigaWatt Dark Spot Corrector. Both work from different angles to target excess melanin production without bleaching the rest of your skin.

UV damage

Not protecting your skin against the sun's harmful rays is one of the worst skin sins. Surprisingly, the most amount of sun damage people accumulate is through every day activities (such as driving your car). It doesn't do your skin any favors and you put yourself at risk for serious health concerns, like skin cancer, every time you skip your SPF.

Regardless of your skin concerns, you need to protect your skin against the sun. Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen, no matter what season it is or what your plans are for the day.

dead skin cell buildup

As we age, our ability to shed dead skin cells decreases, which leads to dull, dry and flaky skin.

To get rid of dead skin cells you need to exfoliate. When you exfoliate, you are giving your skin a full workout, which is vital to attain a glowing complexion. Any type of exfoliation will minimize congestion in pores and remove dead skin cells, which cause the skin to look flat and dull. To physically slough away stubborn dead and dulling cells, use Pumice Peel. To chemically exfoliate, opt for Quick Refiner. Chemical exfoliation repels apart the intercellular lipids which stimulates skin's self healing and self regenerating processes. Kerafole also chemically exfoliates along with detoxifying to reveal radiant skin. To read more about the difference between physical and chemical exfoliation, click here.

dehydration

When skin is dehydrated, it's lacking much needed water, which can lead to premature age lines, thin texture and poor color. All skin types can become dehydrated – even oily skin.

Drink plenty of water each day, but don't forget that your skin is your body's largest organ, and tends to be dehydrated even when you consume enough water. Moisturizing topically is essential for smooth, glowing skin. Use the correct moisturizer for your skin type, and get an extra boost of glow from Oxygenation. Oxygenation will revitalize sluggish, sleepy skin and reveal new radiance.

*CDC.gov

**Muallem MM, Rubeiz NG (2006) Physiological and biological skin changes in pregnancy