Why Your Skin Looks Dull – and How to Brighten It

Dealing with dull skin isn’t as simple as swiping on a highlighter. If you want a luminous complexion – one that beams with health – a dedicated, glow-boosting skincare routine is key. But before that, you need to uncover why your skin might be dull, so you can keep glow-fighting aggressors at bay. Here’s your complete guide on how to brighten dull skin, featuring the culprits that could be stealing your radiance…

What is dull skin?

You’ll know you’re dealing with dull skin if it appears flat and lacking in radiance. It may even look grey and feel rough or bumpy, which means it won’t reflect the light as easily. A dull complexion can also seem dry and dehydrated, as the two conditions often go hand in hand.

What causes dull skin?

1. Dead skin build-up

The number one cause of dull skin is a build-up of dead skin cells. Naturally, these cells shed to reveal shiny, new ones as part of your skin’s renewal process. However, sometimes your pores need extra help to slough away the old skin cells, and without it, they can remain on your face, leaving your complexion looking dull and dry.

2. Tiredness and fatigue

When you sleep, your body produces a hormone called melatonin, which is responsible for tissue repair and skin renewal. It’s essential for a healthy complexion. So, without that much-needed eight hours of rest, your skin doesn’t have enough time to heal, resulting in tired-looking eyes and visible signs of fatigue.

3. Sleeping with makeup on

Another stressor that disrupts skin’s overnight repair process is makeup. If you don’t remove it before bed, your pores can’t ‘breathe’ as easily and dead skin cells can remain stagnant. Sleeping in makeup also means you’re skipping night creams and treatments, which are essential to supporting barrier function for a glowy complexion come morning.

4. Pollutant particles

Although you can’t see them, pollutant particles wreak havoc on your skin, as they’re small enough to infiltrate pores and release free radicals that attack your collagen stores. As that essential protein depletes, you not only experience a loss of firmness that leads to fine lines and wrinkles, but you may also notice skin appears dull and tired as a result.

5. Dryness and dehydration

Like sleep, water is essential to looking and feeling your best. When you’re dehydrated, you’re likely to feel tired, your mood will be lower, and your skin, hair and nails all suffer. In fact, if you don’t drink enough water – around three litres per day – the moisture levels below your skin’s surface decline, so instead of looking plump and dewy, your complexion appears drab and tired.

6. Stress

Times of worry can affect your sleep, which is one way stress makes skin appear dull. But it also triggers your ‘fight or flight’ response, diverting blood flow away from your face and to other parts of your body. This is why, as well as looking tired, your complexion may appear grey when you’re run down, your schedule is busy, or you’re going through a difficult period.

7. Lifestyle factors

Smoking can cause dullness by restricting blood flow to your skin, while a diet lacking in pore-kind nutrients – such as vitamins A, C, E, K, D, B5, and B3 – may also dial down radiance. A healthy lifestyle is vital for skin that glows from the inside out, so eat a varied diet that’s deliciously rich in all the vitamins your skin and body crave.

How to brighten dull skin in 7 steps

1. Double cleanse daily

Morning and night, double cleanse your skin to sweep away dulling impurities and dead skin cells. Your first cleanse needs to tackle surface grime (and makeup in the evening), so choose an oil-based formula like Perfect Cleansing Oil. Massage it into skin, emulsify it with water, and rinse thoroughly. Then, use a water-based cleanser, such as Deep Cleansing Foam., which features purifying granules to unclog pores, and leave your complexion smooth and fresh.

2. Swap toner for softener

Instead of using astringent toners, which can dry out your skin to exacerbate dullness, follow your cleanser with Treatment Softener Enriched to instantly soothe and hydrate. Not only is it deeply moisturising – perfect for a plump, dewy glow – but it also helps to boost the effects of the serums and face creams you apply on top. Think of it as a skincare enhancer.

3. Boost skin renewal with a serum

If dead skin cells are dulling your glow, skin renewal should be top of your agenda. By sloughing away the old cells, you pave the way for new, healthy skin to shine through and restore your radiance. Retinol is a powerful renewer, but because it’s so potent, it can be hard for many skin types to tolerate. That’s why we use a retinol derivative with Watercress Extract, which is also known to promote skin’s natural resilience⁽¹⁾.
Find this glow-boosting ingredient alongside hero hydrators in the Vital Perfection LiftDefine Radiance Serum. Make it part of your ritual by applying it once every other day at first, then gradually increase until you’re using it each morning and night. The supercharged elixir visibly brightens your skin in just one week⁽²⁾, while lifting and firming in four weeks⁽²⁾ to leave your complexion dewy and sculpted. ⁽¹⁾ Clinical test on 37 volunteers

4. Restore smoothness with moisturiser

It’s important that all skin types are treated to a daily moisturiser. When skin is plump, hydrated and smooth, it reflects the light for true luminosity. But not just any face cream bestows your complexion with dullness-defying radiance; it takes the right blend of botanicals and science-led technology to help the most stressed complexion glow.

Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream is an illuminating powerhouse, leaving skin 43% more hydrated in four hours⁽³⁾ and giving you a brightened look in one week⁽⁴⁾. It features Patented SafflowerRED™ to boost your skin’s nutrient levels and support self-regeneration, while ReneuraRED Technology™ ensures rapid results by activating your complexion’s response to skincare.

Apply daily, after serum for best results. If your skin is dry or needs added comfort, reach for the richer, ultra-sumptuous Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream Enriched.

5. Support repair with an overnight treatment

While you sleep, your skin does its hardest work, repairing tissue to restore vibrancy. But, as this vital function slows over time, your pores may need help – which is where a night cream comes in. Vital Perfection Advanced Overnight Treatment is specially formulated to power up your skin’s renewal process, so dull cells are vanquished and new, healthy cells are revealed. An infusion of Yarrow Extract repairs daytime damage during night-time, so you wake up to a dewy complexion that’s firmer, tighter and more youthful-looking.

6. Target dark spots and hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation can make already-dull skin look duller, but dealing with dark spots is no mean feat; it requires concentrated brightening ingredients that lift excess pigment away. Vital Perfection Intensive WrinkleSpot Treatment is your powerful 2-in-1 solution, targeting blemishes and wrinkles with a brightening, smoothing cocktail of regenerative ReneuraRED Technology™ and a concentrated dose of Retinol. Apply it directly onto darker patches each night, over the top of your moisturiser, to visibly reduce wrinkles, smile lines, and dark spots within 4 weeks⁽⁵⁾.

7. Apply an ‘everything’ shield

Broad-spectrum sunscreen is crucial to protecting the health of your skin, but there’s another dulling aggressor to keep at bay: pollutant particles. So, use SPF that’s paired with antioxidants to neutralise damaging free radicals. Urban Environment Age Defense Oil-Free SPF30 does just that, and more, by teaming powerful protection with balancing skincare ingredients.

Inside the featherlight formula, you’ll find Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate parched complexions, Anti-Sebum Damage Complex to fight UV damage and treat oily t-zones, and Sun Dual Care™ Technology to turn a portion of sunlight into anti-ageing Beauty Beams. Apply it over moisturiser, as the last step in your morning routine, and then reapply throughout the day for optimal protection.

You’ve got your glow-boosting skincare routine in place. Now, why not take it to the next level? Discover the glossy makeup trend to illuminate eyes, lips and cheeks.