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Donna Nelson

What Creates Healthy Skin?

We are living in a world full of cosmetics, skincare videos, blogs and how-to guides. But what does skin actually need to be glowing and healthy?


Learn the key ingredients, treatments and supplements your skin needs to keep glowing throughout the year.

Having worked my whole career in the skincare and cosmetics industry I have seen product ranges come and go along with myth-induced skin treatments which, has put me in a good position to actually know what is skin myth and what is skin fact.

Priding myself on education and passing this along to my clients who visit me in the Glow Naturally Skin Studio. My passion is to spread the word on what the skin actually needs and help you stay away from the ever-growing beauty industry fads.


Here are my top tips for what skin actually needs to be healthy and glowing.


Tip #1 - SPF SPF SPF

Protecting your skin from UVA and UVB rays should be part of everyone's daily routine.


It doesn't matter how many times a day I post/talk/rant about SPF I still get clients on a regular basis saying to me "I only wear SPF when I go on holiday" Or "I stay in the shade so don't need to wear an SPF".

They could not be more wrong and it breaks my heart that we are still only scratching the surface when it comes to sun education.

UVA rays are silent rays that we can't see, but they are present 365 days a year and can penetrate through clouds, windows and bounce off walls and stone pathways.

UVB is our visual ray, we can see it, it's the sun shining. We see the effects on our skin and that's in the form of a tan or in some unfortunate cases a burn.

Did you know a sun tan is actually a scar?

When sun rays hit our skin it goes into protection mode and creates a coloured jacket to protect itself from these harmful rays. Over time the jacket will break and leave visible coloured patches on our skin that are not easy to remove.

In summary, SPF isn't only for when the sun shines. It should be part of everyone's routine as a separate cream away from your regular day cream or makeup. These are simply watered-down versions that won't give you enough protection.


My personal go-to is Environ RAD SPF. A form that will reflect, absorb and defend containing Titanium Dioxide, vitamins C & E along with Betacarotene for enhanced protection.






Tip #2 - Topical Vitamin A

An essential nutrient that our skin cells are made up of however one we lose daily due to environmental and lifestyle factors.

Vitamin A changes the way our skin cells grow and develop by repairing and preventing damage and this nutrient is becoming more and more available on the shelves for everyone to get their hands on.


"I believe that skin has a life and that vitamin A is the 'oxygen' it needs to look healthy and beautiful." – Dr Des Fernandes, founder of Environ Skincare

Using the correct form of vitamin A is vital and if your looking for results I would only recommend using a form prescribed by a skin care professional. Over-the-counter, forms are simply not enough to achieve the best results, not only that they can cause reactions if used incorrectly.

There is no equivalent or alternative to vitamin A and if you're not applying it every morning and evening your skin could be deficient.


I have personally used Environ's Skin EssentiA AVST moisturiser for over 10 years. The packaging isn't fancy and it doesn't smell like a decadent spa however, smells won't change cells and I have seen life-changing results from this little bottle of joy.





Tip #3 - Results Driven Facials

Spa facials are wonderful, I personally love them but I also know they won't create a physical change to my skin. Using what I like to call 'fluff and buff' products you are floated off into a world of total relaxation and leave feeling like you are on a cloud smelling like an aromatherapist's office.

While there is a place for this type of treatment, it won't create skin health or make changes to skin concerns or issues.

Facials that create physical results will include machines or tools, vigorous massage, LED and fragrance-free products that might tingle when applied. You want to know that what your facialist is doing is something you can't recreate at home and that it warrants the price you are paying.

Having a results-driven treatment every 4-6 weeks, along with using results-driven home care products and having consistency is key to overall skin health. But choose wisely, because treatments that can damage the top layer of skin will have the opposite long-term effect.


Tip #4 - Nutrition

The saying goes what you put in you get out and this saying is something we should live by if trying to achieve skin health or deal with an inflammatory skin concern.

The skin is a two-sided organ so it is only right we look at how we are feeding it and what we are using to create the 200 million skin cells we make every hour.

Skin-specific supplements along with a nutrient-rich diet are key when creating healthy glowing skin. All clients that visit me in the Glow Naturally Skin Studio go through a full consultation including diet and lifestyle so I can get a full understanding of the environment their skin is living in.


I work closely with The Advanced Nutrition Programme, a skin-specific supplement range, leaders in their field for providing results-driven supplements for all skin concerns and conditions.

One of my favourite supplements is Skin Accumax, a ground breaking nutritional alternative for Acne that I have had breath taking results from with clients.





Tip #5 - Finally be Consistent

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to skincare products and there are always so many tempting offers to reel you in, but something that is so vital when on your skin journey is to be consistent. Don't product hop, give the range time to work on your skin.

Jumping from one product to another on a weekly basis can actually have a negative impact on your skin, consistency is key especially when looking at internal skincare.


Don't Just Guess

If you are stuck on how to look after your skin or confused by so many brands and not sure which is best for you book a skin consultation with your local facialist. Let them do the work for you, after all, it's their job to know what will work best and to create healthy glowing skin for a lifetime.




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