How to Get Beautiful, Glowing Skin... Without Acting like a Glamazon

It's a well-established fact that we women covet beautiful, glowing skin that could compete with any fashion model's. Curse their flawless complexions. Why do we have bags under our eyes, acne scars, mysterious dark spots, and other annoying blemishes? They make us appear tired, older, and careless in the most unflattering way possible. We want perfect skin now. But maybe we feel vain, even vapid, admitting it.

The idea of spending hours and hundreds of dollars on complicated skin regimens disgusts us. We're real women with real problems and real schedules. We don't have bottomless wells of financial resources or very much time to take away from our jobs, our schoolwork, our chores, or our children. We're smart and have more important things to think about than our looks, but we're naturally a little self-conscious. Isn't there a solution that makes sense for us?

Well, go ahead and chant "Alleluia" because the answer is yes. Here's how to get beautiful, glowing skin without acting like a glamazon:

1) Hydrate: Drink enough water and avoid soda and coffee as much as possible. For most women, this is easier said than done, but if you can chug down water and real fruit/vegetable juices everyday, you'll quickly notice a difference in your complexion. You'll look chipper and more alert. That's always a plus in school and the workplace. Professors and supervisors want students and employees who appear eager to be there, not ones who seem too exhausted to concentrate. Better yet, water and real juices are GOOD for you; they're much healthier for the insides of your body than soda and coffee, anyway.

2) Take vitamins: I don't mean those hoax pills. I mean ones that will genuinely improve your health inside and out by providing your body with actual nutrients. Try C, B complex, fish oil, and a standard multi-vitamin pill. They usually go down better when you eat them with a meal; you're less likely to forget about them if you eat them with your meals, too. Also, remember to never take more than indicated on the bottle! Taking more than recommended won't accomplish anything but a stomachache and possible death.

3) Eat a balanced diet: You know you're not supposed to subsist on Twinkies and McDonald's alone, but, if you're busy, sometimes it's hard to put together a nutritious meal. That doesn't excuse gluttony and a fattening diet, though. McDonald's and many other fast food places offer salads, for example. Try eating said salads without dressing and croutons, though. If that's unbearable, then add a tiny bit of dressing and still nix croutons if you're already eating a hamburger and fries. If you're looking for fast snacks in the supermarket, put the chips and crackers away and opt for carrot sticks, pitted cherries, cashews, dried apricots, and other healthy foods instead. For sit-down meals, substitute fish and poultry for beef and pork more often than not and try to limit your bread and past intake. Load up on those fruits and veggies! Gradually, you'll observe pleasant changes in your skin.

4) Sleep: I realize that you're busy, that you have homework, paperwork, and way too many errands to run. On top of all your work, you want to have fun, too. No matter how busy you are, however, you have to carve out enough time to prep for bed and get 7-9 hours of sleep. If you're too busy to do that on a regular basis, then it's time to consider dropping one of your obligations. Lessen your academic course load, take on fewer assignments at work, and find someone to help out with chores. Your skin, mind, and the rest of your body will appreciate it.

5) Use one product: Inspect your skin critically and decide what you need most--a moisturizer? Acne cream? Toner? Choose one product that you truly need and stick to it. Most of us don't have the patience or energy for seven different steps every morning and night, but we can all commit to a single product to improve the appearance of our skin. Don't worry about buying an expensive brand, either. Find a generic one at a drugstore or supermarket that works.