Ready for the ultimate summer glow-up routine to get you looking and feeling your best in 12 weeks? Let’s go!
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Whenever the seasons begin to shift, I get this urge to hit the reset button. I crave a fresh routine and a little glow-up to prepare for what’s coming next.
Summer is coming soon. Now is the perfect time to reset. But not just any reset, an ultimate glow-up. The hot girl summer we all need.
In March, you’ve got twelve weeks until summer—plenty of time to incorporate manageable, lasting lifestyle changes. Or, feel free to use this guide anytime you need a glow up!
We’re building good habits which will make a solid foundation. It’s about creating healthy habits, becoming the best version of yourself. and being a little high-maintenance to be low-maintenance for the rest of the summer.
Do you need a 24-hour glow-up instead? I got you! Read this: How to Glow-Up Overnight: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Note: this summer glow-up checklist does call for some beauty and aesthetic investments. You can absolutely swap them out for an alternative if that suits your lifestyle better.
Before Starting Your Summer Glow-Up
Establish Your Glow-Up Goals
First, decide what you want to get out of your summer glow-up.
Do you want to work on your fitness, improve your self-confidence, or revamp your overall health?
We’re covering it all in this glow-up but set goals tailored to you.
Also, use Pinterest and set up a vision board!
Track your Progress
It’s fun and rewarding to track progress. Take weekly photos, measure your body, or write in a journal to document what works well for you.
This will motivate you to keep going and show where you need to make adjustments, if any.
Focus on Self Care
This glow-up guide focuses primarily on improving your physical appearance, but caring for your mental health is just as crucial for a successful summer glow-up.
Plan to set aside time each week for activities that help you relax and relieve stress. It could be reading a good book, doing yoga, meditating, or taking a bubble bath. Find what works best for you.
A balanced mind leads to a balanced glow.
Related: How to Show Up For Yourself
12 Weeks Out From Your Summer Glow-Up
In the first few weeks, we focus on building a good foundation through diet, fitness, sleep, and skincare.
12 weeks is enough time to make good health progress and will ensure you’re glowing by summer but sustaining long-term results.
Start a Fitness Routine
What you choose doesn’t matter – running, pilates, weight training, etc. Do what you love and schedule it at least 3x a week for 30-60 minutes.
There are tons of free options online. I also highly recommend checking out Caroline Girvan’s FREE workouts on YouTube.
Increase Steps To 10-12k a Day
Physical activity
Increasing your daily steps to 10-12k is an excellent way to improve your physical health in a low-impact way.
Not only does walking help with NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), but it is also a low-impact way to get in shape.
NEAT refers to the energy we use through non-exercise activities. These include walking, running errands at Target, and doing chores at home.
10-12k steps daily will boost your NEAT and increase calorie burn throughout the day.
You get bonus points if you can walk outdoors for the fresh air and sunlight. This boosts vitamin D and lifts your mood. Both of these things add to your summer glow.
Get Sweaty with HIIT
High-intensity interval Training (HIIT) involves intense bursts of exercise followed by brief rest periods or lower-intensity activity. It’s tough, but the benefits of your glow-up are worth it.
HIIT boosts detoxification, revs up metabolism for hours afterward, and enhances blood flow and circulation, resulting in improved skin health and a radiant complexion.
HIIT is also an excellent stress reliever. The intense exercise triggers the release of endorphins, those “feel-good” hormones, lifting mood and reducing stress levels.
Since stress can negatively impact skin health, causing breakouts and dullness, incorporating HIIT into your routine can effectively counteract these effects.
While we’re all for daily steps to maintain overall health, schedule at least one HIIT or sweat session in a week.
Sweating it out gives you a radiant complexion and improves circulation, ensuring you look and feel your best as the warmer months approach!
Focus on Healthy Eating
A summer glow-up isn’t complete without focusing on your nutrition.
For our summer glow-up, consider adding extra nutrients to a balanced diet rather than cutting calories.
Fueling your body with nutrient-dense foods will leave less room for junk food to give you the energy for your workouts and give your skin that radiant glow.
Specifically, antioxidants, fiber, and protein.
Antioxidants help counter harmful free radicals and protect the skin from oxidative stress and damage. Foods high in antioxidants include colorful fruits and vegetables like berries, tomatoes, and leafy greens.
Related: The 12 Most Powerful Anti-Aging Superfoods for Women Over 40
Fiber-rich foods help you stay regular and improve your gut health. It also detoxifies the body, which is good for your skin and health.
Do you ever break out when you get backed up? Yep – there’s a direct correlation to constipation and acne breakouts.
Whole grains, beans, berries, and vegetables are good sources of fiber. I am for 25 grams of fiber daily and get most of this in a morning smoothie.
Related: 5 Nutrient-Packed Smoothies for Glowing Skin and Hair
And lastly, get adequate protein.
We’ll want to build and keep muscle as you work towards your summer glow-up with your new workout routine.
Eat high-quality protein sources and ensure you consume enough protein to support a strong physique.
If you’re building or maintaining muscle, aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
It’s an obvious one, but it had to be stated. Start upping your water intake to 2-3 liters of water daily (about 8-12 cups). For refernce, that’s about two full Stanley tumblers.
Water flushes out toxins, helps curb your appetite, and seriously makes your skin radiant.
You can add lemon and Himalayan pink sea salt or electrolytes throughout the day to ensure you’re getting plenty of water.
Create a Sleep Hygiene Routine
Your sleep hygiene will make or break your summer glow-up results. It will show on your skin if you’re not getting adequate sleep.
Plus, poor sleep will impact your hormones, making it difficult to stay on your health and fitness goals.
Commit to getting at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night and prioritize it.
Consider Laser Hair Removal
If you’re up for laser hair removal, I highly recommend it. It’s an investment, but I’ve never had skin so soft as when I had laser hair removal.
Shaving, waxing, and plucking are high-maintenance and can lead to skin irritation and ingrown hairs. That’s where laser hair removal comes to the rescue!
Laser hair destroys the hair at the root with a concentrated beam of light. This not only ensures long-lasting results but also reduces the chances of any skin damage or irritation.
If you have strawberry legs, it also helps with that.
For best results, you’ll start at least 12 weeks before summer. Preferably within the winter months. This timeline allows for multiple sessions needed for complete hair removal.
By the time summer arrives you can say goodbye to regular shaving or waxing appointments and hello to smooth skin all season long!
The best part? Laser hair removal can be done almost anywhere, including the legs, underarms, bikini area, and face.
If Laser Hair removal isn’t within budget, opt for waxing or shaving with a high-quality razor.
Get Your Laser Skin Treatments
Laser skin treatments, like intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Broad Band Light (BBL) treatment, can remove age spots and give you that summer glow.
Laser light treatments target the pigmented areas of your skin. They break up the melanin and reduce the look of age spots, sun damage, and other skin imperfections.
Additionally, they stimulate collagen production, resulting in firmer and smoother skin.
Laser treatments are recommended in the fall, winter, or early spring. You want to avoid re-exposing the skin to the sun and undo the treatments.
Be sure to find a reputable provider or board-certified dermatologist for laser treatments.
8 Weeks Out From Your Summer Glow-Up
Continue focusing on your workout routine and healthy eating habits. Now is a great time to focus on your skin.
Upgrade Your Skincare Routine
If you don’t have a good skincare routine, now’s the time to start.
Invest in new products if you need to – a good vitamin C serum, hyaluronic acid-based moisturizer, SPF, exfoliator, and retinol are all you need (depending on your skin type).
You don’t need to invest much, but consistency is key if you want clear skin.
Related: The Ultimate Skincare Essentials List for Women Over 40
Start Regularly Exfoliating The Skin (Face & Body)
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and gives us glowing skin.
I like to use a mix of physical exfoliants (scrubs) and chemical exfoliants (glycolic acid or BHAs) to unclog pores and dissolve dead cells. Aim to exfoliate about 2x a week, and you’ll have glowy skin by summer.
Break Out The At-Home Beauty Devices
If you have at-home beauty devices sitting in your linen closet (guilty!), now is the time to break them out.
It takes a good couple of months to see results from these devices, so be sure to use them consistently now if you have them.
One of the best at-home treatments is a red light LED mask. LED red light therapy boosts collagen and reduces inflammation. Use it 4-5x a week make skin look brighter to and give you glowing summer skin.
4 Weeks Out From Your Summer Glow-Up
Get Your Hair Done
Hairhome
Invest In A Few Summer Outfits
Take the time to refresh your closet and try new styles. Donate what you didn’t reach for last summer and invest in some outfits that make you feel great.
I’m casual, so my go-to outfits are Lulumen Align sets (which also motivates me to workout more!) Adding a few new pieces or bright colors can elevate your look and excite you for the summer months.
Curate A Summer Makeup Routine
Test out a few new makeup looks and revamp your makeup stash for the warmer weather. It’s all about the glowy skin makeup look that looks effortless and healthy.
My must-haves for summer include good SPF and tinted moisturizer. Also, I love glowy bronzer, illuminator, and pink or coral blush.
Two Weeks Out From Your Summer Glow-Up
Get Botox
Want to give your face a fresh, rejuvenated look this summer? Botox!
Botox works by paralyzing the muscles in the treated areas. This temporarily softens fine lines and can also give you a nice temporary brow or lip lift, making you look refreshed.
One thing to keep in mind when getting Botox is that it typically takes about two weeks to fully take effect, but it’s definitely worth the wait!
Luckily, Botox is a minimally invasive procedure, so there’s no downtime.
Get your Lashes and Brows Done
Lash liftsbrow microblading
A lash lift and tint takes about an hour and lasts eight weeks – easy!
Microblading is a semi-permanent method that uses tiny, hair-like strokes to fill in sparse areas and shape your eyebrows. It does take 10-14 days to fully heal, but It gives you natural-looking results that can last up to a year.
If permanent makeup isn’t your thing, waxing and threading is a quick way to get a clean, defined brow shape.
Getting your lashes and brows will give you an instant beauty boost and save you time with your daily beauty routine.
Get a Professional Facial
A good professional facial, including a back facial, is a nice luxury for your summer glow-up. Facials clean your skin well. They remove dirt, oil, dead cells, and unclog pores, which helps your skincare absorb.
Facials also even skin tone and texture, fading imperfections like pigmentation or acne scars.
Hydrafacials are popular, but they’re also pretty expensive. A standard facial is a great option; even an at-home facial routine or face mask can give you a similar glow.
One Week Out From Your Summer Glow-Up
One Week Out from Your Summer Glow Up. By now, if you’ve followed the timeline, you have built a good foundation: feeling fit and looking good.
It’s the final stretch.
Get a Manicure and Pedicure
One of the easiest ways to feel instantly put together is by getting a manicure and pedicure. Not only will this leave your hands and feet looking good, but it will also give you a much-needed excuse to pamper yourself.
Yes, you can absolutely do these at home. Still, I recommend getting your manicure and pedicure done professionally if you haven’t had one in a while, and then consider maintaining them at home.
Remember, a manicure and pedicure are not just about pretty nails – they’re about taking care of yourself and indulging in a little me-time.
So go ahead, find a trusted salon, sit back, and let them work their magic.
Self-Tan for Glowing Skin
Self-tanneryour confidence
A GOOD self-tanner lets you skip the harmful UV rays from the sun, which can damage and age the skin. With self-tanning, you can get the same glow without the damage.
The key is finding a good self-tanner – luckily, there are plenty on the market now that smell decent and aren’t sticky.
My favorite brands are Bondi Sands, Coco & Even, and Loving Tan.
Find Your Signature Scent
To round out this summer glow-up, find a seasonal signature scent that makes you feel good. Scent is often overlooked but can completely elevate how you feel.
Take some time to browse and test scents that work well for you.
One Day Out From Your Summer Glow-up
If you have a special event or want to optimize your glow-up routine on your final day, read: Your Ultimate Self Care Night Routine.
Summer Glow-Up Reminders
A glow-upyour physical and mental well-being
By prioritizing self-care and up-leveling your routine, you can achieve a summer glow-up that will leave you looking and feeling your best!
Your Free Summer Glow-Up Checklist!
Download the FREE Summer glow-up checklist to keep you motivated and accountable.
