How To Get Your Glowiest Skin Ever — No Makeup Required

Waking up (makeup-free — because we know you always wash your face before bed, right?) with utterly perfect, lit-from-within skin is on our list of #beautygoals — right up there with making our manicure last more than two days without a chip. Does it seem trivial in the grand scheme of things? Possibly, but boy, would it be satisfying to toss our foundation and concealer for good. (Not that we don't love the ones that work hard for us every morning.)

In order to get glowing skin — without the help of highlighter — great skin-care products are key. From resurfacing masks to illuminating moisturizers, a good lineup will get you there — but you've got to commit to a regimen. Hey, nothing worth having comes easy.

Ahead, we rounded up some of our favorite brighteners, but first, a quick, three-part cheat sheet. Dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD, and Vanessa Hernandez, consulting celebrity esthetician for L’Oreal, both say to always be on the lookout for skin-care products that contain vitamins C and E, retinol, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides; get in the habit of throughly washing your face; and make exfoliation a top priority. Ready to glow? Let's go.