Australians are spending more than $600 a year chasing the elusive “glow” through skincare, cosmetics and treatments, but new research from ASICS suggests the answer may be far simpler. According to the brand’s latest Get The Glow campaign, just 15 minutes of movement can leave us feeling more radiant, energised and confident than our beauty routines alone.
As founder of Glow Journal and ambassador for the ASICS Get The Glow campaign, Gemma Dimond has spent years immersed in the beauty world, interviewing leading skin experts and testing countless products in pursuit of healthy skin. Yet despite building a career around beauty, she believes true glow has little to do with flawless complexions and everything to do with how we feel.
We spoke with Gemma about redefining what it means to glow, why movement is the first thing she turns to when she’s feeling flat, and the simple daily rituals that create radiance from the inside out.
You’ve spent years immersed in the beauty industry and interviewing some of the world’s leading skin experts. Through those conversations, what have you learnt about what “having a glow” really means – and how has your own definition evolved beyond just flawless skin?
You know what, I actually think my understanding of what a “glow” really means has actually come more from the events I’ve attended and the people I’ve been around! I’d notice people at these glamorous work functions who were just magnetic and really had that glow- it took me a while, but over time I realised it had nothing about how they looked or whether or not their skin was flawless.
Having a glow is how you hold yourself, it’s how big your smile is, it’s whether you’re actively listening to and engaging with the people around you. It’s so much bigger than appearance! I’ve never met someone and walked away thinking “Did you see how inflamed that girl’s skin was?” It’s always “She was so fun, she was having the best time.” THAT’s what a glow is.
Australians are spending hundreds of dollars chasing their glow through skincare and treatments, yet the ASICS research found just 15 minutes of movement can leave us feeling even more glowing, radiant and energised. Why do you think we’ve become so conditioned to see glow as something we buy, rather than something we create through how we live and feel?
I think it’s probably a combination of a couple of things.
The first is that we’re all kind of looking for a bit of a magic bullet- one product that can give us flawless skin and a glow. Spending a couple of minutes in front of the mirror applying a cream feels a little easier than getting outside for 15 minutes, the irony being that the science is actually there when it comes to getting outdoors. You aren’t wasting time with trial and error!
The second is that we’ve all been a little conditioned to want more, more, more. We think a glow comes from a 12 step routine. There’s something really heartening about this research, knowing that the glow we’re all chasing can actually come from something as simple as getting outdoors. It’s almost the antidote to “more.”
You’ve said movement is the first thing you turn to when you feel like you’ve “lost your glow.” What shifts do you personally notice – physically, mentally and emotionally – after moving your body?
Mental clarity! If my brain is firing on all cylinders, everything else just sort of flows. I look and feel better physically, because I’ve done something to balance my cortisol (stress and a glow are pretty mutually exclusive for me), and emotionally I’m able to function better. Give me fresh air and endorphins and I’m unstoppable.
For so long, the beauty conversation has centred around products, treatments and perfection. Do you feel we’re finally seeing a shift toward wellbeing, energy and emotional health as part of what healthy skin actually looks like?
Absolutely! I think this shift has been coming for a while and I think this ASICS research allows us to understand why this shift is happening. I also think we’re understanding more and more that “healthy” skin doesn’t always have to look totally flawless- you can have acne, wrinkles, anything really, and still have healthy skin.
For someone chasing that lit-from-within glow, what are the most underrated daily habits or rituals that genuinely make the biggest difference?
Anyone who knows me knows I’m always going to say sunscreen. If we’re talking topicals, that’s the big one.
For a real lit-from-within glow, it’s movement and fuelling your body. It doesn’t have to be a vigorous hit workout! A stretch or a gentle walk is enough, you just want to get that blood and oxygen flowing. Fuelling your body after movement is so important, too. I won’t get too into the nitty gritty, but there’s a generation of us who grew up thinking we should always be in a severe calorie deficit to look a certain way, and this just isn’t the case. You only have one body, so be kind to it.
Another quick thing I love for a glow is a bit of lymphatic drainage massage. I’ll use a dry brush pre-shower or a wet brush in the shower if I’m short on time, sometimes a lymphatic drainage tool, sometimes just my hands! I love facial massage too- I’ll often use a gua sha but your fingertips and knuckles work a treat as well. That’s another great way to get everything moving for that lit-from-within glow.
Even as the conversation shifts toward wellbeing and movement, products and treatments will of course always have their place. If you were to simplify your beauty routine completely, what would be the non-negotiable products or treatments you could never give up?
I love this question!
If we’re really simplifying, I’d be doing a great cleanser that I can use to double cleanse, an azaleic acid or a retinol (I used to always say retinol but my skin has been responding really well to azaleic since being diagnosed with PCOS- hormonal acne is a joy to navigate), and a hydrating sunscreen.
If I were allowed to hold onto some creature comforts… I’d be throwing my LED mask in there too!
About ASICS – Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning ‘A Sound Mind in a Sound Body’, is the Latin phrase from which ASICS takes its name and the platform on which the brand was built. Founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka, ASICS is a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes, athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit asics.com.
