With the school year coming to an end, that means summer is right around the corner! During the winter months, we often forget about keeping our skin healthy and smooth because we are always covering it up with layers and layers of clothing. If you want to have smooth and glowing skin for your summer vacation follow these instructions and see how it works out for you!
1. Exfoliate!
A lot of men and women don’t realize just how important it is to exfoliate not only your face, but your whole body too. There are many different ways to exfoliate your skin: you can use a loofa, a dry brush before stepping into the shower, or you can use exfoliating products. My absolute, all-time favorite exfoliator is a coffee scrub called Summer Love Scrub (http://summerlove.com.au). I like this scrub because not only do the coffee grounds work well at getting all of the dead skin off, but there a bunch of natural oils packed in that help hydrate your skin!
2. Shaving/Waxing
Whether you shave your legs or wax them, make sure you are using the clean and fresh products. Shaving with a dull razor won’t get all of the unwanted hair and dead skin off. Also, make sure that before you wax/shave that you have really exfoliated your skin and removed all of the dead skin. This will give you a much fresher and smoother look and feel. For shaving cream in the shower I like to use Trader Joe’s Honey Mango moisturizing cream shave. This stuff smells so good and really hydrates your skin when you use it.
3. Moisturize!
As soon as you get out of the shower make sure you moisturize your whole body! It is said that your pores are open for the first 5-7 minutes after showering, so in order to really hydrate your skin apply it as soon as you get out. I personally have pretty dry skin normally so I always have to put lotion on, but if you don’t have dry skin make sure you moisturize after you shave; it will make your skin feel and look a lot healthier. I don’t have a favorite moisturizer but a little trick I use in order to keep my skin super hydrated is mixing a bit of coconut oil with my lotion and applying it on my body. Coconut oil is SO good for your skin and it even gives you a little glow!
4. Self-Tanner
I personally don’t use a lot of self-tanner, but I love using Jergens Natural Glow Lotion. If you want to just enhance your tan a little bit or have your skin look a little more radiant, then I would definitely suggest this product. You can buy it at any drug store, and use it as either your moisturizer for after the shower or a tanner before you go out. If you are looking to protect your skin from the sun but want to look tan, I suggest using the St. Tropez self-tanner, it is a bit on the pricey side, but it works very well.
5. Sunscreen
In order to keep your skin healthy, make sure that you put on sunscreen every time you are out in the sun! It helps prevent wrinkles and skin cancer as well as keeps you from getting sunburned. I personally like using the Alba Botanica brand of sunscreen. It’s lightweight and smells good, but it also protects very well.
6. Water!
Drinking a lot of water is a large part of having healthy and glowing skin. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 ounces a day. If you are active and in the sun a lot, then you should definitely drink more than that.