Summer is officially here! This means Pimms, eating al fresco and rocking out to great music at Glastonbury. Festival chic is all about having gorgeous glowing skin. Sadly, months of heating, cold weather and the safety of hiding under winter clothing might have left your dermis less silken and more dinosaur! Fear not in the first of 2 posts, we’re going to let you in on 5 easy skin care steps on how to get your skin looking fabulous for the summer and how to look after it once you get it there! Follow these 5 easy fuss-free skin care steps and within days you will start to notice healthier, smoother and sexier looking skin:
1) EXFOLIATE to remove dead skin cells and remove a fresh new layer of skin
First of all like snakes, humans also desquamate. This is because the top layers of our skin are made up of dead cells which slough off when a fresh layer is added at the bottom. While this process maybe slow, it can be sped up. Through exfoliating properly you can remove these dead cells and reveal a smoother brighter layer. For this reason, we recommend exfoliating 1-2 times a week by combining mechanical exfoliation with a biological process as happens in the best medical spa skin care treatments.
To start off have a warm shower or bath to cleanse and soften and whilst its is still wet, apply an enzymatic peeling exfoliator like the Ameliorate Skin Smoothing Body Polish (£17.50). Then use an exfoliating glove like the Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mitt (£20) to gently polish your skin until it feels smoother. Finally, wash off the Exfoliator and pat dry.
2) Apply an active BODY MASK after exfoliating
Masks are great because they allow you to address specific problems as part of your skin care routine. A good all-rounder mask to get glowing skin will contain a hydrating agent, a peeling agent and Vitamin C. This will act to replenish moisture and produce brighter skin. Due to this, we love the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask by Peter Thomas Roth (£39.50) which has AHAs and Vitamins to smooth and brighten. You may need to stay in the bathroom or stand on a towel to avoid making a mess.
3) MOISTURISE to hydrate and protect
The most indulgent bit of this skin rescue programme is applying a moisturiser with Vitamin C and E. This will rehydrate and brighten dull looking skin. Ideally, moisturise your skin twice a day but even once a day after you shower will show great results. As its summer, we think body oils are the way to go. They are lighter and leave skin looking shimmery and highlighted (think strobe lighting for your body). For this reason, we love the Body Shop’s Coconut Beautifying Oil (£11) which combines 3 nut oils in a light-weight formula that leaves your skin silky smooth and illuminated.
4) SUN PROTECTION is a vital part of your skin care routine
Protecting your newly revealed baby soft skin from the sun is essential. Hence use Sunscreen on any area that will become exposed to the sun to keep away cancers, discolouration and burns. If you fancy a tan but are short on time and lacking in effort, try this fabulous Self Tan Dry Oil by Vita Liberata (£29.00) has built in SPF 50. It gives you an instant bronze glow that gradually builds up over time.
5) Swap your daily skin care wash with a CLEANSING AND HYDRATING shower gel
To maintain the effects of your skin care routine, swap to an active shower gel. The Origins GLOOMAWAY BODY WASH (£20) helps gently polish and cleanse skin. In addition, it can also be used for both everyday showering or bathing.
Remember that continuity is key. Hence keep up this skincare routine even when you start to see changes. Also, a good diet will help produce healthy skin. So will drinking plenty of water especially because of the dehydrating effect of the heat so check out our previous post on keeping your skin hydrated. In addition, if you fancy a boost to your skin care routine then try a chemical peel or advanced clinical facial to accelerate the resurfacing process. That’s it! Enjoy your gorgeous new skin. Finally, look out for our follow up post on how to maintain your fabulous skin whilst you’re travelling.
For more on how to spice up your skincare routine, check out our post on K-beauty.
