By Michelby Whitehead
When the summertime arrives, most ladies want to show a little skin and turn up in the sun. Spring cleaning does for your house what summer maintenance can do for your skin.
Beautiful, flawless, glowing skin is highly desired, and it starts with exfoliating and detoxing, and effectively blocking those harmful UV rays. We’ve got your guide for a glow-rious summer right here:
Face It
Let’s start at the top: your face. One of the most common culprits of wrinkles, sags and an uneven complexion is unprotected exposure to UV rays. Your first step? Make SPF your BFF.
We Got Your Back
All of that work to tighten, tone and trim as the warm weather approaches can lead to acne on your beloved back. Friction from sports bras and long, sweaty workouts set you up for blemishes. Use a salicylic acid wash in the shower to get halter-top ready.
Pretty Pits
Believe it or not, underarm skin can be a source of stress when it comes to dermatologic concerns. Discoloration, excessive sweating, and textural changes are often at the top of the list. Look for products that go the extra mile, beyond odor and wetness prevention. Moisturizing deodorants can protect and yield softer, smoother underarms. Also try detoxing your pits by scrubbing them with a baking-soda paste.
Knees, Please
We are all guilty of forgetting about our knees. Elbows and knees are the most likely areas to retain some of the over 50 million skin cells we shed each day. Dull, coarse, thickened skin is the result. To fix this ASAP, use a cream with alpha-hydroxy acid after the shower and before bed. These creams soften skin effectively, in a cosmetically elegant way.
Neat Feet
One of the best and cheapest exfoliators for those dry heels is fine-grit sandpaper from the hardware store! Just a little bit goes a long way. Cut out a small square, use gentle, circular motions, and you’ll likely see your feet soften in a matter of days.
Next, it’s time to soak. A warm foot bath with Epsom salts offers so many benefits. Those loosened dead skin cells will float away, leading to smoothness, and the salts are certainly relaxing as well.
Lastly, smear on a peppermint foot cream to hydrate and ward off odor.
And, unless you’re on the beach, don’t walk around barefoot this summer.
How do you prep and protect your skin for warm weather?