Get Summer-Ready Skin

Summer means a lot of things. Summer means margaritas on the back porch, watermelon seed spitting contests, beach vacations, and a lot more skin showing. But all of those strappy tank tops and sandals that you just can’t wait to pull out of your closet look a lot better when skin has been prepped and primed to show off.

There are two major steps that need to be taken first in order to prepare your skin for its summer debut: exfoliation and brightening. Winter is a long, hard season for skin, and it needs a spring freshening up before you go about your business with summer makeup, self-tanner, or evenings of bared flesh.

All skin, even sensitive skin, needs to be exfoliated. New skin cells are created in the dermis, which is the skin’s lower layer. Exfoliation helps to slough off the top layer of dead skin cells, helping to reveal fresher skin cells underneath. It also helps to unclog pores, keeping the skin cleaner and preventing breakouts.

We have two main different types of exfoliates: scrubs and polishes.

• Scrubs are made for dryer skin types. Don’t be put off by the word “scrub,” though. Though you might be envisioning big, chunky scrub particles, these finely granulated scrubs are ideal for even the most delicate skin.

• Polishes are perfect for any kind of skin, but work best with normal skin types.

A couple of tips for exfoliating: use lukewarm water. Hot water can dry skin out, which is easier to do when you’re in the process of exfoliating. Use your fingers to move the scrub in a circular motion, which will simultaneously improve circulation.

The second step is to moisturize skin thoroughly. Even in the heat of the summer, your skin still needs moisturization to protect it from sun, sweat, wind, and high temperatures. A lot of people forget about this step, and their skin suffers.

Try a lighter body moisturizer, like any of our body whips or purees, which are lightweight enough for summer without sacrificing any of the heavy-duty softness. And you can even get a little kick of shine in there with our brand new Satsuma Shimmer Lotion, which is perfect for those bare summer shoulders. Try popping the Aloe Cooling Body Gel in the fridge for a few minutes on the hottest days for a skin treat that cools and moisturizes. Not a bad deal for when the pool is too far away!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 9:37 am and is filed under Skin Care - Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.