10 Tips to Getting Your Skin Summer Ready

We all want that sun-kissed summer silky look as we are prancing around in our dresses the next few months! Summer is coming and it’s time to start getting your skin ready for the season. I don’t know about you but the sun brings out my happiest side and makes me want to look my best with glowing skin and silky hair! Skincare during the summer is a little different to in the winter, but here are my top 10 tips for getting your skin ready for the warmer months!

Exfoliate

Exfoliating removes dirt, dead and unwanted skin cells and debris from your skins surface. It is key to maintaining healthy looking skin as you need to plough away dirt and oils that can clog up your pores and cause your skin to look dull and even cause breakouts. Exfoliating will reveal glowing skin for this reason, but also because the movement encourages blood circulation to the surface of the skin, helping it to look healthy and refreshed. Try using an exfoliating shower gel or a body brush at least three times a week. Using a dry bristle brush is not only good exfoliating, but fabulous for reducing the appearance of cellulite. Use a dry brush over cellulite at least 3 times a week or even daily on dry skin before showering brushing towards your heart in long striking movements, and you will see results (I promise).

Defuzz (properly)

We all want to get our legs out and show our bare skin, but unless you’re blessed with being hairless, there’s a fair bit of maintenance involved here! Personally, laser hair removal has been a god send for me, because not only is there permanent hair reduction, it has also improved the condition of the skin. Lasers such as IPL were actually first created to treat bad skin conditions, and it just so happens they are pretty good at removing hair too! If you are going to have laser done in the summer, make sure you wear plenty of suncream at all times and not directly expose your skin to sun. Waxing is great, and particularly for the summer, you don’t have that constant worry about having to remove hair because it lasts long. On top of this, waxing actually removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin which is why you are left with gorgeous skin afterwards! Shaving is my least favourite type of hair removal because I hate how the hair grows back after (thick and fast)! But if this is what you do, make sure you soak hair in warm water for at least 3 minutes before shaving and use a shaving foam or gel, not bath soap.

Get the glow

If you want your skin to be glowing and looking its best, you need to treat yourself right. In addition to the other points on here, you need to feed your body the right stuff. Alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and other unhealthy, fatty foods won’t do alot for your skin. These foods and drinks are deprived of good nutrients and can even dehydrate your body, leaving your skin looking dull and tired. As well as drinking plenty of water and hydrating yourself, you should turn to certain foods that defend your skin and give you that natural glow. Have food and drink that are high in antioxidants such as tomatoes, berries, and green tea as these protect your skin from UV rays and help keep your skin looking youthful. Foods such a fish are loaded with omega-3 oils which is great for maintaining healthy skin and in particular fight acne.

Hydration and moisturisation

One great thing you can do instead of having quick hot or cold showers (which can dry out your skin), is bathe in warm water infused with natural oil. Apply oil such as almond oil under running water with a few drops of lavender oil and wind down and soak yourself in there. When you dry yourself off, you’re left with the perfect level of moisture in your skin. Before and after you get in the bath, drink a glass of water and after drying off, moisturise your body with a light cream. If you have showers, finish your shower by rinsing in cool water to close your pores to leave your skin feeling soothed. Moisturising is the key to perfect skin as well as keeping yourself hydrated. Drink plenty of water and coco butter yourself up everyday!

Natural oils

Oils such as almond oil, vitamin E oil and coconut oil work absolute wonders when it comes to skin. Personally I love using almond oil when I come out the shower as it is light and locks in that moisture. Even using coconut oil for shaving instead of a shaving cream, is probably the best thing you can do if you shave. Coconut oil will not only provide the moisture, but it will condition your skin and prevent irritation. Vitamin E oil is my absolute favourite oil and is my go-to for any skin issue whether it be scars, dry skin or just general use- it works wonders. Pure vitamin E oil works really well on cellulite also. Before bed every night, try massaging vitamin E oil in circular motions onto your cellulite and you will see a massive reduction in their appearance and feel. The thicker the vitamin e oil, the purer and better it is!

Protection

The best thing you can do for your skin is protect it. You don’t need to wear layer upon layer to do this (your skin will actually benefit from being able to breathe!), but you should protect your skin when out and about in the sun. UV rays are incredibly damaging to our skin cells and can cause premature ageing, sagging skin and even skin cancers. When you’re out and about, wear a mosituriser with a high SPF, and as annoying as it might be, wear suncream!! You’ll thank yourself for it later when you’re 70 and look about 25! If you do get burnt, use aloe vera and cooling gels to start the recovery process straight away. Aloe vera is fantastic for healing and even protection.

Look after your feet!

When we think about taking care of our skin, we rarely think about our feet! There’s no denying your feet will come out in the summer so you don’t want them looking like they’ve never seen air. Scrub your feet using a good foot brush and moisturise with a foot crem, particularly one with peppermint. My favourites have always been this foot rescue and this File a Foot from The Body Shop. Check out my summer foot post here. Another great thing to do is soak your feet in an Epsom salt soak. Use hot but manageable-temperature water and add Epsom salts. Epsom salts have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, can boost your magnesium intake and flush toxins out as well as easing musle and joint pain. Remember that bacteria can cause your feet to smell, so Epsom salts come in handy if you have that ish!

Tanning

If you want that sunkissed look try not to get it from sun exposure! It’s easier said than done but the best way to tan is by using a gradual tanning lotion or getting a spray tan. Tanning lotions clog up your pores less, and if you use a gradual one it will look better and more natural. A sun tan from exposure to the sun is actually a sign of skin damage and you will need to really look after your skin if this is the case. Similarly using a tanning bed is dangerous as you are exposing your skin to UV rays, damaging your skin cells. If you use tanning oils, make sure it has a high SPF content as you don’t want to burn!

Banish those breakouts

Breakouts on the body are sometimes more irritating than breakouts on your face because sometimes it just seems so unnatural! At least you can expect them on your face right? Breakouts occur on your body due to sweat, oils and your skin not being able to breathe! Sweat and oils can mix with dead skin cells and bacteria and can enter your pores, clogging them up and causing breakouts. Use a body wash with salicyclic acid or benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria and unclog pores. Exfoliating, keeping your body clean, showering after sweaty moments and soaking in Epsom salts will help too!

And there you have it… my guide to looking fabulously glowy this summer! I hope you find your summer look with these (hopefully) helpful tips!

Love Nimisha

xoxo