How To: Prepare Skin for Summer

1-May-2014

Body Care

Get your body beach-ready with these smoothing, soothing and skin-enhancing saviours

Step 1: Slough away

A good body scrub will help to remove dry, dead surface skin cells, revealing the more radiant skin beneath. Garnier Oil Beauty Nourishing Scrub is infused with four indulgent oils: argan, macadamia, almond and rose, which are high in essential fatty acids that help to replenish the skin with moisture and improve its barrier function to prevent dryness. Skin feels soft and silky-smooth, and looks more radiant. RRP £7.15, L’Oréal, garnier.co.uk.

Step 2: Smooth moves

More women can now experience the freedom of beautifully smooth, hair-free skin throughout the summer, thanks to the new Philips Lumea compact. Building on the success of Philips’ leading Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) range, Lumea Compact offers a more affordable hair removal solution for women who want to treat fewer or smaller areas of their body. It uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology, an advanced light based hair removal method originally used in professional salons that is safe, effective and easy to use at home. Gentle pulses of light, applied regularly, keep skin silky smooth by preventing regrowth. Treat the area of skin every two weeks for six treatments, then top up as needed every four to six weeks, and skin will be left beautifully smooth for the summer. RRP £200, Philips, philips.co.uk.

Step 3: Glow on

Tackle pasty, dry winter skin with a gradual tanning moisturiser for hydration and a summer glow all at once. Elemis Total Glow Bronzing Body Lotion softens skin and evens its tone with antioxidant green tea extract, nourishing elderberry and Abyssinian oils, and firming red algae. Meanwhile, naturally-derived tanning agent Vegetan subtly builds a natural golden glow. Delicate floral notes and uplifting lemon and patchouli oils provide a delicate summery scent. Bronzing Moisturiser for the face is also available. RRP £34.50, Elemis, elemis.com.

Step 4: Tone up

Swap your regular body moisturiser for a toning treatment if dimpled skin is an issue. Used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, Dr. Ceuticals Beach Perfect Body Firmer helps to promote skin elasticity and firmness. The light formula contains intense moisturisers that are instantly absorbed, making skin supple and preparing it for the additional key active ingredients within the advanced complex: Q10, which supports skin renewal and reduces free radical damage; vitamin B3 to leave skin soft and supple; caffeine to target cellulite; and seaweed extract to help repair and maintain youthful-looking, healthy skin. The product claims to reduce the appearance of dimpling for an overall firmed and toned result after three months of use. RRP £19.99, Brand Architekts, drceuticals.co.uk.

Step 5: Best foot forward

Feet need particular attention when it comes to preparing to bare: flip flops and summer sandals are unforgiving! Tackle rough, dry skin in a single easy step with Footner Exfoliating Socks, which act as a cosmetic peel for the feet. Simply wear the socks for an hour, and five days later the hard skin will start to peel, revealing the baby soft, sandal ready skin beneath. RRP £19.99, YouMedical, myfootner.com.