What comes to mind when you think of body care? It may be hitting the gym to tone your muscles, applying SPF when you go to the beach or removing unwanted hair. However, today we’ll talk about an often forgotten part of our body care: Our skin!
Looking after our body’s skin is more important than ever due to our “modern life” habits and routines. The skin of the body needs to have a daily routine in order to be healthy and youthful - after all, remember, your body’s skin in the first “wall” to protect you from external bacteria.
Body skincare is as simple as 3 steps
Cleanse, Exfoliate and Moisturise. That’s all you really need!
Even better news, when it comes to our body’s skin, the exfoliation part is only needed a couple times a week (though some exfoliants can be used more frequently). So for most of the week you’ll only need 2 steps!
Common body skin concerns
The body skin concerns I’ve heard the most in all my years as a Skin Therapist are Dryness,
Ingrown Hairs and Acne. All 3 problems are very common for both men and women in any age range.
So let’s take a look at those and how to incorporate them into those 3 steps we talked about before!
1. Cleanse with Body Wash
We need to remove sweat and any impurities built up throughout the day in order to keep the skin clean. I like to choose a body wash that is soap-free. They gently clean the skin without removing too much of the body's natural oil so that the skin doesn't dry out and the Conditioning Body Wash is my favourite!
Tips for Dry Skin:
- Use lukewarm temperature and keep it short
- Hot water will remove too much oil and hydration from the skin and make the skin dry - sometimes, even itchy and irritated.
Tips for Acne Prone Skin:
- Choose a body wash with antibacterial benefits.
- Wash the skin just after you exercise to keep your skin free from sweat.
- In summer, have a shower morning and night as sweat and bacteria production increases during nighttime
2. Exfoliate to Feel Smooth
Exfoliating the body will remove dead skin cells and promote skin cell turnover. This helps smoothing skin, improves skin texture, brightens the skin and keeps it supple.
Pro tip: Apply product in a circular movement when massaging it onto the skin as this boosts circulation and helps to drain toxins. Another tip is to pay attention and exfoliate the areas where the skin is thicker, such as knees, buttocks, back and outer upper arms to keep them smooth.
Tips for Dry Skin:
- Use exfoliation that also has moisturising benefits
- Be consistent yet moderate with your body exfoliation as too much exfoliation can take away natural oils from the skin.
Tips for ingrown hairs
- Exfoliate before and after hair removal.
- Exfoliating before wax helps to achieve the best results with hair removal and after wax allows ingrown hairs to push through the skin and grow outward instead of curling under to become ingrown.
Tips for Acne Prone Skin:
- Choose antibacterial exfoliation or exfoliation with AHA’s, BHA or Enzymes to help keep the follicles clear.
- Avoid hard pressure if you have active acne as you don't want to burst the pustules and risk spreading acne bacteria.
3. Moisturise to Finish
After shower, skin loses hydration rapidly. The moment you step out of the shower booth, the water clinging to your skin starts to evaporate.
Researches have shown that within 10 minutes, the skin will get dryer than before you have a shower!
How to prevent that is very simple: Apply body moisturiser to lock in water and moisture in the skin after shower. It accomplishes smooth, soft and supple skin. Gently wipe the skin after shower and apply a body moisturiser as soon as possible to minimise water loss. It is also important to choose a product that suits your skin type and conditions.
Tips for Dry Skin:
- Use a body Oil.
- Oil is the most moisturising and nourishing product to help
- Apply straight after the shower while skin is still damp
- Can also be mixed to your body moisturiser
Tips for ingrown hairs:
- Hydrating your skin will make it soft and smooth, which in turn will help new hair to grow out of the skin
- The more hydrated the skin is, the less painful it tends to feel during the waxing
- A good skin barrier and plump surface allows easier hair removal
Tips for Acne Prone Skin:
- Use a body lotion or water based moisturiser
- A lightweight moisturiser is designed to give the skin hydration without excess oil.
- Hydrated skin will strengthen your skin's barrier to prevent excess oil production! Opt for a moisturiser with exfoliating properties to help keep follicles clear
I hope now you have a good idea of how to look after your body’s skin! And if you’d like to get more specific advice, targeted at your own skin concerns, we offer Free Online SkinConsultations via Zoom, Email or on the Phone. We’ll be happy to help you find the best for your skin.
