Four easy ways to buff up your body for spring: Better… not younger with Inge van Lotringen
- One of my favourite ways to dislodge dead skin cells and dissolve blockages is to soak in a milk or enzyme bath
- READ MORE: How to get your winter skin to spring into shape
That’s it, spring has officially sprung and it’s time to unfurl from your winter cocoon and give your body the TLC it deserves.
Chicken skin, rough patches and mottled areas are all a result of your skin having been suffocated by layers of man-made fibres over what has seemed like the longest winter ever.
Dead skin has built up, tiny hairs have got trapped (hence those red bumps on your arms), and hydration can no longer penetrate, so you need to peel and reveal — gently.
Trading bumpy arms and legs, cheese rind heels and ‘bacne’ for supple skin that makes you feel slinky in spring attire is something I can get behind — as long as it takes little effort or money. Here’s how to do it from the comfort of your home…
Banish bumps and blotches
One of my favourite ways to dislodge dead skin cells and dissolve blockages is to soak in a milk or enzyme bath. Both lactic acid (in milk) and bromelain and papain (enzymes in fruits such as pineapple and papaya) are similar to substances found in your own skin, and are brilliantly effective at melting away bumps and flaky areas.
That’s it, spring has officially sprung and it’s time to unfurl from your winter cocoon and give your body the TLC it deserves
I love Ameliorate Softening Bath Milk Oil (£20, lookfantasic.com), or Indeed Labs Exfoliator II (£24.99, lookfantasic.com) — it’s officially an enzyme facial cleansing powder but a few scoops in the bath make for a great body softener.
The age-old wisdom of applying moisturiser on damp skin to seal in extra moisture still stands. For my money, Vaseline Advanced Repair Body Lotion (£2.95, sainsburys.co.uk) and CeraVe Moisturising Lotion (£11.50, boots.com) are two of the best non-sticky, non pore-clogging body lotions around. Turn them into a tanning lotion by adding some Superdrug Solait Tan Drops (£5.99, superdrug.com) — job done on the cheap.
Cast a spell with body potions
The new ‘do it all’ body serums achieve a lot just by you rubbing them in. St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Body Serum (£28, boots.com) turns you sun-kissed while calming redness and plumping skin thanks to face-serum favourites niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
Beauty Pie Youth Bomb Body 360* Repair Concentrate, (£38 for members or £125 for non-members, beautypie.com) has retinol, fruit acids, niacinamide and hydrators — it’s everything you’ve been using for a radiant, even-toned complexion. For a targeted treatment that can really make a difference, try Stria Lab Redefining Stretch Mark Cream (£40, strialab.com).
With a high dosage of centella asiatica extract, clinically proven to reduce the visibility of these pesky marks, it’s probably your best bet for softening their appearance.
Smooth decolletage
Pimples on your back and chest are just not welcome. Banish blemishes with pore-unplugging and calming salicylic acid. Superdrug Me+ Salicylic Acid Body Gel Cream (£7.99, superdrug.com) is a steal with a very effective formula.
Use it after a shower with Foreo 4 Body T-Sonic Massaging Body Brush (£129, current body.com): it’s a tactile disc with bacteria-resistant silicone ‘bristles’ which emit sonic vibrations to ‘shake’ the dirt out of your pores.
It’s particularly effective for tackling ‘bacne’ and chest spots when used alongside Jason Purifying Tea Tree Body Wash (£14.99, jasonnaturalcare.co.uk).
Want a hack for an instantly more radiant embonpoint? E.L.F. Cosmetics Halo Glow Liquid Filter (£14, elfcosmetics.co.uk) will blur blotches and crepiness while giving your chest (or face) a luscious golden gleam.
Steps to perfect your feet
When it comes to soft, uncalloused feet, think thick creams with AHAs and urea. Just apply over a few consecutive nights, slathering on under socks before retiring to bed. CCS Foot Care Cream (£7.99, boots.com) with urea and 10 per cent lactic acid, is really good.
To get your nails in great condition, I like Protein Formula For Nails (£15, boots.com) which comes in four strengths to suit the state of your nails. This prescriptive system ensures you get just the right infusion of protein to turn your nails tough, flexible and smooth.
And hey presto, you are ready for bicep-revealing T-shirts, strappy tops and, whisper it, sandals — we just need the weather to match now.
Race you to it!
Long gone are the days you needed animal hair for great make-up brushes.
Otis Batterbee designs high-quality, vegan and eco-aware ones in ice cream shades; this huge new fluffy brush (Otis Batterbee Ultimate Face Brush, £25, otisbatterbee.com) works to powder your face, but is also great for dusting gold shimmer anywhere you fancy.
My icon of the week – Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt: The quintessential English beauty rocked ballet vibes with her Oscars look
The quintessential English beauty rocked ballet vibes with her Oscars look. Her soft make-up came courtesy of Chanel Les 4 Rouges Eyeshadow and Blush Palette in Tendresse (£70, chanel.com) and Les Beiges Bronzing Cream (£46, sephora.co.uk).
Her ballet bun was held with John Frieda Frizz-Ease Extra Strength Serum (£7.99, boots.com)
Cosmetic craving
Most hydrating serums majoring on ‘wonder quencher’ hyaluronic acid leave a lot to be desired.
It takes far more than just one hyped ingredient to suffuse parched skin with moisture and keep it so all day, especially when you like your serum oil-free.
However 16/11 Labs Formula 1/v.7 anti-dehydration complex (£65, 1611labs.com) — made up of dozens of carefully balanced hydrating agents — manages it while re-enforcing skin’s moisture barrier in the process.
Pricey but a cut above the rest.
Five vinegar treats for hair
Fekkai Apple Cider Triple Cleanse Scalp Scrub (£32, naturisimo.com)
Invigorates the scalp, removes build-up and calms both inflammation and dandruff.
Aveeno Clarify & Shine Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo (£8.99, look fantastic.com)
Soothing, balancing and purifying.
DpHue ACV Hair Rinse (£32, cult beauty.co.uk)
A near-liquid shampoo substitute that cleanses, detangles and glossifies.
OGX Clarify & Shine+ Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioner (£5.65, superdrug.com)
A fruity-smelling formula.
R+Co Lost Treasure Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioner (£29, cultbeauty.co.uk)
Weightlessly softens and conditions hair while locking in your colour.
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