How To Prepare Your Skin And Get Beach Ready

 

So, you’ve booked your holiday and you’ve purchased a few new swimsuits and bikinis from UK Swimwear and you’re looking forward to that lovely break you’ve been planning for a while. Then, you wonder: Is your skin beach-ready?

The last thing you want is to face the beach with unprepared skin. Here’s how we think you can take care of your skin and make it look and feel smooth and glowing. Bringing it back from the winter months and making it look its best can be easier than you think, with these few simple steps.

Get ready to show your skin in the sun. It’s time to bear all!

Exfoliation

It’s important to exfoliate no matter what the season. This removes dead skin cells and gives a much more youthful glow to the skin. However, it’s important that you don’t damage the skin whilst doing this. You need to be gentle and use well-established products that won’t strip your skin of its important essential oils.

If you’re exfoliating your body, then try things like sugar or salt. This is an inexpensive and easy way of using an abrasive that washes off easily. It’s not always necessary to spend a fortune on products.

Also, try using cloths and exfoliating mittens. They’re easy to use and you’re far more likely to do this task if it’s not deemed to be a chore. Gently rub your skin in circular motions and make sure you pay attention to problem areas such as your heels, knees, elbows, etc.

Hair Removal

Most of us implement some kind of hair removal process in our day to day life but when you’re showing off more skin than normal it’s important to make sure every last bit of fuzz is gone.

There are of course several ways of doing this. You can use razors, shavers, creams, waxes etc. These are down to personal choice but what we would say is, be kind to your skin. There is an old saying in the world of skin care “At 20 you have the skin that nature gave you and at 40 you have the skin that you deserve”. Harsh but true.

If you are going for some of the more chemical-based hair removal procedures, then remember to be kind to your skin after the procedure is done. For instance, if you have all those important places waxed then be sure not to go into the sun the next day. Give those areas time to heal and calm down. It’s all about planning. If you’re having a wax treatment, then try to get it done 48 hours before you go. Check in advance with your esthetician, as some hair-removal treatments, such as the laser, aren’t recommended if you’re planning on sunbathing.

When you’ve done your hair removal, no matter what system you have chosen, then make sure you have some gentle, calming lotions to hand to use afterwards. Calming lotions that contain products such as Aloe Vera are usually the best. I’d also recommend that you take a tube of pure Aloe Vera on holiday with you. It’s the best thing ever for sunburn.

Eating Well

If you know you’re going to expose your skin to the harsh rays of the sun, then you can prepare for this in different ways. Not just by what you put on your skin, but by what you put in your tummy.

It’s a well-documented fact that eating cooked tomatoes will help guard against harmful rays of the sun. They will help to prevent sunburn and blistering. Cooked tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and thus helps the skin to prepare against the ravaging rays. You can also consume tomato sauce or juice, even the odd Bloody Mary, is deemed to work wonders.

Eat or drink this amazing produce every day before and during your holiday and this will give you the maximum benefit. Having said all this, we do of course recommend that you still use a high factor sunscreen. Don’t just rely on the tomatoes alone!

Spots and Blemishes

If you’re prone to spots and blemishes, try to exfoliate them away and make sure your skin is not showing signs of infection in any way, shape or form. It’s easy to spend all our time trying to look after the skin on our face and yet forgetting all about our bodies. Make sure that you use medicated creams to help where there are infected areas. This will help to heal those areas and make them less prone to damaged skin and more outbreaks whilst on holiday.

Smoothing and Toning

You can buy all kinds of smoothing and toning lotions and creams. They won’t keep your skin smooth forever and they won’t keep you permanently toned, but they will give your skin a smoother look. Try some of the ones that you find in your local supermarkets. They’re not expensive and if they don’t work as well as you’d hoped then you’ve not spent a fortune on them. The least they will do is make your skin feel better moisturized and give a healthy glow.

Pedicure and Manicure

Again, our feet are often missed when it comes to looking after ourselves. If you think about the fact that most of us aim to do 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy, then think of our poor feet, the pressure in those steps the work they put in supporting us day after day. A nice foot soak in either a foot spa or a simple washing up bowl is the perfect way to end the day.

Make sure you use a Scholl Pedi so there is not a trace of hard skin. Then add a lovely foot balm. A mint scented one is usually cooling and relaxing.

Remember, during the summer months, we usually wear open-toed sandals or flip-flops. Your feet will be on display for all the world to see so make them look as beautiful as the rest of you.

Time to check out your hands. Remember, these are the first thing people see when you are introduced. If your nails are in bad shape, then invest in some nice new colours for your nails and a good quality hand cream for the rest.

Take your time with a good quality emery board and smooth the edges of your nails so as to not have sharp, jagged edges. If you can afford it, go to a saloon and get both your hand and feet done as a treat before you go on holiday. A professional manicure and pedicure should last you at least two weeks and you’ll feel much better for it.

Finally, you’re now ready to go and enjoy your holiday. So Bon Voyage….