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10 Products That’ll Get Your Skin Summer-Ready, From Head to Toe!
Let's slough off the dry winter skin and make way for the summer sheen.
Despite exactly three weeks of OK weather (and a few days of glorious sun!) if you’re anything like me, your skin still thinks it is winter, and that means it’s in rough shape—quite literally. It’s also looking pasty, dry, bumpy, and dimply, depending on what area you’re peering at in any given moment. Which is precisely why it’s time to dig out some fixes to get your skin problems sorted, from your flaky face to those calloused toes that no one wants to look at, including you. Ahead, the 10 products that’ll get the job done.
FOR FACE
Exfoliate: Cane + Austin Miracle Pad
Let’s start at the start. Before anything else, you’re going to need to slough off all those dead cells your skin’s layered on during the winter months like its own version of a cozy (if ugly) sweater. Cane + Austin Miracle Pads are, in fact, pretty miraculous at dissolving the bonds that keep dead cells cemented to skin’s fresher layers using sugar cane-derived glycolic acid.
Protect: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
You might be looking pallid as can be right now, but no matter how by-the-book you are about applying sunscreen, you know your skin’s just waiting for its moment in the sun to go a few shades deeper. SkinCeuticals’ serum (recommended by pretty much every dermatologist I’ve ever spoken to, btw) reins in free-radicals’ bad behavior, protecting skin from the oxidative stress you can blame almost every preventable skin-aging ill.
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Moisturize: Caudalie Vine[Activ] 3-in-1 Moisturizer
A little more humidity in the air means you no longer need to slather on that sludgy night cream you ended up wearing even during the daytime to prevent your dry skin from feeling like it might crack if you so much as smirked (maybe that was just me). But which cream to replace it? Allow us to recommend one derived from grape-vine stalks and all the resveratrol that comes with them, protecting skin while also being light and not greasy.
Tan Gradually: Coola Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum
I know you’re so good about sun protection (positive reinforcement), but that’s not to say you don’t still want a bronzy glow of the fake variety, right? Coola’s serum builds it up over a few days, which means no streaks. Also: It’s moisturizing. Also: It smells good. That’s all you need.
FOR BODY
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Now for the body, which has problems all its own with the transition to summer. First step’s the same, though. You’re going to want to buff off dry skin using a scrub that moisturizes at the same time. This one smells like candy, which is a nice bonus, especially since you’re probably still on that “beach body” diet and it’s the only sweet you’ve come across in the past few weeks.
Soften Elbows and Knees: Kiehl’s Intensive Treatment and Moisturizer for Dry or Callused Areas
This product’s name is long and descriptive and it does exactly what it says, making it ideal for treating rough knees and elbows. After you’ve scrubbed away as much dead skin as you can with your exfoliator, slather this on rough spots. They’ll be soft before you know it.
Smooth Cellulite: Soap & Glory Sit Tight 4-D
We would love to tell you that we found a cream that eliminate your cellulite for good. We would be lying, though. Sorry to say it, but no topical will permanently rid you of dimples, no matter how diligently you apply it. This one, though, gives you a temporary fix that’s pretty impressive and really does make skin look smoother and firmer. It also has a tingly feeling that’s a little strange and really nice.
Tan Gradually: Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer
You’ve buffed, you’ve smoothed, and now it’s time to get you tan again, minus any sun damage, of course. There are all kinds of great gradual tanning products out there, but Jergens gives a very believable color that builds up gradually, and, best of all, without that odd chemical scent that most tanners give off. This latest version is meant to be used on wet skin, locking in moisture post-shower.
Moisturize: Monoi Tiare Tahiti Coconut Oil
I bought a few bottles of this coconut-scented oil a number of years ago on trip to Tahiti. They cost next to nothing and were an instant and forever favorite. As I got in lower and lower supply I’d only mete out a few drops and only for special occasions, because when was I ever going to be going back to Tahiti again to restock my supply? And then one day I thought, “Why not look on the Internet?” There it was, ready to be delivered to my doorstep for under a tenner. Now I slather myself in it with abandon whenever the weather turns warmer. The smell embodies summer and the moisturizing oil gives legs a subtle ‘70s-era Jerry Hall sheen.
Remove Calluses: Baby Foot Exfoliant Foot Peel
I wore socks all winter, yet somehow I have feet of shame. They are really, honesty horrible. All callouses. Around 5 years ago I slipped on a pair of Baby Foot booties, right after they had a big launch in the US. I sat there for a while watching some program I was into at the time (I would like to think it was Walking Dead, just for this story) unwittingly letting them eat away at my cells. Nothing really happened for a bit, maybe 3 days? And then my feet just fell off in a sock of skin. And wow, the resulting feet were like a 18-month-old version of me. Be warned, though, if you have some sort of event coming up that requires you to show off your feet, plan well in advance with your Baby Foot treatment. You’ll be peeling for a good 7 to 10 days.
