It's Spring and that means it's time to shed some layers and start baring some skin. While that doesn't seem like the most appealing concept right now as you look at your skin that hasn't seen the light of day in months, let's face it, when the heat comes the clothing comes off! Unless you're comfortable in a full length coat to hide all your flaws, it's time to start implementing some plans for proudly showing some glowing skin and feeling good in it.
 
Great skincare doesn't need to be a complex chore so here's some simple tried and true advice:
 
Good skin begins on the inside. Water helps move everything along, what goes in must go out. Eight to 12, 8-ounce glasses of water a day will cleanse your body of toxins. Toxins in the body produce pimples and rashes as your body will try to unload waste through your skin. It is very important that you keep yourself nice and hydrated to prevent this from occurring. Water also helps keep your skin hydrated and moisturized, so drink up!
 
Cleanse your skin twice daily (only once if you're dry) when the temperature starts creeping up. Cleansing your skin is especially important before you go to bed because your body excretes toxins while you sleep. If you go to bed with your makeup on, you are likely to wake up with a nice new pimple to greet you in the mirror. Your skin needs to breathe when you sleep and can repair itself better when it is fresh and clean.
 
Don't skip the moisturizer just because you have a tendency to be oilier in the warmer months. Your skin may not need more oil, but trust me, it always needs the hydration, so remember you oily skin people to get an oil free moisturizer. There are the basic ones out there that are great, such as Estee Lauder's Daywear lotion, Resilience Lift lotion (for a more mature skin wanting lifting and hydrating benefits without the oil), Clarins Hydra Matte Lotion for combination skin and Bobbi Brown's Protective Face Lotion are a few of my favorites.
 
Don't forget to make it a full-body experience! Often, the skin on your body gets neglected. With a little care from you, you'll make the skin on your body as beautiful as your face. Polish your body to perfection and shed your cocoon and come out baby smooth and evenly radiant all over.
 
Here's my tried and true tips that work for almost every body exfoliator:

1. Start dry. Yes I know it says use water but try it!
2. Get in your shower (remember no water) using your hands only (no sponge or loofah) rub the exfoliator all over your body dry for about 5 minutes or longer if you can spare it. This works especially great when you use a sugar scrub because they have oils in them and help to hydrate as well.
3. Wash off with warm water.
4. Dry off and use your favorite moisturizer all over. There's an amazing fragrance-free moisturizer by Kiehls called Creme De Corps. It has a lotion feel, but is super hydrating like a rich cream. This is usually the number one selling body product in the department stores that carry it.
5. Depending on your skin type, you can do this 2-3 times a week. Sensitive and drier skins need it just once a week.

Don't forget your hair. Who doesn't want super shiny hair? I found an amazing brand new product by Fredrick Fekkai called Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse. I used it today and got so many compliments on my shiny hair, I lost count. You wash your hair, condition it and then you put this product in like a second conditioner and leave it in for three minutes and it gives you this amazing shine for a whole week. You can handle a once a week extra step for all the amazing compliments you'll get.
 
Warmer weather calls for pretty feet. Personal hygiene and beauty go hand in hand. Dirty chipped nails are a no-no. The first thing people tend to notice how well you take care of yourself is by how well your nails look. It is not to say you have to go out and spend a fortune on manicures and pedicures, but just give them some extra love and attention, especially your toes if you're wearing sandals. I have never met a man that doesn't love a french manicure on the hands or feet. A wonderful company called Bliss makes the most amazing hand and foot creams as well as special insulated gloves and booties you wear over them. The foot cream is called Foot Patrol and the hand cream is called Glamour Glove Gel. Both are worth ordering off the Web site which is blissworld.com.
 
  Get outside and exercise. When you exercise outdors, you oxygenate your cells with fresh air and facilitate waste removal through your skin. When you walk, bike, skate and lift weights, it improves your cardiovascular fitness and that will give you that amazing rosy glow all day long.
 
Now that your super hydrated from all of the water you drank, glowing gorgeous with your shiny hair and hydrated baby soft skin, those Spring and Summer chic clothes are going to look truly fabulous. Let's face it, you can't help but feel good about yourself after all the TLC you will be giving your body. Cheers to your healthy, radiant and beautiful self!

PHOTO CREDITS:
Photo: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Location: Gateway Quarter
Model: Nikol Coradi
Makeup Artistry: Jocelyn Sparks, Zoë Custom Cosmetics

Trina Paul
		About the author:
		When Trina Paul isn't freelance writing for Cincy Chic, she's making women beautiful as a makeup artist downtown. If you'd like to get one-on-one makeup advice from our makeup expert, e-mail her at cincitrinapaul@hotmail.com and set up a consultation!
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Last update: 20-05-2008 06:12

Published in : Magazine Items, Beauty