Glowing, glossy limbs are often a matter of discipline, achieved only when we devote the same time to caring for the skin on our body as we do the skin on our face. Afford yourself the luxury of truly sexy skin by working to rid the body of dryness, restoring moisture and giving back to your tired, overworked limbs. Your new ritual is here, ready to reveal the dewiest, the most luminous skin possible.
Dry skin is dull skin, so regular exfoliation is essential in revealing the sexiest, most radiant skin possible. While many find physical exfoliation too harsh for delicate facial skin, granulated scrubs and exfoliating mitts are perfect for sweeping the body of dry and dead cells. Massage your scrub of choice into the skin in circular motions, beginning at your feet and gradually working up towards the décolletage using gentle, even pressure (if you’re exfoliating away an existing false tan, read our story on tan prep here). For truly glowing skin, keep your showers short and turn down the heat. Long, hot showers strip the skin of essential moisture, bringing you right back to square one and leaving the skin feeling tight and dry.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
FRANK BODY ORIGINAL COFFEE SCRUB
BANGN BODY SMOOTH SKIN SCRUB
SOAP & GLORY SUGAR CRUSH BODY SCRUB
For a deeper physical exfoliation, consider practising ancient Ayurvedic ritual of dry body brushing. Best performed in the morning, prior to showering or bathing, dry body brushing involves gently working a dry exfoliating brush over the body, once again using circular motions and working up the body. Beyond ridding the skin of dead and dry cells, dry body brushing affords you additional sexy skin points as it works to increase circulation to stimulate cell turnover, aid in lymphatic drainage to sweep your system of toxins and tighten and lift the skin through increased blood flow.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
THE BODY SHOP CACTUS LONG HANDLED BRUSH
HYDREA VEGAN DRY BODY BRUSH
If you prefer chemical exfoliation for the body, invest in an alpha hydroxy acid rich body lotion. Alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic and glycolic acids, work to gently but effectively dissolve dry cells, leaving the body smooth and evenly toned without the need to manually scrub the skin. Be wary of applying an AHA lotion immediately after physical exfoliation, however, as scrubbing or brushing the skin will open the pores, leaving the skin more susceptible to the possible irritation associated with acidic, topical skincare.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
REN AHA SMART RENEWAL BODY SERUM
Despite feeling physically damp, your skin is often at its driest in the hour following your shower (due to the aforementioned heat). Combat this by restoring a dew to the skin immediately post shower or soak.
For the sexiest, glossiest skin possible, layer your body products just as you work your facial skincare. Dry oils serve as the perfect base for richer, creamier body products, as they are easily absorbed into the skin and leave the limbs feeling smooth and touch-dry. Unlike a traditional oil, dry oils feel almost entirely undetectable upon contact with the skin, sinking beneath the surface almost immediately for deep hydration. Although there are no scientific differentiators between a dry and traditional oil, the textures are vastly different with the former leaving no slip nor residue- merely a silky finish and a subtle sheen.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
Nuxe huile prodigieuse multi-purpose DRY OIL
THE SEEKE RESTORING MULTI USE BEAUTY OIL
LUX AESTIVA GYPSY OIL
Layer your hydrating for the sexiest skin possible. Rich moisturising cremes sit beautifully atop dry oils, locking in moisture and imparting additional dew onto the skin. Treat your body lotion application as an opportunity for further circulation boosting through gentle massage. Use your hands to really work your preferred moisturising lotion into the skin, paying extra attention to any areas you wish to lift and firm.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
SOL DE JANEIRO BRAZILIAN BUM BUM CREAM
BANGN BODY FIRMING LOTION
LA MER THE BODY CREME
JOSIE MARAN WHIPPED ARGAN OIL BODY BUTTER
For truly iridescent, almost ethereal limbs, substitute your traditional hydrating products for formulas of a similar consistency with additional glowing properties. Dry oils and body cremes rich in finely milled shimmering pigments work to both attract and deflect the light, washing the body in a luminous sheen and delivering the skin with something of a soft focus filter.
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
la mer THE GLOWING BODY OIL
TOM FORD SOLEIL BLANC SHIMMERING BODY OIL
NUXE HUILE PRODIGIEUSE DRY GOLDEN OIL
bangn body ILLUMINATING FIRMING LOTION
THE SEEKE LUMINOSITY LUMINOUS BODY LOTION
Photography: Melissa Cowan
Hair & Makeup: Sophia Pafitis
Model: Amelia Noorani at Precision MGMT
Styling & Art Direction: Gemma Watts
This article is not sponsored and all views are the author’s own.
