Shake off the winter effects and get a glow

Mar 29 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

Revitalise your winter skin going into summer with our beauty guide for the coming months.

THE clocks are going forward, shops are crammed with flimsy summer clothes and you’re counting the weeks until picnics in the park and festival fever.

Spring is just about here but there’s just one problem … though our heads are ready to embrace the sunshine months, our bodies are anything but.

Unsightly desert dryness and snake-like scaly skin are tell-tale signs that the harsh winter months have taken their toll. This transitional time of year is a great period for sorting out your skin for all those floaty frocks and “get glowing” on beauty routines.

WAKEN

Stash away the relaxing bubble baths and reserve them for pampering weekends or evening treats. When it comes to mornings, give your skin a blast with a revitalising shower.

Resist piping hot showers or baths, however, which can irritate dry skin further. Instead, shake off those skin winter blues with a “contrast shower”. Switching from hot to cold water can boost the circulation – but be careful with that thermostat.

Charlotte Vohtz, author of Naturally Gorgeous explains: “A contrast shower promotes detoxification and strengthens the immune system.

“Start with two to three minutes of hot, but not scalding, water followed by less than one minute of cold water, and repeat once.”

TRY: Tesco Wake Up shower gels, 98p each; Korres Guarana Exfoliating Body Soap, £5, www.korres.com; Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Wash, £17.50, www.aromatherapyassociates.com; Neom Everyday Soften and Energise Organic Body Wash, £16, www.neomorganics.com; Energys Energising Body Splash, £26.40, www.hqhair.com

RENEW

Now you’ve given your skin a wake-up call, it’s time to invigorate and rejuvenate those sleepy skin cells. Exfoliation is your spring skin saviour, so make sure you find time to work it into your skincare routine.

“Body scrubs regenerate your skin, help boost circulation, remove dead skin cells and open pores, allowing them to breathe,” Charlotte says.

“Start with a body brush then take a bath or shower so you are wet all over,” she advises.

“Apply exfoliant scrub to a wash cloth or loofah.”

As exfoliation strips some of the skin’s surface oils, look for an oil-based sugar scrub if you suffer from dry skin and then massage body oil into damp skin.

TRY: Philosophy Grace Hot Salt Tub and Shower Scrub, £24 (0870) 9908452; Green People Shea Butter Sensuous Sugar Scrub, £17.50, www.greenpeople.co.uk; Comfort Zone Fruity Peel Body Scrub, £26.50 (01827) 280 080, www.comfortzone.it; Origins Modern Friction for the Body, £25, www.origins.com.

GLOW

Getting a gorgeous radiant glow is your spring goal following an angelic few weeks of pepping up your skincare routine.

“Remember to moisturise,” says Anita Vukomancic, holistic cosmetologist at London’s Inhale clinic.

Moisturising straight after your daily shower is a great way to do it, if you’re guilty of forgetting.

For a dreamy moisture kick, treat your skin once a week by slathering moisturiser over hands and feet and sleeping in cotton socks and gloves.

TRY: Sainsburys Active Naturals Mango and Nectarine Body Butter, £3.99; Norwegian Formula Nourishing Glow Body Moisturiser, £4.99; Aveeno Skin Relief Body Lotion, £4.95 (0845 601 5791); Elemis Pro-Collagen Radiantly Smooth Body Cream, £85, www.timetospa.co.uk