Your summer skin prep sorted
June is a month of mixed emotions. The days have got longer and the sun has become a more regular fixture (nice skin-tingling sun, not the bright-but-still-freezing kind we get in winter); the lure of the beer garden is becoming harder to resist (rosé cravings are a real thing) and while the bikinis haven’t quite come out yet, the tights have most definitely been put away (yey). But for every little glimmer of excitement that all of this brings, we have a niggling voice inside us that is screaming WAIT! I’M NOT READY! Because while later in summer we will inevitably be treating our bodies to endless moisturizing, replenishing our skin with aftersun and covering it in glow-inducing fake tan, we sadly spent the last few months doing the exact opposite. Because let’s face it, winter mornings are NOT the time for long drawn out sessions spent smothering our naked bodies in body butter. It’s just too darn cold to stand there for any longer than is strictly necessary.
So how do we bridge this gap between late summer skin, when maintenance is at its peak and our skin bears all the hallmarks of a well-established beauty regime, and now, when we are about to peel off the layers and reveal our shoulders/shins/midriffs (maybe), in all their winter-worn glory?
We’ve put together a list of our top 4 cross-seasonal products, perfect for the winter-summer transition and ideal for treating yourself to this month. Start using them now and when we get that inevitable odd day when temperatures reach 26 degrees and everyone declares it is ‘hotter than Greece’ you won’t feel totally thrown. In fact, your bikini might even get a look-in.
Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish, £32
There are so many benefits to using a seriously good grainy scrub, that it should always be the first thing you do as part of your summer body prep. A hard-working exfoliating product will boost circulation, remove dull dead skin, even out skin-tone and diminish ingrown hairs (perfect for legs, and if you go gently, bikini line). We love scrubs with a grain you can feel sloughing away the flaky dried skin, and won't deny our favoritism towards oil-based ones that leave skin with a glowing, nourished sheen. This one gets our vote.
Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Softening Body Cream, £6.50
If you want deliciously soft, radiant skin in time for summer, smother this body butter all over. And we do mean smother. Combining three skin-nourishing ingredients (cocoa butter, vitamin E and the fantastically named gold of pleasure oil) this luxe cream leaves dry, dull winter skin intensely hydrated, soft and gleaming with health. We’re already on our second tube, we love it that much.
We have to admit, it was the name that caught our attention. Then we found out this cultish product is designed for men – and we wanted it even more. Designed to target a whole range of bodily issues – scar tissue, stretch marks, cellulite – it’s no wonder this body oil is a sell-out. We can’t quite decide if it delivers on its fat-fighting claims but it’s earned a place in our bathroom cabinet nonetheless.
Vita Liberata Ten Minute Tan, £29.95
Every so often a product comes along that just makes sense. This fake tan is one of them. Boosted with ingredients that hydrate the skin and encourage collagen production (hello anti-ageing benefits) this delivers so much more than just a tan, but let’s face it, we use fake tan for the golden glow it gives us. And boy does this give good glow. Working in just ten minutes – yes, go ahead and time it – and then developing over the next few hours, means that if you wake up to unpredicted gloriously hot weather, you can get your (flawless, radiant, streak-free) tan on immediately. Plus the lack of that telltale eau de fake tan means you really can just tan-and-go.
What's your top tip for getting skin ready for summer? Tell us below...