It’s so easy to forget about some parts of our body, when applying products, from our armpits to our bottoms! But how can we keep these areas of skin exfoliated, moisturised and healthy? Read on for my top skin tips.
It’s such an important area of our body, yet we regularly neglect armpits and actually treat them pretty harshly! Waxing, lasering and regular shaving, often with razors that probably aren’t sharp enough and can damage this area further. Skin can become sensitive, dry, flaky, irritated and it’s a tricky area to fix because it’s closed off and regularly produces sweat and hair growth. Using a fresh razor is a great starting point, which you should change every 8-12 weeks, as it’s nourishing for the armpit skin.
Applying your body moisturiser to the area is a start, usually at night (so if you’re going to sweat, it’s not an issue). But also choosing a product specifically designed to treat this area is by far the best option that can help tackle all concerns in one.
Products for armpits:
Dove Advanced Care with skin-loving ingredients of omega 6 and Vitamin B3 is a great option to nourish the skin. Vitamin B3 and omega 6 help smooth uneven and bumpy skin. Acting as building blocks in the skin cells, Omega 6 strengthens the skin’s surface layers and smooths the skin’s surface, repairing the skin barrier and retaining moisture. Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimise enlarged pores, tighten lax pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness and strengthen a weakened surface.
It’s good to avoid high levels of synthetic fragrances, so for a moisturiser that is fragrance-free and good for armpits.
The skin on our elbows grows thicker over the years than on the rest of our arms and is prone to dryness, scaliness and can become inflamed and sore. With age, the skin on our elbows can also begin to sag, often on joints where the skin is moving more, and the elastin and collagen fibres loose some of their flex over the years. So how to treat dry skin on our elbows? Start by trying a gentle scrub on the arms and focusing on the elbows will help remove dead skin cells and smooth the skin.
Applying a moisturiser daily specifically meant for elbows will also be a huge help. Often when we are applying a body cream, we skip the elbows, so focusing on this area when applying is essential.
Best products for elbows:
Try Ameliorate Smoothing Body Exfoliator, which will exfoliate, soften the skin on your elbows and smooth bumps while moisturising for up to 8 hours.
Our feet are pretty hard-working and often our heels bear the brunt of it. Physical activity, sports, ill-fitting shoes, walking around barefoot and the general ageing process can all add up to extra pressure on our heels. They can become dry, accumulate hard skin and crack, which can be quite painful and doesn’t look too good either.
How to treat cracked heals? well, if you can’t get a medical pedicure, then using a foot file to buff off dead skin is a great starting point (once every two weeks to start). Massage a thick moisturiser into the whole area, covering the sole of your foot and paying particular attention to the dry skin on your heals. leave the cream on for as long as possible. It’s great to put cotton socks on and sleep in them with the moisturiser on overnight.
Best products for cracked heels:
Try Cracked Heel Treatment Balm from Margaret Dabbs to help relieve and repair cracked heels and dry, itchy feet or Ameliorate Intensive Foot Treatment to resurface the stubborn areas of hard skin while providing long-term relief to very dry, rough feet and cracked heels.
The skin on our eyelids is finer than on the rest of our face. We rub our eyes if they are itchy, when we cry, if we are tired and often apply eyeshadows and liners without any thought of caring for this super delicate skin. We then vigorously remove our eye make-up with any old eye make-up remover. The skin can become inflamed, sensitive and over time it can become crepey. Combine that with the general ageing process, loss of elasticity and collagen…Well, we should be taking a lot more care of our delicate eyelids.
If you’re using a retinol eye product then definitely don’t apply to the lids, keep it to under and crow’s feet. Reusable cotton pads are a little softer than traditional pads to remove make-up, so choose a delicate eye make-up remover and never use tissues to remove make-up.
Best products for eyelids:
For an eye makeup remover that is safe and gentle enough to apply onto the eyelids, try The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, which is perfect for sensitive skin and puffy eyes.
This Clinical Ceramide-Enirched Firming Eye Cream from Paula’s Choice will help reduce fine lines, brighten and firm skin.
Bia Eye Gel Cream is a cooling and brightening eye gel that helps reduces puffiness and dark circles.
How we treat the skin on our bottoms has changed drastically over the centuries. Sitting at desks, on public transport, on sofas – we do all of these things far more than ever before. Enclosed in tight fitting clothes, squished into synthetic fabrics to hold us in, it’s no wonder this area is prone to skin becoming sensitive with occasional rashes on your bottom and spots forming. Give your bottom some air: at night, sleep in cotton shorts or naked rather than pants, use a gentle exfoliant once a week and moisturise your derriere daily.
Avoid excessively hot showers – they will dry the skin out, so shower warm or cold, not hot – and drying soaps, as bars of soap are generally harsh on the skin because of their natural PH being very alkaline, whereas the skin’s surface is more acid, and because of some foaming agents such as SLS and SLES. Instead of highly perfumed products, opt for more skin-kind, gentle ones.
Best products for peachy bottoms:
For a body wash, look no further than Aveeno’s Dermexa Daily Emollient Body Wash with a formula that gently cleanses without drying and leaves the skin feeling moisturised and soothed. Then follow with a body cream or oil specially formulated to soothe and repair irritated and fragile skin.
For exfoliation, try Crepe Control Exfoliating Body Scrub from StriVectin.
For intense moisture, try Clinique’s Deep Comfort Body Moisture, an intensely rich and creamy body moisturiser that provides even the driest skin with relief and moisturisation.
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