There’s nothing quite like smooth, soft, bronzed summer skin! And after a few months of glorious sunshine, salty swims and summer air—not only do our souls feel recharged and ready to tackle the rest of the year, but our skin can also appear more glowy than ever before.
But as summer starts to recede and autumn dawns, our skin can also begin to reveal a multitude of summer sins—feeling dry, damaged and in desperate need of hydration. While we often don’t think twice about upping the ante on our facial skincare regime as we switch seasons—incorporating super-hydrating serums, facial oils and masks into our repertoire—the skin on our body is often left to ‘fend for itself’, so to speak.
So, it’s time to switch it up! Instead of neglecting your bodycare regime and hiding away under lumpy sweaters all winter, we’re here to tell you that by taking care of your skin in every season, you can enjoy that summer glow all year long. Here’s how…
Step One: Prevention
When it comes to our skin, in order to ensure it stays healthy, youthful and glowing—prevention is always better than cure. So while most of us automatically apply sunscreen to our faces every morning without a second thought, it can be all too easy to forget that we also need to protect the skin on our body. Although sunshine is vital for our physical health and wellbeing—providing a hefty dose of vitamin D which works to reduce inflammation, improve bone health and support immune function—too much sun exposure can have the opposite effect. In fact, unprotected exposure to harmful UV rays can not only contribute to skin cancer, but also premature photoaging—hello fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and dry or crepey skin. The remedy? Slip, slop, slap. This doesn’t mean avoiding the sun completely, but limiting sun exposure to the early mornings or late afternoon when the sun's UV rays are the least searing is super important—as is remembering to apply a high-quality mineral sunscreen to those areas that are likely to be subject to excess sun exposure.
Step Two: Exfoliate
There’s no question that as our summer glow begins to fade, our skin can also start to look and feel a little dull or lacklustre as our cells work hard to renew and regenerate. To help stimulate this process and prolong our skin’s , it’s therefore essential to exfoliate regularly. While topical scrubs can certainly be integrated into your shower routine—one of the best ways to improve skin cell regeneration and slough away dead skin cells is by incorporating Garshana dry body brushing into your daily self-care practice. The soft bristles of our LAMAV Garshana Dry Body Brush not only help to exfoliate the skin and clear away any dirt and debris that has accumulated in its pores—but by stimulating the skin, cell renewal is improved as freshly oxygenated blood flushes to the skin, leaving it brighter, smoother and more radiant.
Step Three: Move
Our skin, like our body, enjoys movement. So if we’re feeling a little sluggish and puffy, this is likely due to an accumulation of excess fluid. In order to help reduce fluid retention and subsequently ditch puffiness, it’s vital to increase movement with exercise and self-care practices that stimulate lymphatic drainage. As explored above, Garshana dry body brushing is excellent at increasing skin cell regeneration, but on a deeper level, it can also stimulate the body’s natural flow of lymph, helping to flush excess fluid from the body by boosting lymphatic drainage. When firm strokes are used, this practice can also help to tighten and brighten skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite by helping to break down fatty deposits and any fluid sitting beneath the skin’s surface. Win, win!
Step Four: Nurture
Self-care should also be an opportunity for self-love—which is why we are huge advocates for the Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga massage. As with Garshana dry body brushing, Abhyanga stimulates lymphatic drainage and boosts circulation—but by connecting with the practice, we are able to nurture our bodies, calm our minds and help to soothe and bring comfort to our nervous systems. The LAMAV Ayurvedic Body Oils are the perfect way to integrate this practice into your daily routine and have been infused with herbs that work synergistically to bring balance to your body, mind and soul—and nurture the skin on a topical level too, improving tone, texture and strengthening its natural barrier. This final step also helps to lock in hydration and nourish dry skin, helping to prolong and protect your summer glow—all year round.
