When the temperature finally climbs above 60 degrees, dewy-skinned children need little beyond a slathering of SPF before they can bolt out the door. Mothers, who have spent the prior six months swaddled in puffy coats, face a slightly longer to-do list. Skin is pale, elbows and knees are scaly, and razors have been hibernating. No wonder the thought of putting on a sleeveless dress or a pair of shorts is paralyzing.
But fear not. "Just because you're pale doesn't mean you can't glow," says celebrity makeup artist and mother of 1-year-old twins Mally Roncal, who champions fresh, natural skin. "It's about looking healthy." Achieving a smooth, shorts-and-tank-top-ready body is easy: Just exfoliate, defuzz, moisturize (choose a lotion with a dash of iridescence or gradual self-tanner), and protect it from the sun. Read on for the most effective skin-prepping tips and products. Then dare to bare.
step 1: exfoliate
The crux of any pre-summer skin routine? "Scrubbing off dead skin," says Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss Spa. To ensure a thorough neck-to-toe sloughing, look for gritty ingredients such as salt and sugar. Oils, like the macadamia-seed variety found in Sephora's scrub, help moisturize the freshly exposed skin. Work in circular motions to stimulate circulation. "It gives skin that dewy, pink flush you had when you were younger," Kilgore says.
our favorite products:
Gloomaway Grapefruit Body-Buffing cleanser, $20, Origins. Asian Ginger body scrub, $16, Sephora.
step 2: defuzz
Nothing derails a summer look faster than VBH (visible body hair), so strategize now. "Figure out where to shave and where to wax," says Cindy Barshop, owner of New York City's Completely Bare Spa. If hairs are medium to fine in texture and shaving isn't a hassle, stick with a razor. Body parts with coarse, thick hair? Wax them—but remember you'll have to live with a stubbly grow-out period, since hairs need to be at least a quarter-inch long for the wax to grab them. Go to a pro for bikini waxes; trust us, this isn't the place for DIY.
our favorite products:
Strip-Free hot wax, $9, Parissa.
step 3: moisturize
Pick a lotion with aloe vera, vitamin E, or shea butter, says Kilgore. She also suggests a formula with subtle shimmer (like ModelCo's) to reflect light, "so skin looks healthy, not pasty." Tan fans should go for a tinted lotion (like Revolotion) that washes off in the shower or Jergens's gradual self-tanner.
our favorite products:
Natural Glow Express self-tanner, $8, Jergens. Revolotion Body, $28, DuWop. Glossed lotion, $38, ModelCo.
