Smooth Summer Skin Tips

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Hey guys, Alicia here! With summer in full swing, sandal weather is wreaking havoc on my feet. I’ll spare you the before pictures because a) I didn’t take any and b) it would be gross. I get dry, and cracked heels and my feet just generally feel rough and scratchy. Once my husband started using the bottom of my feet to scratch his leg. TMI sorry.

I also started to notice that I was getting more ingrown hairs on my legs, my face was breaking out more, my keratosis pilaris (KP-more information here) was acting up more than usual, and my skin was overall just not feeling so great.  I am putting a lot of the blame on my pregnancy hormones here but I don’t think the hot dry weather helps much either. But I didn’t want to live with this for two more trimesters. So I started doing more to take care of my skin and it worked!

So I thought I would share my process with you. I didn’t take any before pictures because I didn’t think about blogging about this until after it started working. Honestly, it’s probably better because in posts like these before pictures can be unpleasant. Ok, on to my process!

My first step is exfoliating. I use mainly two things for that.

• Exfoliating Washcloth- These rags don’t hold much moisture so they stay rougher than your typical washcloth. It’s gentle enough to use every day but rough enough to slough off your dead skin. I use it from head to toe, and I just vary the pressure I use (softer on my face, harder on the bottoms of my feet). A bonus is this works great with any soap, even bar soap!
  • I couldn’t find my exact one but I found these Salux Nylon Wash Cloths on Amazon that are longer which I think I want to get. They have great reviews and come in a pack of 3 rags for $12.
    

• Sugar Scrub- I use this 2-3 times a week and it helps to smooth my skin out and leave it feeling refreshed. I especially make sure to use it on my feet, legs, and arms. Most are too rough for your face but if I have a finer grain one I will occasionally use it on my face. Always do a test patch first when it comes to using new products on your face. Bonus with these is that they are better for the environment than exfoliates with plastic microbeads because sugar and salt dissolve in the water!
  • These are easy to make at home and if you check out our Instagram/SnapChat story this week I am going to share how to make one! But I have also bought a few that I like.
    
  • Tree Hut makes great sugar scrubs and I love this coconut lime scented one. And it’s subscribe and save eligible on Amazon so I don’t have to worry about running out (and I save 5% by subscribing)!
  • I also enjoyed a good salt scrub but the one I got must be discontinued because I can’t find hide nor hair of it anywhere. But this Himalayan Salt scrub seems very similar to the one I have and has great reviews.
    

Next I shave. You can shave or wax or get laser hair removal or just let your hair grow. It’s up to you. I personally like to shave and I use the Schick Hydro Silk razor. I love it because it has this great lotion like stuff around the blade that helps hydrate and makes my legs feel super smooth.

At the end of my shower I use cold water to rinse off my hair and body. The cold helps close my pores and it makes my hair shiny. I don’t use polar bear cold just colder than what I have been showering in.

My Schick Hydro Silk razor and my (discontinued) sugar scrub sitting atop my exfoliating washcloth.

The Amope Pedi Perfect with a coarse wheel. It's amazing!

For an extra benefit for my feet, I use the Amope Pedi Perfect. My husband got it for me for Christmas one year and it has been excellent! I have files of differing grain sizes (from coarse to fine) and my feet have never been smoother.

To finish off my face I use toner and moisturizer. The toner I use right now is this Neutrogena 2 in 1 toner that helps reduce acne and acne scars. This baby is making me breakout like a teenager so I picked up this toner in hopes of some help. I have been very impressed by the results I’ve gotten. Madalynn uses Pixi Vitamin Wakeup Mist and loves it. I have moisturizer I’m using up right now that I’m not very fond of (it feels a bit too heavy for me), but Madalynn (our resident beauty guru) recommends Cera Ve Moisturizer. The moisturizer I was using before was so light and wonderful, unfortunately after I ran out, I could never find it again, but it was St Ive’s. So I found this moisturizer that from the description seems similar to what I used before. It has good reviews so I will probably be testing this out soon and updating this post!

My lotion, moisturizer and toner that I use after my shower.

The very last step is to use lotion. I use Ammonium Lactate Lotion (12% concentration) from Perrigo. Because I have KP, my doctor recommended this lotion to help clear up the bumps it causes on my arms. I’ve been using it on my son and I both, and it is working splendidly! I have noticed a significant decrease in redness and bumps alike on both of us. It doesn’t smell very good but the smell doesn’t linger and is easy to cover up with another lotion or body spray. I also use it on my feet and it has kept them softer for longer throughout the day. But really any lotion will work as long as you lotion!

And if you’re going out in the sun, please wear sunscreen!
 
Well that’s it! What do you think? Have you tried any of these before? Let us know in the comments!

Check out the link below to see my list on Amazon of the stuff I use and more great products to help your skin be its best ever!

Smooth Skin Products