The arrival of spring brings with it warmer weather and longer days. The bitter bite of winter air seems to be waning and the urge to get something lighter on or even stripping down to the bikini top seems to be the trend.

Throughout winter the skin needs more love in the form of hydration, to keep from drying out and going scaly. This is because the humidity drops in winter and humidity is like an external hydrator. Think of tropical weather, you can barely keep dry as the moisture in the air is so high that you sweat. This is the humidity. Similarly, in winter when the humidity drops, so does the moisture in our skin, cue crocodile skin.

Have you ever looked in the mirror in winter and thought that you have aged 10 years?!!! Whereas in summer, you might notice that you have a lovely dewy complexion which brings about confidence.

As the earth tilts on its axis the sun gets higher in the sky, we know we are on our way back to gorgeous skin. Here’s what we can do to transition through the seasons.

It may take a few attempts to recover from the reptilian look but by adopting a few tricks you can speed up the process.

Water - In winter we need water more than ever but rarely drink the required amount. As it warms up it is easier to guzzle down a little extra.

The best tip I have is to fill the desired amount into bottles and have them on your bench. That way you have a visual cue to grab one and drink it down. Rather than leaving it until the end of the day and then trying to “cram in” your water only to be up all night peeing.

I like to have 2L at least, ready to go.

Within this blog post, we will focus on the body and later go deeper with facial skincare.

Exfoliation and Moisturisation - Now is the time to start your exfoliation regime. If you have neglected the body during winter, the warmer weather will surely inspire you to get your skates on. 

Dead skin needs to be removed otherwise you are just moisturising dead skin. Dead is dead and there’s no way of bringing it back. Think about a dead plant. You can’t water it back to life. You’d look like a fool watering something that is beyond repair.

Here’s an easy DIY recipe to shed away those winter scales and reveal a softer dewier complexion. 

• 1 cup natural sea salt or granulated sugar (or ½ of each)
• ½ cup cold-pressed oil
• 6-8 drops of essential oil
• 1 Tablespoon of honey (optional)

I could go on and on with other ingredients but for now, let’s start with something really simple.

Method

1. Mix your choice of salt or sugar or both into a clean bowl, 
2. Add the honey if using and then pour in the oil
3. Add you're essential oils. Now, these are optional and your skin may be sensitive to pure oils. 
4. Mix it all together and scoop into a clean glass jar, ready for use.

Note: Only use pure cold-pressed oil and not vegetable oil from the supermarket. These oils are hydrogenated and toxic. Olive oil is the cheapest good quality oil but it's strong in aroma and quite heavy in consistency. It’s great for really dry skin. I love avocado and grapeseed oil, both easy to find.

Honey is a humectant. Meaning it attracts moisture to the skin and smells delicious.

Salt is great to use and cheap. Only pure salt once again, not table salt which is full of anti-caking agents. The only drawback with salt is if you have a cut - ouch!!

Sugar won’t sting but may dissolve in the mixture over time. Because this recipe is only enough for a couple of uses, there’s no risk of that happening.

Use the mixture by scooping some out and rubbing it all over the body in gentle circular motions, concentrating on the thigh area for promoting circulation. Rinse away or submerge yourself into the bath. Once you finish, gently pat the skin dry to avoid removing all the oil. We want the oil to moisturise the skin.

Repeat a few times a week and you will soon start to notice beautiful soft, healthy-looking skin.