Body Skincare
Do I need to moisturise my body?
Do I need to exfoliate my body?
The skin of the body does build up a certain amount of dead cell tissue. This is best removed with an exfoliator, particularly on areas where the circulation is slower and weaker. For instance, on the backs of the upper arms, and the thighs from the hip joint down to the knee, where the circulation is slower. There is more of a build-up of dead cells to a certain extent on the lower leg and certainly on the feet. Exfoliating the limbs in that way is a very good idea. Also, the upper back area benefits from exfoliation, and the chest to a certain extent. You might exfoliate the upper arms twice a week, but you might only exfoliate the chest once a week. Exfoliation does help skin feel smoother and softer and the body lotion, the moisturizer, will be better absorbed after exfoliation.
How should I care for my neck?
The skin of the neck is not as oil making, it doesn't produce as much oil as the face or the chest. There are fewer sebatious glands on the neck area. Therefore, a good neck cream does help. A good neck cream should be applied at night. When you put the face cream on your face, put the neck cream on the neck. It's slightly richer and slightly different because it helps to make the skin of the neck firmer. Also, use a mask on the neck which is a different texture from the face, again for the same reason - it's not as oily, even though the drier skin in the center of the face is oilier than the neck. Therefore for the neck you should use a slightly richer neck cream or neck mask. It's important not to pull the skin down on the neck too heavily, don't stretch it and don't use too many pillows at night in bed because you'll increase the number chins quite quickly.
How should I care for my hands?
The hands get so much hard work and so much trouble with washing up because we don't all wear rubber gloves every time we put their hands in washing up. The nails get dried out with hot water and detergent. You need to use hand cream every night before you go to sleep, in the winter especially. It's a good idea to hand lotion the hands after you wash them during the day. It's not so essential every time, but at least two or three times during the day. Keep the hands as soft as you can by not letting the skin get too hard. If any vegetable stains get into the skin, use a pumice stone to help remove that and then use the hand lotion afterwards. You can have a luxury manicure or a hand treatment in a salon where face-type masks, but for the hands, are applied, which help to improve the skin.
How should I care for my bust?
The skin of the bust is not very oily, and there are not so many sebaceous glands on the breast tissue. The skin therefore is more inclined to stretch. There are many creams on the market which are sold to help improve. Any cream which is used regularly will help a little bit. It is not a good idea to expect magic because there is no such thing as magic. But it will help to maintain the skin on the bust area by using a bust cream once or twice a week at least, ideally daily. But I would say there isn't going to be a miracle but you can help to maintain the condition. And certainly, when you have a wash, it is quite a good idea to occasionally use hot and cold spray because that tones up the skin texture too. If you're having a shower, just put the cold shower on for two seconds before you step out, that has a toning effect on the skin.
How should I care for chapped skin?
If the skin gets chapped, it is most likely to be the hands, because the skin literally cracks due to dryness, lack of moisture and cream and lack of ammoniant. Put a very rich cream on every night. If you're worried about getting cream onto the bed sheets, then wear thin cotton rubber gloves in bed. Very thin gloves, which are the type you would buy to wear under rubber gloves, but obviously you don't want rubber gloves . Maybe it's a fantasy to say that people are likely to do that very often, but it helps. Always spend a couple of minutes massaging a rich cream into the chapped area at night before going to sleep. And then every time you wash your hands during the day, and always wear rubber gloves to do any washing up or any small hand clothes washing so that you keep detergents away from the skin of the hands.
What is a body wrap?
A body wrap is a product which is used with either bandage type fabric or cellophane polyfabric to help the penetration of a product, to help with slimming and firming and toning and improve the skin condition. It usually feels a bit cold when it's put on, but not always. It varies enormously according to the type, the brand, and the manufacturer, but it's worth having. If someone wants to get into a dress that's a little bit on the tight side, having a body wrap can help in that way. If someone has got very dry skin, a body wrap with a rich emollient product would also help.
How often should I have a body wrap?
Body wraps can be a weekly treatment. It depends on the product and the brand and the manufacturer's recommendation. Certainly if they're spaced out more than a couple of weeks, the effect is going to be so dissipated, it won't make any difference. It might as well be a fortnight or a month, but if they're reasonably close together, then you will get common term effect. This means the treatment will be more beneficial. So, it's more worthwhile. The short answer is maybe weekly or twice a week.
What is a facial?
A facial is a skin care treatment. It is a professional treatment. It would be carried out in a professional salon by someone who is qualified and by someone who has an insurance, a license to work, because that is a requirement now in the U.K. It should start with a cleanse, usually exfoliation, maybe an electrical treatment depending on any skin condition which needs helping or improving or treating, and then may be followed by a face massage, application of a face mask, and then tone and moisturize. There are various machines, there are various treatments, there are many various effects, but that's a general plan of a facial.
How often should I have a facial?
A facial, ideally should be at least once a fortnight. Most clients will have a facial once a month, some will have one a week. If you have the time and the money, one a week is a great luxury. The skin takes about 10 days to renew itself. Therefore, if you have a facial the benefits will last about 10 days, unless you do something crazy like going and cooking in the sun. But a weekly facial, that's luxury. A fortnightly facial is really nice. A month is realistic and a big help.
How often should I have a massage?
A body massage can be entirely according to how much time and money you have. You can have a body massage every other day if you want to, but that's unrealistic for a time and may be a bit unnecessary. Not a sensible suggestion, but it wouldn't do any harm. But the toning, relaxing, rejuvenating effect of a body massage, once a week is ideal, once a fortnight or once a month is a great relaxant also.
