Slip the Snake Skin: 4 Ways to Keep Your Legs Looking Amazing All Summer

Sun’s out, buns out as the saying goes. But any hot girl worth her weight in Shea Butter will not step outside into the warmth with anything less than perfectly radiant and moisturized skin. But what are you to do if the winter left your skin in less than premium condition? Well as Beyoncé says, if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready. But sometimes that isn’t always possible. Perhaps due to a change in climate and/or location, the skin can be left feeling scaly or even a bit like chicken skin. So, here are so tips that you can add to your skincare routine to keep you looking flawless and fierce all year round.

The first step in any skincare routine is removing the skin cells that you are no longer using. Most of us who use washcloths and wash our legs (like civilized people) are already creating a daily light exfoliation. But there are times when all of us are going to need to just put in a little bit more effort.

In order to ensure that the dead skin is gone, at least twice a week, you should be using a physical body scrub to fully remove the dead cells on the top layer of skin. How, might you be asking?

Here are a few products that will help reveal the baby skin underneath.

Exfoliation

Coffee Grounds:

This is the cheapest and most eco-friendly option: you can reduce, reuse and recycle your old coffee grounds into a body scrub. Combined with a bit of coconut, olive, and your favorite essential oil, this scrub will leave you feeling smooth and feeling perky. 

As an added bonus, you may notice a reduction in the appearance of cellulite on your thighs. Caffeine is a common ingredient found in anti-cellulite creams. So, with this scrub, you are literally killing two cells (fat and dead skin) with one stone.

Alaffia’s Age-Defying Body Scrub:

If you are not exactly the do-it-yourself type, you can try using Alaffia’s Age-Defying Body Scrub. Ingredients in this scrub include detoxifying white clay, crystallized sugar, and sea salt. According to the website, these all act in concordance to “deeply cleanse and exfoliate for a healthy, replenished, refinished and balanced skin tone.” It just doesn’t get better than that!

Dry Brushing:

If you are not a fan of dipping your hands into a wet, grainy scrub you have one more option—dry brushing. Said to stimulate the Lymphatic system and aid in detoxification, dry brushing is a great option for exfoliating the skin. In order to do it, all that you need is a natural bristle body brush and a body to use it on. Before turning on the water in the shower, grab your brush and move it in circular motions all over your body; starting at the feet and then working your way up.

While it may be tempting after you are done to turn on the water, dose the brush in soup and commence to washing—don’t. In order for dry brushing to be effective, you need to use a brush that is and remains at all times dry. To cleanse your skin, use another apparatus, such as a loofah, a sponge or even another brush. Just be sure to store your dry brush somewhere separate.

Moisturize Your Situation:

 Now that you’ve got freshly scrubbed squeaky clean skin, it is time to bring back the moisture. Here is where The Black Travel Box’s Body Balm comes into play. Made with Shea, Mango Seed and Coco butters, as well as the Black girl holy grail, coconut oil, this thick, creamy balm with leaving your skin nourished and glistening. As soon as the sun hits you, you’ll be shining so bright that your diamonds will ask you what you have been using on your skin.

Sun Protection:

For the most part, up until now we have been discussing how to care for the skin on your body, but what about the skin on your face? Well, we’ll assume that you have already have your facial skincare routine down, but we have one more offering to recommend—sunscreen. Yes, you need it too.

While it is true that our skin comes with natural sun protection, we are not living under our ancestors’ Ozone layer. So, we still need to cover up—especially during summer. When you leave the house, you should be wearing an SPF of at least 30.

 However, as a Black Woman, that often means wearing a white mask on your face that will leaving you looking casket-sharp. Nobody wants that. But luckily, there’s a solution. Bolden Brightening Moisturizer is a lightweight sunscreen with an SPF of 30 that won’t leave you looking like an imitation light-skinned Michael Jackson. Instead, the cream fully absorbs into the skin, giving you the ability to head out into the sun fully protected and white-cast free.

Chafing:

Now that our skin is exfoliated, moisturized, and protected, it is time to talk about the most dreaded summer skin issue of all—the dreaded chub rub. Possessors of thick thighs know this all too well. The feeling of our thighs loving up on each other to the point of blistering and, in worst care scenarios being rubbed raw.

But not to fret we got you! Much like our hair during detangling sections, we need slip in order to make the process as smooth as possible. During a heat wave, your thighs will need the same treatment. Luckily, one of the best ingredients to prevent chub rub can be found in a product that you hopefully already own—The Black Travel Box’s Body Balm. The Shea Butter in the product will provide your skin with the lubrication to pass each other on by without the threat of friction.

However, if you are especially bodacious, or you just want to be on the safe side, try investing in an anti-chafing skin protectant such as For Her. This tried and true protect will allow your thighs to pass each other by while remaining on good terms.

Sounds like a good way to spend the summer!