Spring Clean Your Skin

by Mimi Barre

All winter you have covered up and ignored your skin. Now get ready, summer is almost here. You want to buff off the old and show off the new. Get your skin ready for bathing suit season and fun in the sun.

Dry, lifeless, salamander white skin needs waking up. First start with a total body buffing. A papaya or mango solution has natural enzymes to "eat up" dead cells. And sea salt will buff away the hard, dry skin. Pay special attention to elbows, knees, and feet. A glorious treat is to have the exfoliating treatment done at a day spa that has a Vichy shower to wash away the product. You will lie comfortably on a massage table while five shower heads in the ceiling deluge you with warm water. It is an indescribable sensation.

Other skin smoothing treatments include sea weed/algae or mud body masques to detoxify and re-mineralize the body. These relaxing sessions end with a Vichy shower or a Scotch Hose treatment. Then you are ready for a total body rub down with a gloriously scented lotion.

Your esthetician (facialist) can instruct you in post-winter, pre-summer skin care. She will recommend Alpha Hydroxy Acids, which are gentle but effective. They loosen the "glue" that holds the top layer of dead skin together. This allows the skin to exfoliate gently and naturally. There is no itching, visible peeling, irritation, redness or photosensitivity. After only two weeks, your skin begins to look more alive, clearer, and smoother. In the ensuing months fine lines will disappear and some wrinkles will soften. As your skin becomes more refined, sun damage and age spots will lighten.

Treat your neglected feet to an Alpha Hydroxy Acid foot exfoliation treatment or paraffin dip. The paraffin is great on your hands also. This is a procedure borrowed from physical therapy where it is used to relieve arthritis pain. Special moisturizes are added to the paraffin to hydrate and soften your hands and feet.

NOW is the time to stock up on sun screens and sun blocks. With the variety on the market, each with different ingredients, check with someone knowledgeable to help you select the perfect product for your needs. Always, absolutely always, every day with out excuse, use sun block, even if you think that you won't be in the sun. Apply it at least 30 minutes before exposure to the sun. Be sure to apply it to your neck, chest, and forearms as well as your face. Men should apply sunscreen also to the back of the neck, top of the ears and head if these areas are not protected by hair.

Now that your skin is silky smooth, you are ready for tanning. As Southern Californians, we worship the sun. For years, a golden tan has been regarded as a sign of health and youth. But sun bathing and tanning booths can cause lines, wrinkles, skin cancer, blotchiness, uneven color, and coarse texture. Don't despair; help is available. You can still have the California glow without the damage. For your face, use bronzing makeup. Have your makeup artist teach you how. On your body use a sunless self tanning cream.

There are tricks to obtaining a natural looking, long lasting tan with self tanning cream. Since only the very top layer of skin is affected by these creams, dead skin needs to be removed first. Waxing your legs is the best preparation. Then scrub well with a loofah or body brush in the shower. A Body Buffing Treatment by your massage therapist primes the skin beautifully and leaves you feeling rosy and relaxed. At home use a skin sloughing or body buffing gel in the shower to exfoliate the dead skin. Your elbows, wrists, feet, ankles, and knees are drier than the rest of your body and can absorb more tanning cream. To avoid a darker tan in these rough areas, apply a concentrated moisture cream to these spots before applying the self tanning lotion. Apply the tanning cream evenly, sparsely, and smoothly. For richer color reapply frequently. IMPORTANT NOTICE: wash your hands well with soap immediately after using the cream so you won't have tanned palms, or wear thin latex gloves when applying the cream.

You are now smooth, tan, and ready for your bathing suit.