Mastering Body Care: Your Complete Guide to Healthy and Glowing Skin
Let us brace ourselves as we venture into an exciting routine to prepare your body for the summer. This will not be a strenuous eight-day gym session or a call to abandon your sugary treats. Instead, this will be a comprehensive skincare routine to help your skin feel dolphin-smooth all through summer. We will be taking a deep dive into body care, starting off with eczema management.
For those living with eczema, you are all too familiar with its effects, not only on your face but your entire body. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is an inflammation-induced condition characterized by itchy, scaly patches on the skin. Prolonged scratching triggers the thickening of these patches. It is not uncommon for individuals with this condition to also have asthma, hay fever, and keratosis pilaris, to be discussed later.
Top Essential Tips for Managing Eczema
The most effective way to manage eczema is prioritizing skin hydration, ensuring it remains soft and smooth, while concurrently reducing exposure to any potential irritants like certain fragrances. If you're dealing with eczema, consider using products approved by the National Association of Eczema, and ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, glycerin, and even petrolatum.
Despite the prevailing notion, exfoliating your skin during eczema is not necessarily harmful, provided the eczema is under control. There are several body exfoliation methods, which may not be suitable for facial skin. But for body care, exfoliants aren't a bad idea if you're managing eczema.
Let's now delve into some product suggestions. First up is the Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil, a pleasantly oily yet hydrating concoction, enriched with glycerin and niacinamide. Priced around 30 dollars, it leaves your skin feeling silky soft after use.
Next, we have the Cetaphil Restoraderm Soothing Body Wash, priced around 14 dollars. This is a vitamin E and B3-rich formula and a soap-free creamy wash that won't strip your skin of its essential moisture. Post-shower, it's crucial to maintain that moisture with a good lotion. Consider the Aveeno Restorative Skin Therapy Oat Repairing Cream, a product I highly recommend. Aveeno's Eczema Therapy is also a regularly used product in my home. Retailing for about 22 dollars, this ointment is thick, rich, fragrance-free, and packed with prebiotic oat concentrates, aloe, and pro-vitamin B5.
Yet another fantastic body lotion to consider is the Eucerin lotion. Its urea content acts as a keratolytic and exfoliant, ensuring your skin stays softer and smoother for longer. However, it does carry a slight scent, so those prone to allergic dermatitis or struggling with eczema might want to give it a miss. Lastly, for 38 dollars, you can get the First Aid Beauty lotion, filled with shea butter, allantoin, and squalane.
Vaseline's all-in-one body balm stick is an innovative product, perfect for those battling skin issues like eczema, with exceptional results on body parts such as elbows and knees. Post-shower, the balm encases your skin with moisture without leaving any unpleasant, sticky residue. If the feeling of Vaseline isn't your thing, you can opt for Aquaphor's ointment spray - a breakthrough product that is lighter, easy to spread, and doesn't leave a greasy residue. Be careful, though, as it has a tendency to make bathroom floors rather slick.
Keratosis Pilaris Treatment Options
Next, let's focus on keratosis pilaris (KP), a skin condition that presents as small, red, or skin-colored bumps. It's frequently found in areas where hair grows on the back of your arms or outer thighs. It's commonly known as chicken skin or strawberry skin. Many people feel compelled to pick at these bumps, which may soften the roughness momentarily but ultimately leads to inflammation and hinders the skin from achieving a smooth texture. These bumps form because the hair follicles in these areas get clogged with dead skin cells, necessitating regular exfoliation and increased cellular turnover to prevent skin adhesion. Look for urea, glycolic acid, and lactic acid when selecting KP treatments.
In the realm of shower cleansers, Soft Services offers an exfoliating bar with micro crystal exfoliants. Priced at 28 dollars, this scrub bar includes ingredients like magnesium oxide crystals, glycerin, shea butter, and aloe vera. Although it's a gentle scrub, it could be a worthwhile choice for those with mild KP. Remember to hydrate your skin after showering to prevent dryness.
First Aid Beauty has a KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub that's worth considering. It's packed with 10% Alpha hydroxy acids (like glycolic and lactic acids) and a scrub comparable to beach sand in texture. This product is not recommended for facial use due to its grittiness, but it's perfectly acceptable for the body where the skin is thicker.
For KP-targeting lotions, consider Amlactin with lactic acid and ceramides for enhanced hydration. You can find it over-the-counter at pharmacies such as Duane Reade and CVS. Eucerin's Dry Intensives 10 with urea treatment is another viable option, retailing for 20 dollars and readily available.
If you're a fan of aromatherapy, Isdin's Ureadin Shower Gel might be a welcome addition to your routine. For a further step in skincare, consider DERMAdoctor KP Body Peel Pads that contain lactobionic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid. Priced at 28 dollars, they're a convenient choice, especially for travel.
Remember, these products can increase your sensitivity to the sun, so they're best used at night. It's crucial to apply and reapply sunscreen during the day to avoid sunburns. Skin cancer is a genuine concern - women often get it on their lower legs, and men on their backs, reminding us that our bodies deserve the same skincare attention as our face, neck, and chest.
Conquering Bacne and Buttne
Finally, let's tackle acne on the back and buttocks, colloquially known as 'bacne' and 'buttne.' Sulfur and benzoyl peroxide can effectively clear these breakouts. PanOxyl, containing 10% benzoyl peroxide, can be a suitable choice. Interestingly, you don't need the concentration to be at 10% for it to work. It's just as effective at a concentration of 3-5%. But beware, it can bleach your towels. I suggest applying this product on your bare skin, perhaps while brushing your teeth. Wait for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing it off in the shower but be cautious not to sit on any furniture or towels as it may bleach them or dry the fabric out.
If you're interested in an old-school solution, Hibiclens, a chlorhexidine wash, is available at your local drugstore. Remember to steer clear of your eyes and ears to avoid toxicity. Apply it to your chest, buttock area, or back and let it work its magic. It's designed to eliminate bacteria on your skin, and is often used pre-surgery.
Anti-Aging: Wrinkles, Cellulite, and Stretch Marks
When it comes to anti-aging, we're focused on wrinkles, cellulite, and stretch marks. Bear in mind that no cream alone can eliminate cellulite. Lymphatic massages and dry scrubbing can help improve its appearance by stimulating fluid movement.
Among my preferred products is the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Its large tub, easy application, and refreshing summer scent make it a standout, not just its guarana extract or supposed collagen infusion.
Moving on to stretch marks, laser treatments are the most effective way to deal with them. But this is the one scenario where I suggest using hyaluronic acid, as it triggers a healing response. L’Oréal’s affordable hyaluronic acid serum can be applied to your stretch marks, followed by a dense moisturizer.
Moreover, Topicals' Slather is an exfoliating body serum containing retinol, lactic acid, and urea. However, take care to avoid sunburn when using retinol on your body. Always protect your skin with UV visor or UPF rash guard.
Despite not being technologically innovative, I do appreciate the texture of Augustinus Bader's The Body Cream. It acts like a paste, retaining moisture excellently. Their TFC8 technology, comprising natural amino acids and vitamins, is said to aid skin regeneration.
But, retinol remains your best bet. Kindly refrain from mixing your prescription retinol into a body cream, as it may break down and lose its effectiveness.
That concludes today's Body Care session covering a range of concerns from KP, bacne, eczema, and anti-aging. Feel free to ask questions or suggest topics in the comments section below.
