Who doesn’t love a hack? It could save you time and even money. In this post, I’ll be sharing all my favourite body hacks that I have picked up over the years.
These hacks come in handy for those occasions when you just don’t have time for your full regime, or when you’ve run out of your everyday products, while still achieving great results and glowing skin – which we all desire.
- Use coconut oil as a shaving cream alternative. It not only smells amazing, but it also leaves the skin smooth and hydrated.
- Apply your moisturizer while your skin is still damp from the shower or bath. This is beneficial because it takes half the time to rub in on damp skin and it also helps to lock in moisture.
- For feet that are as soft as a baby’s skin, apply your moisturizer to your feet and put on socks for half an hour. This will warm up the moisturizer causing it to penetrate deeper into your skin, this also works for your hands.
- Use a body scrubber as part of your daily shower or bath routine. The exfoliating it provides will help to remove dead skin cells and leave your skin glowing.
By exfoliating regularly, you will ensure you remove those complexion-dulling skin cells that can give your skin a dreaded dull appearance, and it will also allow the body products you use to absorb deeper into your skin – meaning you’ll see the full effects.
The body scrubber from Susi’s Scrubbers is a must-have product for exfoliation, and the clever design makes it super easy to use. You simply place your favourite lotion or soap inside and pop the mitt on and you’re ready to gently scrub away. It is better than a loofah puff as it provides a deeper cleaner and it is also more hygienic as it is easier to clean and has a handy loop so it can be hung up to fully dry before the next use.
- To highlight the glow from using the body scrubber (as mentioned above) use a body oil on your legs for sexy shine. For extra glow apply liquid highlighter to your décolletage – this is great for a night out.
- Banish ingrown hairs away by using a natural body scrub. The one I like to use is homemade, to make it simply mix one teaspoon of oatmeal, one teaspoon of baking soda, and one tablespoon of water. Stir well until you have created a thick paste. Apply the mixture to your skin, and let it sit and sink in for ten minutes. Then rinse it away with warm water. Followed by gently exfoliating your skin with a body scrubber to ensure none have been missed.
- Wash your body and face after using hair products. This will ensure you have no hair products are left lingering on your skin. These are meant for your hair only after all.
- Reduce darkness and discoloured areas on elbows and knees with lime juice. Simply squeeze the juice from the lime and apply to affected areas for twenty minutes. Soak the body scrubber in warm water and scrub over the areas.
- Add a couple of cups of milk to your next bath, its lactic acid acts as a natural skin softener. You could also add a tablespoon of honey for its anti-bacterial benefits.
- Give your feet a spa treatment at home by applying a mixture of salt and lotion to them. Rinse thoroughly and push back the cuticles as you towel dry. Finish the treatment by trimming your toenails down to uniform shape, they are softened after by the warm water so will be easier and pain-free to cut down. It is best to cut and file your nails straight across, so they look slightly square and ensure you do not cut them too short. The reason behind this is because rounding toenails encourages them to grow inward, which can be very painful and cause infection.
- Protect your skin daily with an SPF of at least 30. Apply this each morning and again throughout the day. Ensure you apply sunscreen everywhere to avoid premature ageing and dark spots. Even if the sun isn’t visible it will still be on your skin so never go out without applying it to your face, ears, neck and chest. For further sun protection, avoid being exposed to peak hour sun and wear protective clothing (sunglasses, sun hat etc) when you spend a prolonged amount of time outside.
- If you have sensitive skin opt for sulphate-free body washes. This is because they can strip away too much of your skin’s sebum, this can cause your skin to become irritated, dry and flaky. Sulphate is what creates the lather within your product, look out for sulphate-free labels on products to identify which is which, they will not be difficult to find as there are many of these available now.
- Opt for lukewarm showers rather than boiling hot ones. Long and steamy showers can cause the outermost layer of the skin to be stripped away, which can lead to dry skin. The luke-warm temperature will help you to keep on glowing.
- If you want silky smooth skin, oil up after your next shower. Do this by applying olive oil all over your body and then pat dry your skin with a towel. Ensure the oil is fully absorbed before getting dressed.
- Keep up with the trend of body make-up by creating your own at home. To do this simply mix together your foundation with body lotion. If you want a more tanned look, mix in a foundation which is a couple of shades darker than your skin tone. Or for a summer glow, add a few drops of liquid highlighter into the mix.
I hope you find these body hacks helpful. If you have any other body hacks which I haven’t mentioned, please share them with me!
