Smooth Summer Skin

How to banish bumps, blemishes, and more

Beach season is near, and you're suddenly plagued with a bikini rash and chicken skin on the backs of your arms. To get show-off skin by the first day of summer, try these six smart trouble-shooting solutions for summer skin care.

A Fresh, Healthy Glow
The Problem Dead-skin-cell backlog. "Nothing leaves skin more lackluster," says Lisa Donofrio, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University. "The pileup of cells dulls skin and keeps moisture from seeping in."
Speedy Solution Slough old cells from your body this summer with a skin care scrub made of dissolvable granules, such as sea salt or sugar. These gentle abrasives are less likely to inflame skin than scrubs made with crushed apricot pits or walnut shells. Try Neutrogena Energizing Sugar Body Scrub ($10; drugstores). For your face, use a cleanser that contains a chemical exfoliator such as alpha or beta hydroxy acid. And always apply lotion afterward while skin is slightly d#38; the added hydration helps seal in moisture.

Smooth Skin
The Problem Plugged hair follicles (keratosis pilaris). You probably inherited those pesky little white bumps on the backs of your upper arms, butt, and thighs, reports the American Academy of Dermatology. And you're not alone: Up to 40% of people have them.
Speedy Solution Minimize the appearance of these bumps (there's no cure) by opening up the follicles and loosening the keratin plugs blocking them. Choose a lactic or glycolic acid lotion, such as DermaDoctor KP Duty ($36; Sephora). Use it regularly, because once you stop, the bumps will reappear, says Wendy Roberts, MD, a dermatologist in Rancho Mirage, CA.

An Unblemished Back
The Problem The upper back is especially prone to perspiration, making it prime pimple territory.
Speedy Solution Change clothes after exercising, and wash with an acne-fighting body cleanser. Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid kill bacteria and unblock pores. (Don't scrub; it promotes inflammation.) Try Peter Thomas Roth Medicated BPO 5% Acne Wash ($32; Sephora.com). And spot treat blemishes with a topical salicylic acid pad.

A Bump-Free Bikini Line
The Problem Using a razor on dry skin and going over the same area again and again irritates follicles, causing them to swell and trap hair, says Donofrio.
Speedy Solution Dislodge ingrowns by exfoliating with a washcloth, and quell inflammation by applying an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream twice a day. Ease razor glide by using a shave gel, and always shave in the shower. "The continuous flow of warm water plumps up hair, making it easier to cut," says Jillian Wright, an esthetician and owner of Glow Skin Spa in New York City.

Soft Heels
The Problem Cracked heels are unsightly, and when exposed to the environment, the dryness may worsen, leading to painful inflammation.
Speedy Solution Treat yourself to a monthly pedicure. In between, soften heels in the shower by rubbing them with a pumice stone or foot file. Try Dr. Scholl's For Her Exfoliating Stone File ($5; drugstores). Afterward, massage your heels with a rich foot cream.

Even Skin Tone
The Problem Dark spots often form when pigment-producing melanocytes are damaged or overstimulated by hormones and sun exposure.
Speedy Solution UV protection is your best defense this summer, and an OTC hydroquinone skin care cream helps fade mild discoloration that's already present. However, it may take months before you see improvement. Try Vita-K Skin Lightening System ($20; drugstores) or pH Advantage Pigmentation Fader ($55; Sephora.com). For stubborn spots, see a dermatologist for a more powerful Rx-strength lightener or a laser treatment.

How To Keep Your Skin Looking Younger

Most adults wish that their skin looked younger. While it is most effective to fight aging skin before it happens, there are ways that you can help your skin look younger even as you age. Remember, the earlier you start treating your skin well, the better it will look!
1. ALWAYS use sunscreen. The main reason why skin shows the signs of aging is from sun damage. The sun can do a lot more harm to your skin than just causing wrinkles. For your health and for your beauty, use sunscreen on your face and lip balm on your lips. There are many sunscreens on the market now that can be used every day without causing breakouts or feeling heavy and greasy. Get in the habit of making a moisturizer or lotion with sunscreen part of your daily routine.
2. Cleanse your face gently and regularly. Use the right kind of cleanser for your skin type, i.e. use a sensitive skin cleanser for sensitive skin. Use warm water (not hot!) and be gentle. Don't scrub your face and don't use harsh soaps on it. Make sure you always remove makeup before going to bed, as this is also part of cleansing your face. Pat your skin dry; do not rub it.
3. Moisturize. Even if you have oily skin, find a moisturizer that you use daily. There are plenty of high quality moisturizers that are not oil based.
4. Eat well. Processed foods, saturated fats, and trans fats can age your skin from the inside out. Try to eat foods that provide vitamin E, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Exercise. Exercise increases circulation, with makes your skin look better, and gives it a natural glow.
6. Sleep well. Cutting your sleep short can cause dark circles under your eyes, as well as baggy, puffy eyes. These can only be partially concealed by makeup - it's much better to get enough sleep!
7. Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. Smoking causes wrinkles by decreasing you blood flow as well as depleting your body of nutrients needed for beautiful skin. Also, the facial position needed to smoke - pursing your mouth - can cause wrinkles all around your mouth.
Whether you are young or old, wrinkled or unwrinkled, people who are confident and contented are usually rated as more attractive. So, take care of your skin, but also try to be happy in your own body - it will affect what people see when they look at you

Beauty Sleep

How to make the most of skin's downtime and wake up with a new glow

If the number of night creams coming onto the skin care market is any indication, the right time to pamper your skin is when you hit the sack: Last year consumers spent about $56 million on nighttime moisturizers alone. Although no scientific studies have been published comparing nighttime with daytime beauty products, there may be some advantages to treating your skin while you slumber.

Cosmetic chemists know, for example, that many anti-aging ingredients stay active longer when they're not exposed to sunlight. Retinoids, which speed cell turnover, "can break down chemically with light exposure and become ineffective," says Julian Omidi, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Los Angeles. Other "anti-agers"--such as topical vitamins, including C and E--don't hold up well in sunlight or air. They're in both day and night skin care products, but you probably get more antioxidant bang for your buck when you apply them before you go to sleep.

Nighttime also gives you an 8-hour opportunity to hydrate skin with formulations that don't mix well with foundation or that might give you a sheen you'd rather not show in the light of day. These superhydrators not only attract moisture to the skin but also prevent it from evaporating from the skin's surface. There's some evidence, too, that skin may be more receptive to active ingredients when you're sleeping, because "they don't have to compete with the sun, pollution, or makeup; the product just gets to do its work," says Cristina Carlino, CEO of Philosophy, a line of skin care products.

Researchers are learning that skin works harder to rejuvenate itself on the night shift, says Alex Khadavi, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California. "Skin cell regeneration is slightly faster at night than during the day," he says. Sheldon Pinnell, MD, whose research at Duke University more than a decade ago put vitamin C products on many women's nightstands, agrees: "Sleep hours are a potent time for your body to repair itself, skin included."

Here are three beauty tips for skin care in your sleep to add more beauty to your sleep:

· Sleep flat on your back: Smashing your face into a pillow creates fold lines that eventually become permanent if they're repeated every night. Spending time on your back also helps counter the effects of gravity that accumulate during the day. In a recent study of 38 women and men, Japanese researchers found there was greater wrinkling in the afternoon than in the morning; they concluded that the face literally falls with gravity as the day progresses. At night, you get a chance to reverse that.

· Stay hydrated: "Keeping skin moist from the inside out is a simple, relatively inexpensive, and quite effective moisturizer," says Pinnell. Drink six to eight glasses of plain water throughout the day and include omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and nuts) in your diet, says Dale Prokupek, MD, a Beverly Hills internist and an associate professor of gastroenterology and nutrition at UCLA. To help avoid moisture loss from the skin while sleeping, turn on a humidifier. "I used one in my bedroom for a dry throat problem and soon realized my skin never looked better," he says. (Be sure to clean the humidifier often, especially if you're prone to allergies.)
· Use a moisturizer after bathing: Seal in the moisture that the topmost layer of your skin has absorbed with a hydrating body lotion or cream. Because you're going to bed--not pulling on a silk blouse or cashmere sweater--you can try a body cream that's richer than you would feel comfortable wearing during the day, such as Nivea Body Renewal Night Cream ($10; drugstores). Just before bed is a perfect time to slather your feet--especially dry heels--with a healing, hydrating cream such as Aveeno Intense Relief Foot Cream ($6; drugstores). And a sweep of Sally Hansen Beyond Perfect Healing Cuticle Oil ($5; drugstores) on your nails will keep the cuticles soft and prevent tears. For a final moisturizing touch, massage your hands with Dove Regenerating Hand Cream ($6; drugstores).