When it comes to anti-aging, we all usually only think of our faces. Obviously, I have been guilty of even thinking to cover your whole body, until now! In this post, I will be covering everything from the neck down so all of your skin can be youthful, glowing, and healthy.
What should you look for in body products?
When it comes to choosing products for your body, pretty much the same rules apply as they do for your face. You will be looking for anti-aging ingredients as well as hydration-boosting properties.
Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol, collagen, and Shea butter are just some ingredients you should include in your total body routine. Sound familiar?
Prevent Premature Aging
Even though you may be tired of hearing or reading this, you have to protect any skin that is exposed to the sun! Try a test for me right quick. Look at the difference in the skin of your forearms or hands compared to that of your belly.
Now, pinch an area of skin in each place. Do you see the difference? Your stomach(and buttocks) has less discoloration, wrinkles, and crinkles, and is thicker than that on your forearms. That’s the damage from the sun!
The sun is the biggest reason for wrinkles and skin aging. So, use an SPF of 30 or higher.
Other premature aging factors include smoking, too much salt and/or sugar, too much alcohol, not exercising, inadequate hydration, pollution, and even tanning beds. To keep the only skin you will ever have healthy, you may need to make some lifestyle changes.
Start in the shower
When you take your shower, you want to avoid using soaps that contain harsh ingredients such as parabens and sulfates and super hot water. Both of these can strip the skin’s natural oils and lead to irritation and dryness.
To decide on a body wash that will actually benefit your skin, you will need to consider your skin type. For instance, if you have normal to dry skin, you will need a wash that is creamy. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you should choose a gel wash. Of course, if you have sensitive skin, you’ll want to stick to fragrance-free, natural ingredients.
I have done the research and read the customer reviews to find the best anti-aging body washes for each skin type. Below are the results.
For All Skin Types: Rahua Shower Gel
Benefits: Made with organic ingredients and contains rainforest-grown antioxidants and omegas to reduce damage from free radicals. Also, has the comforting scent of vanilla, lavender, & eucalyptus.
Normal To Dry Skin: Olay Age Defying Body Wash with Vitamin E
Benefits: Infuses skin with moisture and locks it in and visibly reveals younger-looking skin with continued use. 100% of women had dry skin improvement in a clinical study.
Oily/Acne-Prone: Shea Moisture African Black Soap with Shea Butter
Benefits: Contains raw Shea butter to hydrate without greasiness, cleanses, and calms the skin. Contains no harsh ingredients so it won’t irritate the skin.
Sensitive Skin: Hempz Age-Defying Renewing Herbal Body Wash
Benefits: With 100% pure hemp seed oil, it restores, smoothes, soothes, and strengthens aging skin. Also, contains algae, which makes it formulated for sensitive skin.
Exfoliation
You will follow the same rules with exfoliating your body as you do with your face and 1 to 2 times a week is best. If you use body scrubs or body brushes, you will only get the surface of your skin so you will want to stick with AHA’s & BHA’s.
Using AHA’s and BHA’s helps the skin shed more naturally. If the skin is unable to shed naturally, it can cause buildup below the surface which in turn causes clogged pores, rough & bumpy texture, uneven skin tone, dull, and dry & flaky skin.
I have found that the best way to exfoliate your body is with a leave-on AHA or BHA. The AHA, which is glycolic acid or lactic acid, is best for sun-damaged or dry, crepey skin. The BHA, which is salicylic acid, is best for skin with clogged pores, rough & bumpy, or blemished skin.
Best leave-on AHA exfoliator: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel
Best leave-on BHA exfoliator: Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA
**Extra Tip: If you are planning to shave your legs, apply an exfoliator the night before and shower in the morning. Never apply exfoliator after shaving!
Rules for applying body lotion
- Apply enough, but you don’t have to use the whole bottle
- Apply everywhere from the neck down
- Make sure it has enough moisture. Look for a creamy texture or contains essential oils. You can tell if it’s a cheap lotion because it will be watery.
- After a shower or bath, apply the lotion within 2-3 to trap moisture. For really dry skin, try using a body oil and then lotion.
If you live in a cold, windy, or dry climate, you will require a little more moisture support so you will need to reapply frequently. Other factors that may require more moisture support include hard water, and skin conditions such as eczema, or thyroid problems.
What lotions should I use for anti-aging?
Whether you are looking for a body lotion to prevent premature aging, minimize sun damage, firm and lift, or have crepey skin there is a lotion for you. Below I have made a list of lotions to address the issue you may be facing.
Premature Aging: Caudalie Vinotherapist Nourishing Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
Not only does this lotion deeply moisturize, but it also nourishes and repairs with grape seed oil and contains grape polyphenols which are antioxidant and anti-wrinkle.
Firm and Lift: Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Emulsion
Not only is this lotion firming but it also has a beautiful ballet rose scent. Hydrates to soften and smooth your skin.
Hyperpigmentation: PCA Body Therapy
This lotion contains 12% lactic acid to even your complexion and smoothes your skin’s texture. Other ingredients, like Shea butter and jojoba oil, will hydrate and promote firmness and elasticity.
Crepey Skin: Crepe Erase Advanced Body Repair Treatment
The antioxidant and lipid properties lock in moisture, giving you firmer, smoother, and crepe-free skin.
**Sun damage is what causes crepey skin so always protect your skin with SPF 30 or higher.
Product to try Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C +SPF 40 Serum
How to rid your hands of age spots
Even though you can use the same anti-aging ingredients for your hands as you do on your face, the skin on your hands is a bit thinner. For this reason, you will need thicker or more concentrated creams, lotions, or serums.
Whatever your concern may be for your hands, I am sure you can find a solution in the picks below!
If you need a hand cream that has all the ingredients to protect the skin barrier, diminish dark spots, plump fine lines, and wrinkles, as well as hydrate, then look no further than Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Super Anti-Aging Hand Cream. Customers who have used this hand cream give it 5 out of 5 stars and say it’s” non-greasy ” and have “supple, hydrated hands”. Dr. Barbara Sturm has built her reputation through her line of anti-aging products being backed by science.
If you need a less expensive alternative that has the same benefits as above, then consider OSEA Anti-Aging Hand Cream. It has vitamin E, coconut oil, Shea butter, Bearberry leaf, and Gigartina seaweed to brighten, hydrate, soften, and minimize dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Last but not least, for a hand cream that has the SPF you need to protect your hands from the sun’s damage, you should try
Revive Fermitif Hand Renewal Cream SPF 15. With a lovely rose scent, this hand cream will hydrate, smooth, and strengthen your skin along with restoring elasticity and firmness and diminishing those dark spots.
Take care of your feet
You are on your feet often, if not all day, so don’t they deserve a little bit of TLC as well? Lots of people, no matter their age, have issues with either cracked heels or calluses, or both. The 3 steps below will have your feet feeling softer overnight.
1. Exfoliate– You can choose to use a glycolic or lactic acid wash in the shower, use a pumice stone, or make this your only step and use Amlactin Foot Repair. This foot cream contains lactic acid to exfoliate and moisturize and will heal calluses, splits and cracks in your feet. It’s also non-greasy and fragrance-free. If you have sensitive skin, this one is not advisable.
2. Apply your foot cream- I have found that O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet Foot Creamor Burt’s Bees Coconut Oil Foot Cream are the two most recommended. Both will nourish and repair rough, dry, cracked skin on your feet.
3. Put on socks- I don’t like sleeping in socks myself but to help keep my feet soft and moisturized, I will suffer through! Another way to lock moisture in is by applying some petroleum jelly before putting socks on.
DIY Foot Treatment- Using a small plastic tub, put 1 cup of Listerine Mouthwash, 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water. Soak your feet for 30 mins. Scrub gently with a pumice stone. Wash off the dead skin and pat dry. Use your foot cream.
Conclusion
Here you have a complete guide for your whole body to look youthful, bright, and hydrated. If you would like to know how to make your neck and chest look more youthful, then keep an eye out for my next post.
Questions, comments, and suggestions are all welcome!
Hello, thanks for sharing these tips – especially the Listerine and Apple Cider Vinegar foot soak! This is something I will definitely need to try out.
Before reading your post, I’d never heard of Crepey skin, so that led to some Googling! Now I know what it is I can say that’s something I’ve noticed in older people without realising what it was or what caused it. Thankfully, not an issue I’m dealing with!
I tend to have dry but sensitive skin myself – do you think the Hempz product would be a good option for me to try?
Any time you are concerned about using a product on your sensitive skin, place a dab of the product behind your ear and wait for 24-48 hours to see if you are going to have a reaction. There are lots of products that say they are for all skin types, but there may be just one ingredient that sensitive skin could have a reaction to. Just always do a patch test to make sure.
I find myself guilty of not thinking outside the box as well. I’m 26 and I don’t use makeup, nor do I use moisturizers for my face. I just simply wash, exfoliate and that’s it. But lately I have been noticing my skin around my hands and harms to be extremely irritated and dry. I have psoriasis so I wasn’t overly worried, but I also have diabetes so I changed my normal bar soap to the Cerave diabetic wash and it has been amazing for my skin and the breakouts I was having.
Even though you are only 26, you should start thinking about using anti-aging products. Moisturizing is something you should never skip!