5 ways to restore firmness to the skin of the body

If you do not trust the marketing promises to smear something on yourself - and instantly turn into Miss Bikini this summer, then you are absolutely right: serious improvements in the skin of the body are always the result of hard and regular work (your or your massage therapist, if you can imagine it allow). But there is good news: by investing a little effort and your time in the implementation of this task, you can get really well-groomed, smooth, beautiful and elastic skin without any fantastic financial spending. We draw up a practical plan of action! 

A few facts to help you prioritize realistically.

First: it is impossible to get rid of cellulite. Never. For no money. It can decrease, become less pronounced, it can "lie down", smoother or tanned skin can visually make it less noticeable, but globally it will not go anywhere.

Second: if you already have stretch marks on your skin, then no creams can deal with them either (only serious cosmetic hardware operations help). They may become less visible, less bright, but do not believe the promises with the help of the cream to "erase" stretch marks. On the other hand, all of the following ways to improve the skin of the body are excellent prevention of stretch marks, because this is exactly the problem that needs to be prevented, not treated.

Third: ultraviolet light ages the skin. Yes, in the summer there is always a huge temptation to tan quickly - and get visually more toned swarthy legs-arms-stomach, which will look better in open clothes, but this effect will be short-lived: the tan will not have time to "peel off", you will get a "kickback" in the form of dry, flaky skin, more flabby than before, and most importantly, damaged deeper than you think. Therefore, you need to sunbathe very in moderation, with SPF-products, smearing with regenerating moisturizers before and after, and not to a chocolate hue. 

Practice: what specific methods will help you get rid of flabbiness and dryness of the skin, restore firmness, elasticity, density and, in general, its blooming state? Here are the top 5:

Contrast shower + hydration.

One of the easiest and fastest methods to keep your skin in excellent condition. Its main advantage is that it is also suitable for owners of delicate and sensitive skin that does not tolerate "polishing" with scrubs and brushes.

How it's done? Step 1: Daily contrast shower, which is done in this mode: 1 minute of warm water at about body temperature, then 30 seconds of very cool water, then 1 minute of hot water, then another 30 seconds of cold water and, finally, a minute of warm-hot water. Select the temperature of the water individually, but avoid very hot and ice water, you can change hot to cold from 5 to 10 times, see how it feels. After turning off the shower, pat your body dry with a towel, leaving the skin slightly damp and move on to the next step. Step 2: Moisturize. Apply to damp skin - vigorously - some moisturizer or body lotion. It can also be a lifting cream, toning, to increase elasticity, the main thing is that it is well and quickly absorbed, perfectly moisturizes and softens the skin.

Stimulating scrubs.

Regular scrubs simply exfoliate dead skin cells - which is good, but not enough for our purpose. Stimulating scrubs always contain components that warm up, tone up, improve blood circulation, and increase skin elasticity. Usually it is caffeine in one form or another, red pepper, cinnamon, orange, juniper, rosemary, ginger in the form of essential oils or extracts. Anti-cellulite scrubs are the first thing to pay attention to. It is important to use this scrub regularly, but not every day, about 2-3 times a week, and always - necessarily! - after it, apply an active cream or oil to the skin. The prepared skin will "eat" the treatment without leaving any residue, and it will work as efficiently as possible.

Massage with a dry brush or mitt.

The action is partially similar to using a scrub, but there are some differences. Firstly, it is recommended to do a dry brush massage daily, before a shower, and secondly, the emphasis here is not on exfoliation, but on warming up, massaging the skin, and stimulating it. The peeling effect is also present, of course, but the skin in this case receives more toning and less cleansing.

How it's done? Every day before a shower - in the morning or in the evening - you rub with a dry massage brush along the massage lines, finely adjusting the degree of pressure and intensity (slight reddening of the skin is normal, but the burning sensation and long-lasting red spots are already too much). Important: avoid areas with delicate skin, in particular the décolleté and neck areas. For these purposes, a massage brush with soft bristles and a comfortable handle is suitable. After the massage, shower for 5-7 minutes and apply cream or lotion to your skin. Done. 

Body cream.

As you already understood, the body cream works 100% only when applied to prepared skin - after a contrast shower, using a scrub, mineral salt, or a brush. And in any case, the cream should be applied after a shower, preferably on slightly damp skin. Which cream to choose? Cosmetologists often say in such cases that, they say, it does not matter which cream, the main thing is to regularly. And this makes sense: of course, it is important that the cream is of high quality, natural, with a good composition, but which one you use - moisturizing, nourishing, tightening - this is no longer so important. If you are striving specifically for the return of elasticity and smoothness, fit, choose an anti-cellulite cream or a lifting cream with active ingredients, but the main rule will also apply to it - the rule of regularity of use.

Massage with oils. 

The most effective method of affecting toned skin of the body at home. Self-massage is generally a very effective thing that allows you to increase both the tone and elasticity of not only the upper layers of the skin, but also the body in general. Plus the right cosmetic oil (or mixture), which in itself perfectly cares for the skin, and in tandem with massage also penetrates deeper, nourishes better, smoothes more intensely. There are many self-massage techniques, in addition, you can choose to pay your attention to the whole body or only to problem areas. So the matter is small - the choice of the right oil. If you're a beginner, the easiest way is to opt for a ready-made body oil. Usually it is an oil mixture with the addition of extracts and essential oils, with a balanced composition and proven action. Take it and use it. But you can also use mono oil: oils such as coconut and shea (butters), wheat germ oil (for the prevention of stretch marks and against cellulite), avocado oils, stone fruits, as well as universal jojoba oil are good for massage. Of the inexpensive and convenient for massage, you can also single out grape and peach (apricot) seed oils.

Massage with oils should be done on prepared skin (after scrub, brush, contrast shower), and it is important to apply oil to damp skin.

Do you know, without following which main rule you will not succeed? Make skincare a habit: either a daily routine or a spa adventure. How is one different from the other? With a routine habit, you choose one way of leaving, for example, a scrub 2-3 times a week plus a daily application of cream, and just do what you need, regularly, "on the machine." But if you like to try different products, like to alternate, experiment and enjoy the process of self-care, then you may well turn the return of elasticity to the skin into an exciting SPA adventure, in which there will be massage brushes, various scrubs, and massage. and oils, and creams, and wraps, and much more.