Elemis Detox Skin Brush, £21
Leg dandruff is a thing. It’s that flakiness you get when your skin is dry and a bit crepey. The truth is, if you want those smooth shiny limbs of the A-list, a bit of diligence is involved. It’s about getting rid of the dead skin cells, and the number one best thing for that is a body brush. This Elemis brush is great.
We all need to be body brushing. I know it’s really boring and you want a miracle cream but body brushing works in a myriad of ways. It’s increasing blood circulation so you’re going to get healthier skin because more blood’s coming to it. You’re obviously exfoliating so you’re getting rid of the dead skin. Plus it works the lymph system, so it helps eliminate those toxins. (Always move with the lymph system so brush towards the heart.
Cerave Smoothing Cleanser, £10
Next, use a scrub. Either one that physically gets off the dead skin cells with a bit of grain. Or you can use something with salicylic acid or one of the AHAs in. This one from Cerave is a cleanser that can be used on face or body – I use it on my body and find it very effective. It’s pretty basic, so you might want to use something that smells a little bit fancy as well, but it’s great value and works well on dry skin.
ESPA Smoothing Body Oil, £36
As soon as you get out of the shower, apply a body oil on. I’m a big fan of body oil, my damp skin seems to absorb it really well. I absolutely love this one by ESPA, it always feels like a total treat to apply.
Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion, £32
After body oil, I still love to use a body cream and this one is a favourite. It’s got lactic acid in it, which sounds like it might be drying, but actually it sloughs off all the dead skin.
Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore, £135
Ceramides are really nice for dry skin, so look for a cream that contains them, like this one. It’s pricey but it works. Plus, it feels soothing and lovely. If you imagine your skin barrier has potholes in it, the ceramides fill them in and make the skin barrier more resilient.
Do you get what you pay for with expensive creams like this? You definitely get a nicer texture, nicer consistency and fragrance. For something a bit cheaper, the pharmacy brands will make a difference to your skin. When I’ve spoken to dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams, she recommends brands like Skinceuticals, Neostrata and La Roche Posay.
Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, £145
Another one from Skinceuticals, it’s a brand I really rate. This is the Vitamin C product that all the dermatologists I work with recommend to me. Vitamin C is like the hard working but least glamorous thing for your skin. It’s a brightener – and brightening is key. You might think that a wrinkle is an obvious sign of ageing, but actually it’s things like mottling and sun damage that will make you look not so great. So a brightener is what you need. Plus, Vitamin C in the morning is an anti oxidant. It helps to fight all the stuff that life throws at your skin, like sunlight and pollution.
One thing to know about Vitamin C is that it’s not very stable. It needs to be in a dark glass jar or dropper. If it’s just in a scoopy cream, it’s not so good.
Vita Liberata Beauty Blur, £24.90
If you want to add a bit of luminosity and use something to brighten your skin, you need a product with some instant pearlising. There’s an amazing product for pasty legs called Body Blur, (£13, Vita Liberata), and they’ve just launched this Beauty Blur for the face. It’s a lotion with a little kick in and I love it.
