Nora Ephron was right. We shouldn’t take our skin for granted in our youth. “Of course, it’s true that now that I’m older, I’m wise and sage and mellow,” the patron saint of romantic comedy writes in her book, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman. “And it’s also true that I honestly do understand just what matters in life. But guess what? It’s my neck.”
Imagine Nora’s regret if she had grown up in Australia. “Our warmer climate dictates less coverage, so skin ageing occurs just as readily on the body as the face,” says Dr Garry Cussell, founder of Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia and Rejuvaus skincare. “Skin is skin, whether on the face or body, and it needs active ingredients able to penetrate through the surface layer to be effective.”
It seems we finally got the memo and suddenly we’re obsessing over the idea of slathering actives on our body in the same way we have come to embrace them on our face: Think retinol, vitamin B and C, and a slew of acids.
If you’re curious about how best to start a body skincare routine, read on for more…
Boost the radiance
Peptides for your neck and vitamins B and C for your limbs should be top of your list for a healthy skin barrier in your body skincare routine. “There are more lines on our neck and décolletage so the skin needs deeper hydration to even them out, something peptides can provide,” says Vanessa Megan Gray Lyndon, founder of Metamorphosis.
“Niacinamide is an essential vitamin for optimal skin health … it reduces pigmentation by reducing melanin concentration and promoting cell turnover. And vitamin C is imperative for skin function and healing, and supports the assimilation of skincare ingredients into the structure of the skin.”
Even skin tone
“The fact we haven’t been using retinol on our bodies longer baffles me,” says Kelly George, registered cosmetic nurse and founder of Kelly George Aesthetics. “It’s why I created KGA Body. I was treating my patients with face retinol on a daily basis but had nothing for their arms, hands, décolletage and even legs.”
A professional will use retinol to help fade brown spots and plump up fine lines, but it’s not always easy to tolerate on the face. “The skin on your body is thicker which means there’s less chance of a retinol reaction, though some drying or flaking is possible,” says Kelly. “Use it 3-4 nights per week for the first few weeks and increase the use if needed after 4-6 weeks. If you want to remove stubborn pigmentation, glycolic acid and retinol work together very effectively.”
Thirsty skin
If you were already lizard-like after winter, you might find you’re still battling dryness once your limbs are sun-exposed. Hyaluronic acid will be your best friend — it’s an instant ‘drink’ for skin — but water is another way to rehydrate parched skin.
“You can add hydration through misting with a water-based hydrosol, or emulsifying a body oil with a little water,” says Vanessa. “It acts like a vehicle to drive moisture deeper into the skin layers.”
Brush up
Facial sculpting has been eagerly adopted, but it has long been used as a muscle relaxation technique on the body too. “Gua Sha involves scraping the skin with a massage tool to stimulate micro-circulation of the soft tissue,” says Vanessa. “This is thought to promote lymphatic drainage and circulation and increase energy flow throughout the body.”
Always work towards the heart and, if you find it uncomfortable, dry body brushing is a simple alternative that will slough off dead skin cells at the same time.
Super dry
Truly dry skin needs more than a drink — it wants a proper fatty ‘feed’ with ceramides and lipids, so make sure you add these to your body skincare routine.
“The skin on our face is different to skin on our body but there are similarities, such as crepey-ness and a lack of elasticity, which is often due to the reduction of progesterone and oestrogen,” says Vanessa.
If you have dry skin, you’re naturally low in lipids so the best remedy to boosting your barrier is to buff off dead skin cells and slather on nourishing oil-rich products.
Smooth lumps and bumps
‘Backne’ and chicken skin on your arms are best remedied with Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) — glycolic, lactic and citric acids — as they help slough away dead skin cells.
“Glycolic acid has a smaller molecular size than other AHAs, enabling effective skin penetration, cell turnover and enhancement of skin texture,” says Kelly. “Several studies have shown a significant reduction in pigmentation intensity and an overall improvement in skin tone in patients treated with glycolic acid formulations.”
This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Pick up the latest issue of the magazine at your local newsagents or subscribe so you never miss an issue.
