For once, we’re putting your face on pause — just for a sec— and focusing on the skin on your body which is so easily neglected, especially during the colder months. Now is the perfect time to work on persistent skin issues like dryness, stretchmarks, in-grown hairs, and keratosis pillaris. Let’s do this.
If there’s a season that’s responsible for general body neglect, we’re (almost) in it. In Winter, we layer up, spend much of our time getting toasty (and dehydrated) in central heating, and tend to prioritize the relatively small area of skin that is our face and neck. The cooler months are a great time to work on stubborn issues that need time and diligence to get your skin in the best possible shape for Spring.
Let’s get started…
Dry Skin
Most of us experience some degree of dry skin in the cooler months, especially on the legs and arms. They’re mostly covered up and often neglected, which only leads to more persistent and more obvious dryness and scaly, cracked skin. Your regular body moisturizer needs its own support crew.
How We Treat It:
Regular body exfoliation helps to buff away dry patches and dead skin cells and refine the skin’s surface texture. Our Glycolic Scrub 14% is spiked with AHAs which not only boost cellular renewal but also improve hydration. For extremely dry and/or sensitive skin, we like to add a few drops of our Multi-Active Oil to help nourish and hydrate.
Keratosis Pilaris
Often referred to as ‘chicken skin’, this commonly experienced, genetic skin condition presents as tiny, hard bumps on the skin’s surface that can be tricky to budge. These bumps are actually dead skin cells that have blocked the hair follicle and they most commonly appear on the backs of the upper arms, on the thighs, and buttocks.
How We Treat It:
Exfoliation is the most effective way to treat keratosis pilaris. We trust in our super-efficient chemical exfoliant Glycolic Scrub 14% which employs AHAs to decongest skin, nudge dead skin cells to move on, and help encourage fresh, young cells to the skin’s surface. If you have sensitive skin or its particularly dry, then add in a few drops of Multi-Active Oil for a more nourishing exfoliant. For persistent cases, we’d also recommend some DIY skin needling with our Dermal Roller 0.25mm: first apply Retinol Serum to the area and then roll, roll, roll.
In-Grown Hairs
Often a side effect of hair removal, in-grown hairs can be painful, get inflected, and even scar on certain skin types. They’re essentially the result of blocked hair follicles caused by a build-up of dead skin cells which causes the hair to grow sideways.
How We Treat Them:
There are a couple of ways to treat in-grown hairs; the first place to start is with regular exfoliation of the area to help to dislodge that build up and prevent future in-grown hairs. If you have an inflamed in-grown hair, dab a little Laser Aid directly onto the site with a cotton tip to help heal the infection. And if you’ve picked at the site (never a good idea!) or it’s left a mark on the skin (this is hyperpigmentation), then apply Even Blend Serum to help fade the discolouration.
Stretch Marks
A type of scar caused by the stretching or shrinking of the skin due to puberty, pregnancy, and sudden weight loss or gain, stretch marks occur as the Collagen and Elastin in the skin ruptures. They often appear as reddish, brown, or purple ridges on the skin depending on your skin tone, and fade to a pale silvery white over time.
How We Treat Them:
Like many types of scars, stretch marks are hard to remove completely but you can minimise their appearance, especially if you treat them early (translation: while they’re still red/brown). Skin needling can help to promote healing: by creating tiny puncture channels within the dermis and epidermis it prompts a regenerative response and the production of Collagen.
We recommend you keep your skin nourished by applying our Multi-Active Oil after your morning shower and then in the evening, apply Retinol Serum to the skin and use Derma Roller 0.25mm to then roll over the area in different directions. If your stretch marks are still brown you can also treat them with Even Blend Serum to help regulate skin tone and texture.