itchy?

In my blogs I usually cover facial, neck, and chest skin.  I leave the body skin out time after time.  My apologies, body.  Well this blog is putting an end to that right this very minute.  So with that said, in these cold, dry winter months, people get some serious itchy body skin on their normally silky, smooth skin.  I'm here to tell you there are things you can do to redeem your velvety summer skin.  Phew, thank the Lord for me.  First and foremost, exfoliate.  This is exactly what I said to do for facial dryness too.  However, you can get more aggressive with the bod because the skin below the chest is remarkably tough. 

My favorite exfoliating vehicles:

Riffi Mitts:  These feel like brillo pads on the skin.  At first, this doesn't conjure up the most pleasant of feeling, but I promise your body will crave it's hurt-so-good approach.  You can squirt your body wash right on this guy and scrub away.  This fella also works wonders to minimize or prevent in grown hairs.  So if you're fixin' to get a bikini wax- use him!  Riffi mitts are also superb because they stimulate the lymphatic system, which means you get sick less.  These guys are also easy to clean- just throw them in the washing machine, but do not dry. Woo Hoo!

Another, more aggressive, exfoliating tool is a skin brush.  If you really like the hurts-so-good feeling, then  you will be pleased as punch with this guy.  If you think you will not be a fan of the hurts-so-good feeling, I urge you to think about your itchy skin an how much you want to scratch it.  Well, this is one big scratch- but in a really good way.  Just writing about them, makes me want a rub down.  I hope that's not weird.  Skin brushes, also are big on stimulating blood flow, which means your body will heal faster.  Skin brushes also assist in minimizing cellulite.  Whata guy!  Technically you are supposed to use this stellar feller on dry skin, prior to showering, but I have to admit, that I am too lazy to do such things.  Instead, I throw body wash on it while in the shower and call it a day. 

Of course another form of exfoliation, comes in the form of AHA's.  If you would rather get a body wash with glycolic, lactic, or malic acid in it, then that could be used in place of a riffi mitt or a skin brush.  Or you could go nuts and put your AHA containing body wash on a riffi mitt or skin brush.  Bye, bye skin.  I wouldn't recommend doing this on a daily basis, but once a week would be a great treatment.  A great body wash for this is Image's Ageless Cleanser or Glytone's Exfoliating Body Wash Both of these cleansers work wonders on Keratosis Pilaris- those red bumps on the back of your arms.

My favorite after exfoliation treatments: 

After you've exfoliated, whatever lotion you want to apply will work oh-so-much better because you've just removed a layer of dead skin that was acting as a shield to your lotion of choice.   As far as body lotions, one of my favorites is Alba Organics Very Emollient Body Lotion for Dry Skin.  This lotion has a few AHA's in it, so you're getting an additional exfoliation, but it is a mild one.  I like the lotion because it goes on so quick and is not thick and greasy.  However, some of you may be after thick and greasy.  If that's the case, go for good old coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a wonderful emollient and will make your skin glow, plus you will smell, faintly, like the beach.  Yes, please!

Happy Scrubbing!!