By SUZY TURNER features@algarveresident.com
Suzy Turner has lived in Portugal for 22 years and works as a freelance writer. As well as putting pen to paper for the Algarve Resident’s fashion section, she contributes to the parenting, beauty and travel columns and is also the Features Editor.
It feels like summer has finally arrived, which means it’s time to show some skin. The thought isn’t so good though, is it? Following months of hiding under layers of fabric and consuming far too much comfort food, our podgy white bodies probably don’t feel quite ready… not just yet anyway.
Whatever you do, avoid dwelling on photos of the latest stars bearing all on the beach. No matter how hard we try, unless we spend hours and hours with a personal trainer, have a make-up artist on call 24-7 and someone to touch up all our photos, we will never look quite like that!
However, there are ways to prepare ourselves for the beach, to give us just a little more confidence. Start by avoiding junk food, alcohol and caffeine for a few weeks and increase your intake of water, allowing for the body to get rid of unwanted toxins.
Now is a good time to start exfoliating every day, in the shower, again to help the body get rid of those nasty toxins. These days there are numerous good exfoliation creams available, and you don’t have to spend a small fortune to get the job done.
When you get out of the shower, lather yourself with a good lotion to keep your skin soft and moisturised. Try using Johnson’s Baby Oil while the skin is still damp – this traps in the moisture, keeping your skin feeling silky and smooth.
If you feel your skin is still a little too pale to bare, try one of the many ‘fake tans’ currently available on the market. Provided you have exfoliated properly, the lotion should leave no streaks or strange marks. You will simply look sun-kissed. Dove has a very reasonably priced one called, Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion, available from most good supermarkets.
