Slowly but surely, temperatures are rising everywhere, and if the past few years are any indication, we’ll likely transition from winter to warm in no time at all. When the mercury hit 90 degrees here in South Florida yesterday, it was a wake-up call that our six-month-long shorts season is upon us, so I made a mental note to get back on my regular wax schedule—and start preparing my skin.
I take this leg prep very seriously (laugh if you must), and I busted out four products to get the process rolling.
Svelta Luxe Body Scrub: In case you haven’t heard, caffeine works wonders for smoothing the appearance of cellulite—and this scrub has tons of it in addition to exfoliating sugar and moisturizing oils.
Kesh Beauty Argan Oil (Pure): I’m not usually Miss Gung-Ho Organic, but I just love, love, love this 100% organic Moroccan argan oil. (It comes in Rose and Orange Blossom as well, but the unscented version is currently in the rotation.) The spray nozzle makes it easy to apply without creating a big-old mess.
Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Créme: As far as cheap thrills go, it doesn’t get better than this super-hydrating, amazing-smelling cocoa butter.
Saran Wrap: Yes, Saran Wrap. (Keep reading).
Now here’s the method of my skin-smoothing madness…
Step 1: Shave and then use body scrub in the shower. (I prefer sugar-based scrubs over salt-based scrubs because they can sting like a motherf*cker after shaving.)
Step 2: Spray on a good amount of argan oil. Rub it around to coat your skin evenly, but not until it’s fully absorbed.
Step 3: Slap on a handful of cocoa butter. Again, rub it around to get an even coat, but you don’t want it all to absorb.
Step 4: Wrap your legs in Saran Wrap. (If you’re having a hard time wrapping your head around this idea, keep in mind this is common during spa-based body wraps.)
Step 5: Slip into some leggings. It may take some effort to prevent the Saran Wrap from slipping and sliding, but once you’re in, the fabric will help keep the plastic in place.
Step 6: Hang out for as long as humanly possible. At some point, you’re going to start to sweat in there, but if you can hold out for 15 minutes you’re golden.
Step 7: Unwrap yourself and rub in all the extra oil and cream. (If there’s too much, blot with a towel).
Keep in mind that you may need multiple treatments to totally eliminate the scaly skin that has accumulated over the winter—but I promise you’ll see drastic improvement after your very first “bootcamp” session!