While we can now finally wear dresses, shorts, playsuits – whatever the hell you want because it’s warm, at long last! – the prospect of unveiling your legs after months in hibernation can put a bit of a downer on the whole thing.
“I’d say most normal people notice dryness, lack of tone and general lacklustre to the skin,” says Kate Shapland, founder and creative director of Legology. “You might even have some puffiness around knees, thighs and ankles, too.” Following these simple steps will ensure your legs are in tip-top condition for the glorious summer ahead.
The Scrub
First things first: a simple scrub can slough away a world of woes. That includes dull, scaly skin, as well as stimulating the lymphatic system to flush out toxins and water retention to help minimise cellulite. The important thing is to find a really good scrub.
There is a huge range of exfoliants on the market, from tiny beads in a tube to acid-based formulas, but what do you look for? “Exfoliators need the crunch factor and you get that with sea salt best added to an oil base to improve skin’s suppleness,” says Shapland. Three of the best oil-and-salt scrubs I’ve found are Neom’s Real Luxury Body Scrub, Sanctuary’s Salt Scrub, and Legology’s Exfo-Lite Stimulating Salts for Legs, which is everything you could ever want in a scrub. It contains Himalayan pink salts, which are known for their detoxifying abilities, alongside normal sea salt and smells like nothing else you’ve tried (Amalfi lemon, apparently). If you want to smell summer, then this is your scrub. All three will leave a luxurious film of oil over limbs and intensely hydrate skin.
You might want a lighter exfoliation, particularly if skin is very sensitive or you’ve already done the big scrub-down pre-summer (you don’t need to use salt scrubs every single day). Try Exuviance’s Retexturing Treatment for day-to-day or Dennis Gross’ Alpha Beta Glow Body Pads which contain tanning DHA to bronze as they exfoliate.
Body Brush
“I am a huge body brush fan because it is so easy and you get so much out of it,” says Shapland. From softening up skin to helping tone and brighten while enhancing the lymphatic system and blood circulation, it’s a no-brainer to spend as little as three minutes every day dedicated to the body brush.
Shapland recommends gently and swiftly buffing skin with a brush (try Elemis’ Body Detox Skin Brush or Mio’s Body Brush), sweeping in upwards movements towards the lymph nodes, which are predominantly found in the neck, armpit and groin areas.
It’s important to note that it needs to be done gently; it’s easy to think that you need to painfully manhandle skin with the nodules that come on a lot of brushes to ‘massage’ fat away, but this isn’t the correct way. Another common misconception is that you need to body brush only on dry skin: “I don’t think it matters, but I personally do find it works best on dry skin before the shower. Essentially, it’s whatever works best for you.” And for a really intensive ‘contouring’ session? Try adding a few drops of a detox oil, like ESPA’s Detoxifying Body Oil, to the brush bristles and use on damp skin.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
You’ve heard it all before but moisturising is key to healthy, plump, even, supple skin.
Many of us avoid body moisturiser because it feels sticky for day or underneath clothes. The best I’ve found for day wear are more lightweight and dry quickly pre-clothes. Sisley’s Restorative Body Cream is one of the lightest I’ve found, is a super hydrator and feels wonderfully silky on skin – it doesn’t come cheap but this will help achieve money-can’t-buy skin, so it’s worth it. Another favourite is Aesop’s Protective Body Lotion, which actually contains SPF 50 to protect legs from the sun, besides being packed with nutritious ingredients like vitamin E. Susanne Kaufmann’s Body Lotion is another great shout for day – it has a light scent perfect for summer and chamomile to calm skin.
At nighttime, up the ante – you’re only in bed after all, no excuses here. Oils are great for night as they’re like a drink for skin and leave limbs extra-hydrated come morning. If you’ve tried Sarah Chapman’s Overnight Facial oil, you will love her Skinesis Overnight Body Treatment which is a vitamin-packed (A, C and E to brighten, retexture and defend) cocoon for skin. Another is Aromatherapy Associates’ Rose Nourishing Body Oil – you’ll struggle to find anything that smells better. And if an oil’s not for you, try Lancer’s supreme The Method: Body Nourish, which comes in a big silver tub. It’s one of the only moisturisers that contains a clinical-grade glycolic acid, which helps firm and boost cell turnover (so skin gets smoother, quicker).
Hair Removal
The most obvious and easiest way to get rid of leg hair is to shave. And for that, all you need is shaving cream and a decent razor (you can’t go wrong with a Gillette Venus).
Then there’s waxing, which gets rid of hairs for slightly longer, but you become more prone to ingrown hairs.
But the very best in hair removal comes from a laser and, although I asked you to join me in forgetting that summer bodies are made in winter, in this case smooth legs really are made in the colder months, when you can laser leg hairs into oblivion. Laser treatment works by targeting the pigment in the hair shaft which lives in the hair follicle, disabling the blood supply that feeds it. When there’s no blood supply, there’s no hair, and it falls out around two weeks after treatment.
If you’re going to go professional, the New York Laser Clinic is excellent. On average, they see a big reduction in hair after the fourth session (treatments are taken every six to eight weeks). The reason you’re best off having it in winter? It’s strongly advised to avoid the sun within four weeks of each treatment due to more sensitive skin, which would mean a summer of covering up. So start when the days get darker and more gloomy – it really does work and it’s one of the best investments you’ll make, especially if you’re on the hairier side.
And if you want to do it yourself at home, look no further than the Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device which is the best on the market for at-home laser hair removal. It works in much the same way as in-clinic but the intense pulsed light used is not quite as strong, so hair removal will take longer. The plus side is you can do it yourself at home, you’ll see a marked difference after three uses (you can use it every two weeks), and it’s super-quick and much cheaper than you’ll find getting it done professionally. No-brainer.
Depuff
Whether you know it or not, your legs are probably holding a little extra weight, particularly if you sit at a screen all day or don’t do enough activity in general. The quickest way to get rid of the dreaded puff is by lying flat on the floor with legs resting at right angles to the wall, recommends Shapland, but when it’s a persistent problem, you need a more specialised approach.
If you’re prone to puffiness and fluid retention, need a bit of extra help and want to lighten the load, find a bodywork therapist who will give you a deep massage to push trapped fluid out from around the fat cells and help shape legs. “The best toning, firming and shaping treatment is regular hands-on massage,” says Shapland, who has tried it all. Going for treatments like Aromatherapy Associates’ Body Refiner, which helps shift excess fluid, can help too. Just ask your therapist to concentrate on your legs.
Tone
Aside from regular massage, Shapland’s other top tip is exercise; she recommends yoga, pilates and barre work to bring length, firmness and tone to muscles. Barrecore founder, Niki Rein agrees: “Performing high-repetition, isometric contractions (i.e. in even the smallest muscles) in the body two to three times a week is a surefire way to achieve that toned, long and lean look.” Rather than fearing that bulky, large-and-in-charge look, you can look forward to lithe, sinewy legs as a result.
And it really does burn. Expect as much at any Barrecore class, alongside an ‘I’m-definitely-doing-something’ shake that renders you useless at climbing stairs post-workout. It’s all down to the ‘layering’ of exercises which burn out the legs’ muscle groups, equalling maximum calorie burn. Try going two to three times a week to see real results this summer. And if you start now, imagine what your pins – and the rest of your body - will be like come May 2018.
Yoga is another great way to lengthen muscles in the legs. Try Triyoga ’s Ashtanga class which combines the more physical side of the practice with the deeper, more meditative aspect. It’s a great way to stretch out and lengthen every little muscle in the body – not to mention good for the mind.
Tan Up
Tan is a surefire way to make limbs look longer, leaner and generally more toned without the exercise. At home, it can be a tricky skill to master – I don’t think I’ll ever trust myself to apply fake tan again – but if you’ve got a tan mitt, then the bronzing world can be your oyster.
Preparation is essential: “To avoid the patchy look, depilate, exfoliate and moisturise before you apply anything even vaguely tanning,” advises Shapland, who swears by a tinted cream to control depth of colour and achieve a more realistic glow, while also washing off at the end of the day. The best are Legology’s Sun-Lite Tinted Leg Cream, Nars’ Laguna Body Tint, and Fake Bake’s Tinted Body Glo. They all leave the perfect amount of bronze with just a sprinkle of shimmer to make limbs look as lustrous as they should in the sun.
As for spray tans, which make it easier to face leg-baring season, St Tropez does a great professional tan; at home you should try their Luxe Oil Bronzing Mist as it’s more than easy to use and leaves a lovely light, golden glow. Vita Liberata is another great brand for tanning and none of their fake tans smell, which helps if you hate the smell of biscuit. The Vita Liberata Ten Minute Tan develops into the ultimate summer glow in around four hours – a tan that dreams are made of.
So there you have it, the ultimate guide to getting your legs out for summer. Now go outside and enjoy it!
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