Happy hands
Applying antibac all the time has left many
of us with brittle nails and dry cuticles. “Oil
your cuticles!” says the manicurist Michelle
Humphrey, who looks after the hands of
Adele and Jodie Comer. “Not only does this
aid nail growth, but it also maintains nail
flexibility and hydrates the surrounding
area.” Try Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil
( 17 £18), which contains vitamin E to soften
rough cuticles. If your hands are very dry,
try switching to a hand wash that doesn’t
contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) or
parabens, both of which can dehydrate
your skin. Humphrey recommends Herlum
Hand Wash ( 18 £29), which is free of both
ingredients. Finally, start using a hand cream
regularly. “One of the most effective hand
creams for severely dry skin is Aveeno Skin
Relief [ 19 £5.50],” she says.
Hands dotted with those brown sunspots?
Beauty Pie Superdose Vitamin C Moistur-
izing Shea Butter Hand Cream ( 20 £40) is
a moisturising hand cream and then some;
the superactives tranexamic acid and bio -
vitamin C help to brighten dark spots.And don’t
forget your feet
Spring means freedom for your toes. Here
are three easy ways to get feet ready for the
big day. First, create a soak for your soles.
Add half a cup of Epsom salts or a few drops
of your favourite essential oil to a warm bowl
of water and soak your feet for 10 minutes.
“This helps draw out toxins from the body,
reduces swellings and relaxes muscles. It’s
also a great natural emollient and exfoliator,”
says Charlotte Vohtz, founder of the organic
skincare line Green People.
Next, soften them up — CeraVe SA
Renewing Foot Cream ( 21 £8.50) buffs
away any remaining dead skin cells thanks
to salicylic acid, while hydrating ceramides
and hyaluronic acid bring feet back to
their best.
To buff away dry skin
around the nails, the A-list
pedicure-podiatrist Bastien
Gonzalez suggests this:
“After a long shower brush
your nails with your old
toothbrush — electric is
best if you have one. This will
not only prep nails for polish
but also helps remove any
excess dry skin.”
After that, simply put your
best foot forward. ■Glow like a pro
Between mid-February and mid-March
Google searches for “self-tan” rose by 90
per cent. But before you reach for the
nearest bottle of liquid bronzer, it’s worth
noting that after months of cold weather
and covering up we need to indulge in a bit
of pretanning TLC to get the most out of
our self-tan. Amanda Harrington, the celeb-
rity tanner who has bronzed Jennifer
Aniston and Dua Lipa, shares her secrets
for glowing up post-winter skin.
PRETAN PREP Dial up the hydration.
“Post-winter skin is drier and more
dehydrated,” Harrington says, and since
DHA (the tanning agent in self-tan) is also
drying you could be doubling up.
Harrington recommends prepping for a
couple of days beforehand. “Make sure you
scrub twice over and hydrate twice over to
get moisture levels back on top,” she
advises. Try Kate Somerville ExfoliKate
Resurfacing Body Scrub ( 12 £48) for
in-shower exfoliation, followed by Caudalie
Vinotherapist Replenishing Vegan Body
Butter ( 13 £23.50).
TIME TO TAN Layer! Layer! Layer! “First
apply a barrier cream on very dry areas to
avoid ‘sticking’,” Harrington advises, then
start with a hydrating layer of gradual tan.
St Tropez Gradual Tan Classic Daily
Firming Lotion ( 14 £18) has been reformu-
lated and includes hyaluronic acid and
marine algae to help keep skin healthy, or
mix a few drops of James Read Click &
Glow Body ( 15 £40) with your usual body
moisturiser to build up a subtle sunkissed
glow. Follow this with a tanning mousse or a
mist. Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Oil Mist
( 16 £22) combines tanning actives with an
oil-and-water base that tops up your natural
moisture levels. “Use a tan brush to blend
into tricky areas such as hands, ankles, wrists
and feet”, Harrington says. She created the
Big Body Brush (£45) specifically for buffing
in self-tan to create a streak-free glow.
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