Post-vacation skin rehab

While a fan of peels for the face, for the body I still think a good natural oil and salt scrub is excellent. The oil softens and nourishes the skin while the salt efficiently buffs off that surface layer of dead, dull skin. Even better, the oil leaves your skin gleaming and moisturized when washed off, so there’s no need for lotion. For summer, my vacation go-to is now the Legology Exfo-Lite Leg Exfoliator – it comes in individual sachets, making it great for packing. Created for puffy legs, it works beautifully on a summer body as the blend of Himalayan pink salt, sea salt and citrus oils works to deeply hydrate, smooth and de-puff. Plus, the oil nourishes the skin, leaving it gleaming, not greasy – and it smells incredible.

We all know that women in ancient times used to bathe in ass’s milk – and with good reason: the lactic acid not only gently lifts off dead skin cells, but also deeply hydrates summer-dry skin. Add either a cup of fresh milk or, an easier option, some powdered milk (I decant it into a pretty glass jar so it’s on hand) to your bath. It may be low-tech, but it works – and it’s also very soothing on sunburn.

A bath is one of the few times when we can truly relax, so it makes sense to make the most of your tub-time. Just adding salts transforms any bath into a treatment, but each type has different benefits; magnesium (including Epsom salts) relaxes tense muscles and draws toxins from the body, while Himalayan salts are rich in minerals and are good for acne and other skin conditions. Alternatively, Dead Sea Salts can be especially good for very dry skin as they are so hydrating. I also love the blend of kelp and green algae in Pursoma Après Savasana for deeply relaxing the mind while detoxing the body. Or there’s African Botanics Le Vert Tranquillity Green Clay Soak, which balances your skin’s pH, leaving it feeling ultra-soft and supple.

Super-dry skin will really benefit from a body oil, the best of which sink in and leave your skin grease-free – Seed to Skin The Serenity Antioxidant Dry Body Oil is wonderful. I like to mix a body cream (usually La Mer The Body Crème) with an oil and apply the two in the evening, as the combination seems to deep-treat even the most parched summer skin. If you prefer something lighter in the heat, then use a body-sculpting lotion, such as One Ocean Beauty Bioactive Body Sculpting Marine Cream, as these tend to be lightly textured and keep limbs looking lean. For day I use the Legology Air-Lite Daily Lift all over, as it sinks straight in without leaving skin sticky.