Faves:: the soft skin edition

Packing up to head to the airport in the morning and after just a couple of short hours, though I’m sure they won’t feel all that short, my daughter will be trying to squiggle free from my arms… and I might not let her go.

That was the long way to say, I’ll be in Michigan tomorrow! (And I’ll be using some of my own packing advice tonight so I can stick to a carry-on and no baggage fees!) Though I can get the amazing products that I’m about to share with you below from anywhere, because they’re all available online, I thought that my trip back to my hometown in Michigan would justify a little shopping trip to a couple of these stores, because well, one company is a family owned business based there and another company doesn’t have a store near me and I can’t wait to browse the colorfully stocked shelves and let my nose wander the fragrant myriad of scents.

Oh! And because it’s summer… and hot everywhere right now, bare arms and swim suits mean soft skin needs to be in your forecast. Here are a few of my favorite things to keep mine touchable. You really only need a couple of them to work wonders for your skin.

1) Great skin really does start with a good skin brush. Dry skin brushing revives your skin from the inside out by shedding dead skin cells which helps improve texture, increases circulation to the skin and aids your body’s lymphatic system, helps tighten the skin by increasing blood flow and can even reduce cellulite. I use this round brush by The Body Shop (I couldn’t find that particular one on their website any longer, but Amazon has it) and have found that even with a few consecutive days of skin brushing, my skin is much softer and smoother.
For more information on dry skin brushing, you can check out this informational post. 

2) The Citrus Whipped Body Butter Sugar Scrub from Ashleigh’s Essence is like a delicious all-in-one for the shower. Scrub with it and you’ll walk out of the shower smelling divine, feeling smooth and won’t even need to follow up with lotion! And the fact that it’s handmade with completely natural ingredients is a huge plus.

3) I love a good scrub, and this Ocean Salt scrub from Lush is another fave of mine. Great for face and body, and leaves you feeling clean and fresh.

4) Ro’s Argan is another Lush product that I tried recently after scoring one of their small tubs for Mother’s Day… and I’m hooked. Since the shower is my sort of “oasis,” I’m always a fan of products like this so everything is done in there and once I towel off, I’m done.

5) For those days when some extra moisture is needed, Body Butter always does the trick. When I’m out of my in-shower moisturizers, or when I’m out and need a little lotion TLC, I turn to body butter. And a mix of Ocean Salt scrub followed up with Coconut Body Butter? It’s like a trip to the beach without the messy sand.