We know that we need to cleanse, scrub and slather body oils. It’s also beneficial to dry brush, moisturise and apply SPF. But do we know exactly how often to carry out these steps? While over-exfoliation can irritate the skin, not doing it too often can clog pores. There’s a recommended frequency at which everything should be practised—and ahead, we break it all down for you.
Exfoliate
Cleansing your body daily with a soap or shower gel is essential, but at times, your skin may need an extra step - exfoliation. This can help get rid of the dead skin cells. There are different methods to exfoliate your skin—like physical exfoliation, chemical exfoliation and dry brushing.
While physical exfoliation involves scrubbing your body with a grainy exfoliant like a sugar or coffee scrub to get rid of dead skin cells, chemical exfoliation involves beauty products with acids that penetrate the deeper layers, as compared to physical exfoliants, and leave the skin soft and supple. Dry brushing, on the other hand, is a bodycare practice that exfoliates your skin by massaging it with a brush made of natural fibre bristles. Dry brushing not only exfoliates your skin, but also detoxifies and unclogs pores by stimulating the lymphatic system.
How often should you exfoliate?
As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t exfoliate more than twice a week—no matter what type of exfoliant you use. Also, refrain from dry brushing on days you’ve scrubbed or used a chemical exfoliant already. Dry brushing also works if done just once a week. You don’t want to over-exfoliate and cause inflammation and dryness or damage your skin barrier.
Tira recommends:
1. House of Beauty Dry Brush
2. The Body Shop Argan Body Scrub
3. Minimalist 11% Glycolic Acid & Tranexamic Acid AHA BHA Body Exfoliator
Hydrate
Moisturising is an essential part of your bodycare routine and needs to be practised daily for nourished, smooth and soft skin. However, apart from that, there are days when your skin needs an extra dose of hydration. When you exfoliate, generously applying a body oil or body butter will give your skin some extra TLC and prevent dryness.
How often should you hydrate?
The frequency at which you should use richer textures like body butters and oils depends on your skin type. If you have dry or parched skin, then applying one of these daily can be helpful. For oily and normal skin types, applying it twice a week would suffice.
Tira recommends:
1. Kama Ayurveda Shea Lotus Body Butter
2. Forest Essentials Iced Pomegranate & Kerala Lime After Bath Oil
Protect
We’re all aware of how important SPF is for our face. We also know that it needs to be reapplied every two hours. But while we’re protecting our facial skin from the harmful rays of the sun, we often overlook doing the same for the rest of the body. Remember it’s just as important.
How often should you apply SPF?
Apply sunscreen on both your face and body atleast 15 to 30 minutes before stepping out of the house. While it’s difficult to reapply every two hours from the neck down when you’re at work, make sure that you do it at least when you’re at the beach or by the pool. Of course reapply whenever you get a chance when you’re out and about in the city, exposed to the sun the entire day. Invest in a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
Tira recommends:
1. Sebamed Multi Protect Sun Lotion SPF 50
2. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit SPF 50+ PA++++ Sun Serum
Bonus bodycare tips from Team Tira
- Always carry a hand cream with you, if you have dry hands or are sitting in the AC all day long.
- Dry brushing should be done before showering—and should be performed starting from your feet in an upward direction towards your torso. This supports lymphatic drainage and improves blood circulation.
- If you have cracked heels, apply moisturiser on them every day. Also, soak them in water for a few minutes and exfoliate gently at least once a week.
- On areas where you have thin hair, shave against the grain to get a closer and smoother shave. For areas with thicker hair, shaving in the direction of growth is the safest option.
- A quick, yet gentle, way to get rid of an ingrown hair is by using a chemical exfoliant. Go for formulations with glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids—and don't forget to top this off with SPF.
