Preparing your skin for the sun: 5 key beauty tips

For toned arms, slender legs and a flat stomach, make sure you religiously apply firming cream twice a day onto clean, dry skin.  To optimise the effectiveness of your firming cream, learn to apply it like the pros, with a manual lymphatic drainage action. This can help to reduce swollen skin. For the legs, wrap your two hands around your leg, and move up slowly from the ankle to the thigh. And, when the warm weather arrives, exercise is a must: try walking, cycling or give running a go

For a glowing complexion without risking sun damage, go for good old self tan. This sure-fire step towards a beautiful glow should be applied onto exfoliated skin and followed by plenty of moisturising. But you need to know how to apply it. On the body, move up slowly from the feet to the end of your arms (apply very little around the rough areas that tend to get marked more easily, like your heels and elbows). On the face, apply the substance with quick movements, going from the middle of the face towards the outside. Of course, don't forget your neck and chest!

With summer fast approaching, scrub up and reveal new skin! Exfoliation is crucial to get rid of all the toxins accumulated during the winter. In the shower, use a rough-grain scrub and rub gently with circular massaging movements: start with the feet and move up, taking care of your heels, knees and elbows, where the skin is thicker. For the face, go for a very fine scrub, maybe with enzymatic or fruit acid ingredients, or gentler types for sensitive and mature skin. Your skin will be softer and more energised and, on top of all that, will be more receptive to your other beauty products!

Now, an unmissable beauty tip: the face mask. This treats the skin deep down and so is an effective step towards preparing your skin for the sun. Masks are highly concentrated in active ingredients, and so will help to regenerate the epidermis, thanks to the protection created by the thick layer of product on the face. Apply the mask onto clean skin, after exfoliating. Some need to be left on until the morning so that the formula can act through the night, when cell activity is at its peak. Others are rinsed off after a while: try to avoid tap water, which can be too harsh on your skin, and go for a micellar water or gentle toner. 

The fifth and last of our beauty tips is perhaps the most important: hydration. Moisturising ensures that the skin stays healthy, especially after a scrub or a mask. When we exfoliate, we get rid of dead skin cells, but also reduce the skin's natural protection. While waiting for the hydrolipidic film to reappear, apply a rich, hydrating cream, which will bring your skin some much-needed comfort. You could even try a dry oil or plant oil like shea, sweet almond or argan. Applying moisturiser morning and night is a key step in preparing your skin for the sun. A lighter texture with UV protection is best for the day, while a richer cream that will cater to your skin's needs will do the trick in the night.