10 Head-to-Toe Beauty Boosters Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close
10 Head-to-Toe Body Boosters
Show some love to all the skin you re in
Most beauty routines focus on the face, but a good beauty routine covers your entire body. Getty Images Many women think of their “beauty” routine as a from-the-neck-up thing. Well, there’s a whole lot of skin on the way down that needs attention, too. Your faithful and fabulous body’s gotta last a lifetime, so make maintaining the entire outer package (and its inner health, of course) a priority. You’ll look better dressed and naked, and who’d say no to that? Here are 10 tough-love tips on how to do it. 1. Necks need skin care and better posture … not turtlenecks. Start today by using your daily face care — moisturizer, night treatment and broad-spectrum SPF 30-plus — on your neck, too. Be sure to do the front, sides and back of the neck, and apply all creams in upward strokes, from bottom to top. Curb “tech neck” (the sag and creases caused by hunching over your smartphone, laptop, Kindle or iPad) by holding the phone up to your face and sitting up straight when you work, shop online or read. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 2. Make your décolletage matter. The skin between your neck and breasts is thin, vulnerable and a magnet for sun damage. The good news is your chest — like facial skin — responds quickly to ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacin, antioxidants and botanicals that plump up lines, restart collagen production, soothe and smooth. So continue with tip No. 1 and extend daily facial skin care and broad-spectrum sunscreen right down to your bra. Start sleeping on your back, too. Side and stomach sleepers risk increased crinkling, crepe-like textural changes and creasing. A contoured back-sleeper pillow helps you stay put and comfy. Place your usual pillow under your knees to prevent middle-of-the-night rollovers. Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo 3. Soften dry, ashy arms and legs. Switch up your bath or shower routine to counteract the visible results of slowed cell turnover, oil production and circulation. Choose body washes and lotions infused with rich, emollient shea butter and botanical oils like almond or coconut. Apply moisturizer while skin is towel blotted, but still damp, to lock it in. Exfoliate flaky spots when needed — after washing but before hydrating — with a gentle body polish like Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Oat, Sugar and Shea Breakfast Scrub or SheaMoisture Raw Shea Coffee Scrub. The mild combo of sugar or coffee plus shea butter and botanical oils buffs elbows, knees and shins. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > iStock 6. Keep hands groomed and glam. We love stacking rings and bracelets, but our hands honestly need three things to counteract the appearance of veins, brown spots and dry skin threatening our style. UVA rays penetrate glass and shade. Always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 30-plus daily, even while driving, under a canopy or umbrella, or just sitting in front of a window. Keep a tube of hand cream at every sink and a travel-size one in your bag. And finally, wear colorful polish to draw attention to manicured nails. They’re as eye-catching and attention-getting as a red lipstick is to your smile. 7. Fast-fix body “decorations.” Dermatologists do have lasers and solutions for all our random discolorations, old stretch marks, cellulite dimples, broken capillaries, veins and red, splotchy areas — but they’re pricey and often painful. Instead, use a little body makeup or self-tanner to camouflage or blur discolorations. Keep it realistic — use a tint for waterproof makeup and a self-tanner that’s warm but within your actual skin-tone range. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe More on entertainment AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS