Laura Fox chats to skin specialist and entrepreneur Jennifer Rock, also known as The Skin Nerd, about how to get our skin ready for the sun this summer. Listen back above.
When the weather starts to improve, most of us rush to pull out our summer wardrobes and clean down the barbeque. But how should we be preparing our skin for the sun?
"Our bodies have been hibernating and we're starting to get a glimmer of summer, like I'm wearing ripped jeans today so my knees are on show", Rock said.
Regardless of whether you're staying in Ireland or jetting off to sunnier pastures, there are many ways we can both prime our skin for summer, and protect it during the warmer months.
Rock's first tip is to resist the urge to use scrubs to buff away all that dead skin from the winter months. Instead, opt for "acid-based skincare", she said.
"The word 'acid' still tends to terrify people but if I could just remind us that our skin is acidic, so putting a very mild, gentle, acid-based lotion or shower gel is perfectly fine."
She added that it's "psychologically different when you use an acid-based product because you don't have that grit that you had grown up with, so you don't get that mechanical, 'I'm really washing my body' kind of sensation, which we don't want you to have".
Lactic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid are what to look out for when choosing cleansing products, and always start slow and build your tolerance up. This is especially important in the lead up to fake tanning.
While Rock herself loves to fake it, not make it when it comes to her tan, she also cautioned against leaving removing your tan until the very last minute so that you don't have to mechanically buff it off your skin.
"Experts would suggest that when you're putting a tan on, almost two or three days after it's on you start to exfoliate it gradually off, it's a kind way to the skin, and then you get a better removal", she said.
Hydrating your tan is also key, and Rock suggests using gradual tanning lotion to both maintain your glow and keep it soft and moisturised.
"I'll always say, inside out", she added, which means not depending on "a topical product like a cream. Looking after your essential fatty acid intake on the inside". "It's like an internal moisturiser for your body, and you can see it."
When choosing your tan, Rock suggested looking for one that have "lots of antioxidants, anti-ageing ingredients, like your shea butter. It's really a tan that isn't just a pigment, it's a tan that has lots of good skin-loving ingredients inside it as well."
If you're tanning your face, however, Rock cautioned against using a traditional tan on the delicate skin of your face. "A lot of tanning products will have an ingredient in it called DHA, which is ultimately what causes the skin to change to that colour and get the pigment that you so desire, but it also can leave what's called tan spots or tan comidones."
This can look like blackheads across your back or chest, she added. To avoid this, she suggested using a facial tanning serum or mist instead.
With our skin most covered up during the rest of the year, it's no surprise that, come summer, our legs and arms are looking a bit worse for wear. One of the most common complaints is "chicken skin", the nickname for keratosis pilaris, which looks like small, red and dry bumps.
Salicylic acid is ideal for breaking down the appearance of this, Rock said, as well as getting a source of vitamin A such as retinol, which you can add into your moisturiser slowly.
For more tips, listen back to the full interview above.
