Secrets to better looking beach bod

April 22, 2015 11:27 PM

The thing about awesome feeling and looking skin goes far beyond skin care products and genes.

Good posture

If you are already comfy in a bathing suit, well, we definitely envy you.

From stretch marks to rash and then cellulite, a lot of us feel a bit shy exposing ourselves and for good reason too.

For those who need a little boost of confidence when it comes to wearing and feeling comfortable in your own skin, here are 5 tips to achieving just that.

Debloat

Drinking plenty of water and eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas, avocados, kiwi, carrots, can keep sodium levels, hence bloat, to a minimum. Other debloaters include oranges, cantaloupe, and coconut water.

Body makeup

There's a way to do body makeup that's both low-maintenance and subtle.

A skin-tone-enhancing body makeup, like Urban Decay Naked Skin Body Balm, gives a sheer, healthy glow and makes skin look dewy.

Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is another foolproof option, It contains silicones that reflect light and fill in wrinkles, stretch marks, and cellulite temporarily. Both are moisturizing and won't rub off on your white bikini.

Avoid in-growing hair

Wash your bikini area with a 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser before shaving "to reduce the inflammation and bacteria that contribute to ingrowns," says Ava Shamban, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

If you're still seeing bumps, layer a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream over bacitracin ointment twice a day for three days to clear things up.

Scrub brush

Exfoliation, apart from buffing away flakes and dullness, also helps to temporarily minimize the appearance of cellulite because it draws water into the skin, filling the crevices for a few hours.

Buff your whole body with a natural-bristle body brush, like the Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush. Start at your feet and work your way up, skip your neck and chest, where skin is thinner.

Follow with a quick, cool shower, which gets circulation pumping.

Sitting and standing postures

The trick behind a flatter stomach without doing a single sit-up is to improve your posture.

"Engage your abdominals all the time," says Sophie Flack, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet and the author of Bunheads.

"Supporting your back with your core makes you look thinner."

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