Body power: Look good for summer at every age

Maximise your assets with our clever guide to the body beautiful, with advice on everything from skincare to the latest hair removal techniques. By Eve Cameron

You can't undo the past, but it's never too late to get into good habits, as my grandmother told me when she gave up smoking - aged 90. So here's how to make the most of what you've got, whatever your age.

 

Your 30s

 

This is when you are most likely to start a family, so expect rampaging hormones and stress - and lots of fulfilment too, of course.

"It's vital to remember that even though it might be difficult, finding time for a healthy diet and exercise will help you maintain a better body and improve your mental clarity and strength," says Dr Hilary Allan, cosmetic dermatologist at Woodford Medical Aesthetics, www.woodfordmedical.com.

 

30s: Get glowing

In your thirties, cell renewal starts to slow down, which means dead skin cells hang around for longer. The result? Your skin can start to look duller. The simple solution is to use a body scrub on dry skin twice a week before a shower. We like Kings & Queens Queen Isabella Cinnamon Orange Scrub and Sultan of Grenada Lemon Flower Scrub, both £7.50; www.nivenandjoshua.co.uk

You could also try body brushing says make-up artist Ruby Hammer. "Spend a few minutes dry brushing in the direction of your heart two or three times a week to keep your skin looking great." Try the Elemis Skin Brush, £17; www.elemis.com

 

30s: Minimise your stretch marks

Weight gain and loss stretches your skin, breaking down the connective fibres. This shows up as pink or brown marks, which then fade. Some women are more prone to them than others, but keeping your skin moisturised seems to help lessen their development - try Bio- Oil, £6.66, which contains PurCellin Oil plus vitamins A, E and calendula oils, or Lancôme Nutrix Royal Body, £36.50 is also good.

Creams with vitamin A derivatives, such as tretinoin, available on prescription, are believed to help stretch marks when they are still pink. An over-the-counter version is RoC Retinol Anti-Stretch Marks, £14.99, with retinol, also a vitamin A derivative. If money's no object, try Elizabeth Arden Prevage Body, £95, which addresses stretch marks, pigmentation marks and slack skin.

Laser treatment may also help them appear less obvious, but it can't get rid of them altogether. A number of sessions would be needed (which will cost hundreds of pounds). Contact www.cosmeticdoctors.co.uk for a reputable practitioner.

The bottom line is the older the stretch mark, the less likely it is you can make it disappear.

 

Your 40s

 

There's nothing to stop you looking better than ever now - however unlikely that might feel after a late night and a few too many glasses of Pinot Grigio! "Our bodies respond well to a healthy routine, so a good diet and regular exercise are key," says Dr Hilary Allan. But if you've overdone the sun in the past, this is when it will start to show in crepey skin and brown pigmentation spots.

 

40s: Tackle sun damage

Your hands and décolleté are often the oldest-looking parts of your body, as they're constantly exposed to UV and usually have less attention lavished on them than your face. But it's never too late to use sun protection - you'll slow down further premature ageing. Try Dr Nick Lowe Double Duty SPF15 Hand Cream, £12.67, and Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Sun Indulgence Lotion for Body SPF30, £20, on your décolleté.

To nourish and brighten your skin and reduce discolourations, Nia 24 Sun Damage Repair for Décolletage and Hands, £45 (SpaceNK), is a good investment. Its exclusive ingredient, Pro-Niacin, has been chosen by the National Cancer Institute in the US for development as a potential skin cancer prevention agent.

 

40s: Upgrade your body treatments

Collagen production decreases with age. To help stimulate it, you could try using a retinol based product such as RoC Retinol Multi-Correxion Body, £14.95, an anti-ageing body moisturiser, which not only aims to tighten saggy skin, it also helps to fade brown spots. Lancôme Magistrale, £33, also stimulates elastin and collagen fibres and contains caffeine, so it's ideal for slack, wobbly bits, such as arms, tummy and thighs.

Additionally, Dr Hilary Allan says that Intense Pulsed Light treatments (IPL), which are also known as photo-rejuvenation, have been effective at helping to reduce pigmentation on sun-damaged skin. Prices start at around £95.

Courses of peels, such as Agera and micro-dermabrasion will also even out skin texture. Three to six sessions are advised with results showing after two to three. Cost is about £150 per treatment.

 

Your 50s+

 

Despite the fact that many 50-somethings are running around in head-to-toe Top Shop; after the menopause, decreased oestrogen levels mean skin loses plumpness and tone. "It may also be dry, itchy and more sensitive," says Véronique Delvigne, scientific director at Lancôme. "It's important to take extra care of mature skin, as it is more fragile, prone to injury and infection and bruises easily, taking longer to heal."

 

50s: Be gentle

"Avoid temperature extremes, such as very hot baths," advises Ruby Hammer, "as this will dry out skin." Use a moisturising wash, such as Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger Burst Care Body Wash, £2.99, and avoid soap, which is drying.

Apply a rich body cream daily, such as Jergens Naturals Age Defying Body Moisturiser, £4.88, and pay special attention to your hands, elbows, feet and shins.

 

50s: Keep scrubbing

According to Nathalie Issachar, head of RoC R&D, mature skin needs more exfoliation, not less. "As cell renewal slows, dead skin cells sit on the surface for longer. This allows melanin to accumulate, causing mottled hyperpigmentation and dull skin, so it's worth investing in a good exfoliator to remove dead cells and help boost clarity." It will also help with brown spots that are becoming an issue. As she explains: "They're usually caused by sun exposure but can also be triggered by hormonal imbalances."

Using an SPF all year is key to reducing and helping to prevent brown spots. Try RoC Minesol Spray Lotion SPF 30 and 50+, £15.95, and L'Oréal Paris Solar Expertise Sensitive Anti-Ageing Sun Protection Lotion SPF30, £11.50.

 

Summer beauty body special

 

How to beat cellulite and tackle unwanted hair - read our feature here

 

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