Spring Into Spring: 2 Steps to Ensure You Hop into the Season with Style!

Nicole N.K. Gutierrez – The newest fashion editor for ChocolateCity.cc.

It's March and our weeks have vacillated between blistery and balmy. Chances are you've been so preoccupied with how many layers you need to leave the house with, that your skin has most likely paid the price of perpetual winter neglect… You've suddenly found that your hands and heels are unusually dry, your elbows and knees are less than touchably soft, and when you look in the mirror you can’t help but say to yourself, "Somthin' ain't quite right." Because let's face it, whether you're café con leche or dark chocolate truffle, a kiss of sun never hurts anyone. Here are 2 simple steps to give you a spring in the right direction.

1. At-Home Pedicure with Media Meditation

Pop in your favorite must-see movie or fire-up your DVR to catch up on the Chicago Code episodes you've missed while you prepare a delectable foot bath that is guaranteed to wash away your woes, and crusty toes! If you don’t own one of those fancy foot baths, no need to fret! Making your own is quick, cost effective, and easy. Just grab a dish bucket and dump a bag of marbles in the bottom and VOILA, you've created your own at-home foot bath with massage beads! (Uhmmm…. but you may not want to wash your dishes in it afterward – just sayin!)

Add a half cup of Epsom salt, two drops each of tea-tree oil, a natural antiseptic, and pure lavender oil, renowned for it's therapeutic benefits, and fill the foot bath just over halfway with water as warm as you can comfortably stand it. Submerge your tootsies for 10 minutes while rubbing them back and forth over your massage beads. Follow up with a scouring by using a moist loofah or pumice stone, paying close attention to those heels. FYI: If you can hear your feet scraping against your sheets when you hop into bed, then I am ESPECIALLY talking to you! Slather on your favorite foot cream, avoiding your actual toenail– at the moment, mine happens to be Lemony Flutter by Lush. Finally, clip and file your toenails and adorn them with your favorite shade of the season. Desperado from Nars is my current love affair!

2. EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE!

Contrary to popular belief, petroleum jelly, coco butter, and baby oil are NOT the cure alls to dry skin. In fact, when used to treat dry skin these products can often have a more adverse effect. If the skin is not properly exfoliated then it is impossible for it to be hydrated. By slathering on these rich, emollient products you may actually be perpetuating dehydration by stifling natural oils that need to get beyond the superficial layer of dead skin that the body naturally produces. Adding a thick barrier of the wrong product to this already dehydrated skin without exfoliation won't take you two steps forward, it will set you back three! Exfoliation is one of the most important steps to achieving healthy, glowing skin. It is imperative that you are sloughing 1-3 times a week in order to achieve and maintain that silky, sexy complexion.

N. K’s Insider Tips.

For the face: You want to exfoliate 1-3 times per week depending upon your age and skin type. I generally recommend that my teen clients slough once a week with a manual exfoliator (scrub with beads), 20 somthings1-2x per week, and 35 and up 2-3x. You want to be certain that the beads are made synthetically and not naturally derived. Meaning, if it is a scrub using pieces of a fruit, like apricot or papaya, the uneven surface of those particles may cause microscopic abrasions on the skin, which can lead to hyper pigmentation (darkening of the skin), when exposed to sun. So lean toward a scrub that has sphered-shaped beads like Peter Thomas Roth's Anti-Age Buffing Beads or Natura Bisse's C+C Vitamin Scrub.

For the Body: Since the body has a much more resilient skin texture you can exfoliate much more often. I recommend using a scrubby glove(textured exfoliation glove worn in the bath or shower) daily with your regular shower gel or bar soap, and every other day with an exfoliating manual scrub like C+C Vitamin Body Scrub by Natura Bisse. For a beautiful homemade body buffer try mixing 1 part of course sea salt with two parts olive oil or coconut oil.

These simple tidbits will have you lusciously soft and ready to embrace the warm weather in a snap! Stay tuned for next weeks tips where we’ll focus on all the beauty must haves to add to your warm weather make-up wardrobe.

Until then remember: Daring to love the skin you’re in is the best risk you will ever take!

About the author:

Nicole Gutierrez (N.K) was recently announced as the newest fashion editor for ChocolateCity.cc; an online magazine featuring social and economic issues, urban concerns, urban entertainment, and current events. As the new Beauty and Fashion Editor, N.K. will highlight seasonal trends and styles, keeping you abreast of all the latest tips and tricks.