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4 Tips To Make Your Skin Smoother Than A Dolphin From Head To Toe
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Everyone has a different way to describe their skin goals—some aim for a dewy, “glazed donut” complexion, while others swoon over a matte “cloud skin” look. I tend to settle on this: dolphin skin.
I doubt the name needs much translating, but here’s what I mean: skin that is smooth, even-toned, super-bouncy, and most importantly, healthy as can be. Below, four tips to encourage this slippery look.
Be gentle with hair removal
First thing’s first, you’ll want to limit ingrown hairs however you can. Do this by removing hair carefully, either with a sharp, clean razor or another form of removal like waxing, threading, sugaring, etc.
If you shave, be sure to exfoliate your body beforehand, either with a body scrub or chemical exfoliant.
"Gentle exfoliation can help [loosen] the free edge of hairs that may be trapped under the skin," said board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D. "This can give you a smoother shave and lower the likelihood of razor bumps or irritation."
Moisturize daily (at least)
After you step out of the shower, immediately apply body lotion or body cream. Your slightly damp skin will enhance the benefit of the moisturizer. See, humectants like aloe vera and hyaluronic acid pull excess water into the skin, contributing to a more hydrated skin barrier.
You’ll definitely want to do this after you shower, but feel free to level up and apply lotion twice daily if you feel like it or if your skin feels particularly dry.
Use active body treatments
Many people use chemical exfoliants and retinol on the face, but they don't often give the same attention to the body. However, both of these ingredients can be game-changers for smoother, tighter body skin.
Exfoliants will slough off dead skin cells and boost radiance, in addition to preventing ingrowns. Retinol, on the other hand, has plenty of body skin benefits, including:
You can find retinol in body lotions or body serums, but make sure you skip using retinol and exfoliants in the same night, as the duo can irritate your skin.
Take skin supplements
Last but certainly not least: Invest in skin supplements. While not every supplement out there is an A+ pick, there are plenty of ingredients that can help support healthier, tighter, dolphin skin—including collagen peptides.*
Specifically, hydrolyzed collagen peptides have been shown to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density4 and help promote the body's natural production of collagen5 and other molecules that make up the skin, like elastin and fibrillin.* This will contribute to the thick and bouncy feel of dolphin-like skin.
A hydrolyzed form should be nonnegotiable, as research has shown that hydrolyzed collagen peptides are absorbed more easily6 by your bloodstream and body than normal-sized collagen molecules.*
Not sure where to look? Here’s our curated list of the nine best collagen supplements on the market right now.
The takeaway
If you want skin as smooth as a dolphin, it takes some dedicated steps. First, if you choose to remove hair, do your best to avoid razor bumps. Then find a lotion you love and apply it at least once a day. Finally, never overlook the power of active skin treatments and skin-boosting supplements.
6 Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31524348/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5574737/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/412795
- https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961619P0009X
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583892/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16076145
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