BACKGRIDAre skin issues keeping you away from your favorite bikinis?
While natural and common, ingrown hairs and scarring are annoyingly unattractive, especially when your plans include beach days and tropical vacations.
Cue the skin-care expert that celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence trust with their summer glows, Sonya Dakar.
"I see it all the time, people always try to remove their own hair with tweezers or who knows what else," the owner of the LA-based Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic. "It always almost comes out badly, with puffiness, redness, irritation and infections. I have created a Bikini Smoother treatment at the clinic to professionally treat ingrown and an other issues a client may have on their bikini line."
Whether or not you're able to make to the spa, the aesthetician revealed four skin-care tips to E! News that will help you glow all summer.
Tip 1: Remove hair a few days prior to sun exposure.
"Waxing and laser hair removal treatments can make your skin sensitive for a few days post treatment," she recommended. "Make sure to get treatments done a few days before sun exposure."
Tip 2: "EXFOLIATE!"
Loofahs, exfoliating bath scrubs, body polishes—these shower must-haves are essential for summer skin-care.
According to the pro, "Ingrown hair is basically hair that has curled round and grown back into the skin. An ingrown hair can occur when the hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin cells. This clogging can force a hair to grow sideways, but regular exfoliation (1-3 times a week) can help bring the hair to the surface of the skin."
Tip 3: Use products with lactic acid and phytic acid
According to the skin pro, acids that "help dissolve the top layer of dead skin as well break down the mixture of sebum and dead skin cells that cause obstructions to hairs" can help prevent ingrown hairs and treat the marks that they ay leave behind.
"Ingrown hairs can crop up when the hair follicle is obstructed by dead skin cells, which is where lactic acid and phytic acid acid really make a difference," she said. "With darker skin, ingrown hairs tend to leave pesky pigmentation marks, but regular use of these acids work wonders to lighten them over time."
To combat both of these issues, Sonya suggests her Omega Polish and Activator Duo, which exfoliators like flax seeds and rice enzymes and lactic acid.
Tip 4: Treat with oils
If you're in the middle of your battle against bikini bumps or your skin is irritated from your latest hair removal routine, essential oils can help reduce puffiness, irritation, redness and burning.
"I treat the irritation of razor burns, even burns from bikini waxes (it happens) and later treatments with a blend of my Organic Omega Booster oil, made with pure organic flax seed oil and a proprietary blend of essential oils that include lavender and neroli—the rest is a family secret recipe!"
Now, you're ready for the beach!
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