Every part of your skin deserves as much attention as the others. You can’t focus your skincare routine on your face alone because you’ll end up with uneven skin tones and textures. Imagine if the skin on your face is smooth and bright, but you have dry and darker skin from the neck down. So, here’s a four-part body skincare routine that you can use to fix that:

Part 1: Cleanse

Every time you shower, you use a bar of soap or body wash to remove the dirt on the surface of your skin. This means that you’re cleansing your skin from the pollutants that have managed to attach themselves to the tiny hairs on your extremities and pores. And almost every type of soap can help you achieve that.

However, you should choose a cleanser that won’t strip off all the natural oils from your skin because it can dry it out or make it feel tighter than usual. Using hot water or being exposed to freezing temperatures can also make the skin feel dry, so you’ll need a cleanser that contains moisturizing ingredients.

If you feel like the soap or body wash that you’re using now isn’t the right one for your skin, don’t be afraid to try several products to test them out. You can also look up their ingredients and reviews online, so you can save yourself from having to spend on products that you won’t get to use or finish.

Part 2: Exfoliate

Skin cells follow a specific cycle of regeneration and death. Approximately every 27 days, all your old skin cells will have already died because they have been replaced by new ones. But the dead skin cells don’t just fall off from your skin; you need to scrub them off by using the right kind of exfoliator.

That’s why you should exfoliate at least once every three days. For instance, you could use a body scrub with papaya enzymes because this is effective for dry or sensitive skin. Or you could also use a loofah along with your favorite body wash to scrub off the dead skin cells and excess sebum from your skin.

But remember not to exfoliate too often, as this can damage your skin. Also, try to avoid scrubs that can be too harsh on the skin because these can leave tiny lesions that sting or hurt afterward. Instead, choose gentle and soothing body scrubs that will help you have smoother skin.

Part 3: Moisturize

After cleansing or exfoliating, it’s normal for the skin to feel a bit dry or tight because you just removed the natural oils from the surface. But you can get that level of moisture again by using a good body lotion, which is even more critical if you live in a particularly cold or freezing region.

There are many types of body lotion in the market. If you think your skin is too dry, you might want to use thicker creams and lotions for added moisture. However, if you don’t like the sticky feeling of thick lotions, it will be better to stick with a weightless lotion because this tends to dry quickly.

The important part is that you don’t forget to moisturize because dry skin can become flaky or scaley over time, especially on your knees and elbows. Plus, your skin can become too rough because of dehydration, so you need to make sure that you’re doing your part to keep it moisturized.

Part 4: Protect

Finally, what you should never leave home without is sunscreen. Even when it’s cloudy, and you’re not directly under the sun, you can still suffer from UV ray damage because it’s present everywhere. It might not feel like it’s not affecting your skin, but the UV rays can still do irreparable damage without your knowledge.

That’s why it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Don’t be tempted to skip out on sunscreen, especially on the parts of your skin exposed to the elements. This can include your face, arms, hands, and legs, among others. If you expose more skin than usual, then make sure to put sunscreen on those areas too.

Sunscreen can also help fight against the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sunspots, and loss of firmness. So if you don’t like the heavy feeling of sunscreen on your skin, try to look for lightweight formulas that won’t be bothersome. Also, make sure to choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 or higher to increase your protection against the sun.

It’s not that difficult to do body skincare. Besides, you have already been doing the first part of this routine almost every day since you were born, so what’s stopping you from taking the next three steps? Do your skin a favor; show it the same level of care and love that you give to your face.