How to Get Hydrated Skin for Summer

If there’s one thing I struggle with in summer, it’s keeping my skin hydrated and looking healthy. I drink lots of water, but I grow quickly tired of putting on lotion every day! Alas. After a new game plan while I was pregnant to limit stretch marks, I now have a few handy ways to get hydrated skin for summer – head to toe!

How to Get Hydrated Skin for Summer

1. Drink Water

Let’s just get this one out of the way. You can pretty much just ignore all these other things if you aren’t drinking *enough* water. It doesn’t matter if it’s warm, cold, infused, flat, or sparkling – just drink a lot of it! Trust me. Every single fiber of your being will benefit.

Read this for tips of how to drink more water and why it’s so important!

2. Body Oils

If you haven’t jumped on the body oil train, you absolutely must. Oils provide so much more hydration than lotion alone. After every shower, use a body oil. If you’re nervous about how to use body oil with sensitive skin, it’s easy – just read that post!

And if you don’t have body oils yet, here are a few favorites of mine…

3. Moisturize Daily

I will be the first to admit that while I’m good at washing, exfoliating, moisturizing, masking, and whatevering else my face….giving the same love to my body is another story! I still have a long way to go, but now I’m in the habit of moisturizing everyday.

It started during my pregnancy. I was so concerned with trying to avoid stretch marks, that it motivated me to put on lotion every morning – shower or not. Ugh was it a lot of work. But it paid off and, I realized, was great at keeping my skin looking healthy (and cellulite-light….especially on my legs)!

So. I use body oil by itself after showers. On days when I don’t shower, I apply a body spritz (more below) and then do a combination of body lotion and body oil. It isn’t so oily and the combination blends really well on my skin – so it happens very quickly!

4. Body Spritz Before Moisturizing

So randomly a lady in the gym a year or two ago reminded me that lotion works better on wet skin. I knew it, but I never really did anything about it.

Well now I do. On days when I’m not showering, I always apply a body toning mist before my lotion/oil combo.

What is it? Well at first it was just filtered water in a spray bottle. Now I like to add a few drops of essentials oils (roughly 6-8 drops per 10 ounces of distilled water). 

There are certainly actual body toning mists out there, but this DIY option is working so well for me!

5. Don’t Forget Your Feet

It’s always my feet that show the most “wear and tear” from summer. It’s all that sandal wearing. To battle this, apply a thick hand/foot cream to your feet every day. It can be in the morning before you put shoes on or before you go to bed. I’m a big fan of this cream for hands and feet.

6. Body Masks

I used to only do face masks (see just how many ways you can do face masks). Recently, however, I’ve done them a few times on my chest, feet, and hands.

It sounds crazy, but just like we love to pamper the skin on our face, our body needs it too. Usually a good moisturizing mask is the way to go. 

Use a washcloth to clean and briefly hydrate an area. Then I like to apply the mask before getting into the shower!

Then you can follow this up with any combination of oils or lotions.

7. Trim Your Nails

This is a random one, but I’ve found that if my nails are shorter, then my skin and nails all feel better. So when your skin is dry, consider trimming or filing your nails. Then whatever moisture your body has can go to your skin instead of being stretched so thin.