Your 3-Step Plan for Silky, Summer-Ready Legs

Memorial Day has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute, your dry, unshaven winter legs are safely hidden under your jeans and the next, it’s time to pull your shorts out of the back of the closet.

So, we asked a dermatologist and tanning and body makeup experts to help. The good news: From using body retinol to prep skin for a closer shave to applying body makeup to conceal veins and bruises, there’s a lot you can do from the comfort of home, even on short notice. Here's your three-step pro guide for softer, smoother, more radiant legs.

1PREP: DRY BRUSH, EXFOLIATE, AND SHAVE

Dull, dry, ashy and uneven skin can be easily remedied with the right prep work, says dermatologist Alicia Zalka, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University and the founder of Surface Deep. Before you think about applying any products, start by thinking about what you need to take off—namely dead cells, which when piled atop your legs can reduce radiance and make it harder for anything you apply later on to sink in.

For successful sloughing, Zalka recommends dry brushing three to five times a week before stepping into the shower. “Go in an upward direction to encourage lymphatic drainage and stop when your skin becomes a little pink. That’s how you’ll know you’ve stimulated your circulation,” she says.

For a more profound leg-skin reset, Zalka recommends following physical exfoliation with some form of chemical exfoliation to further shed dead cells. She suggests a glycolic acid toner or pad or, for a one-and-done solution, consider using an exfoliating body polish that packs both physical and chemical exfoliants.

A seriously close shave will only enhance the smoothness of your skin, but it may require a bit more foresight than you’re used to. If you shower in the morning, Zalka recommends softening the skin on your legs overnight with a moisturizer with retinol, salicylic, or glycolic acid. Removing the top layer of dead, dry skin cells from your legs will help the razor glide over skin. (As Zalka says, “We want [our razors] to ski on powder!”)

Once you’re in the shower, wait a few minutes until your legs are warm so that your pores will be open and your hairs will be easier to remove. Zalka stresses the importance of applying a layer of soap, cleanser, or ideally, shaving cream to your legs before wielding your razor for better slip and a reduced chance of nicks. After shaving, pat skin dry and smooth on body oil or a moisturizer without any acids in it, because if you have any microscopic nicks, these formulas could sting.

2HYDRATE AND APPLY SELF-TANNER

Here’s where skin really starts to look like summer skin. When it comes to using self-tanner to get glowing, “moisturizer is the key,” says tanning expert James Read, founder of Self Glow by James Read. “The more hydrated and reflective the skin, the better the finish looks.” 

But there’s a catch: Do not use moisturizers containing retinol, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid right before applying self-tanner, Read says. Because these formulas encourage skin cell turnover (i.e. exfoliation), they will cause your color to fade. “If you want to use both, wait around four days after tanning before reintroducing these ingredients to allow the color to fully develop and settle evenly,” Read says. The day of self-tanning, moisturize the leg area thoroughly with a rich body butter instead.  Shaving can also remove color, so Read recommends shaving the night before applying self-tanner whenever possible, or—if you didn’t quite nail the timing—using an electric razor, which doesn’t provide quite as close a shave as a traditional razor.

The type of self-tanner you’ll want to choose depends largely on your goals and skill level, says Jenni Blafer, a celebrity spray tanner and body makeup artist and founder of SKJ. Blafer recommends a tinted cream formula. The tint allows you to see where you’ve applied color. Once you’ve moved past the beginner stage, however, foams or mousses, which set faster due to their higher alcohol content, can help you build color more quickly.

Blafer also suggests applying self-tanner with tanning mitts, rather than your hands. The issue with using hands to apply? “They have divots and dings” so they don’t deposit color as evenly, she says. She adds that you’ll get a more believable outcome by working in several thin layers of self-tanner rather than applying a heavier dose of product in one fell swoop. Every formula works a bit differently, so allow color to develop according to the directions on the package.

3CONCEAL AND PERFECT

Whether you’ve applied self-tanner or not, adding body makeup (which makeup artists commonly refer to as body bronzer) can enhance your skin’s luminosity and even mask bruises or spider veins in a pinch.

Blafer recommends picking a tinted gel bronzer a shade or two darker than your natural skin tone. “Even when I spray people, you can always do the legs a bit darker than the rest of the body because they’re not as much of a focal point,” she says.

For even coverage, Blafer recommends applying body bronzer with a kabuki brush. To cover imperfections, pick a bronzer without shimmer—lest it highlight what you’re trying to hide—and dab it in thin layers over anything you’re trying to obscure. To help avoid color transfer, Blafer likes to set bronzer with loose powder (the way you’d set foundation on your face).