You’ve got a dream date lined up for the weekend and you need your scaly skin to feel like silk, so what do you do? Forget flipping out and giving yourself stress acne; there is a way to magically moisturize overnight.
It takes a little time and effort, but not a lot of bank; in fact, you might already have everything you need to create baby-soft skin that lasts for days.
Things You’ll Need
- Old towel
- Petroleum jelly
- Old sweatpants
- Lotion
- Old socks, thick
- Old sweatshirt
1. Start with a scrub.
Take a shower at night, right before you go to bed, and exfoliate your skin with a washcloth or scrubbing puff to gently remove dead skin.
Don’t overdo it–you’re just trying to invigorate the skin, not destroy it. If your skin looks flushed or feels irritated, ease back on the scrubbing. Rinse well, and pat your skin dry with a thick towel.
2. Lay down a moisture base.
Let your skin air-dry for about a minute after you towel dry–a good time to pluck your brows or touch up your manicure. Using your favorite moisturizer, gently massage lotion over your entire body, except for the head.
Make sure to work the lotion in well, massaging it between your toes and around the sides of your torso. Wrap up in a towel or robe if you’re chilly, and let the lotion sink in for 3 to 5 minutes (enough time for a quick pedicure).
3. Add major hydration.
Have an old towel, sweat pants, sweatshirt, and super-thick socks within arm’s reach, because this is gonna get messy. Starting with your feet, massage a thick layer of jelly over your skin, moving up your legs.
Put on the socks and pants as soon as you’re done with your lower body. Rub the jelly into your upper body and pull on the sweatshirt. Do not touch anything with your petroleum-covered hands.
Use the towel to turn on the faucet. Wash your hands and dry them with the towel to remove the excess goo. You may feel grungy right now, but it’ll pay off when you wake up with to-die-for skin.
4. Soak it up.
Go to bed and let the goodness soak into your skin for the next 8 to 12 hours. For the best results, do not shower in the morning–just peel off those grungy clothes, use an old towel to wipe your skin clean, and start making yourself fabulous.
You’ll notice your skin is not only silky, but it keeps getting softer all day.
Tips & Tricks
- You don’t have to use lotion before using the petroleum jelly; it just adds an extra boost of hydration to your skin. The jelly acts as both a moisturizer and a seal that forces the oils into your skin instead of letting them evaporate or rub off.
- Petroleum jelly is oily and can stain, so make sure to use old clothes that are thick enough to create a barrier between your petroleum-covered skin and any other fabrics. Launder these clothes separately from others, as the oil can transfer and stain.
- If your skin is prone to acne, skip the potentially pore-clogging petroleum jelly, and just slather on the moisturizer.