Here are 12 skin-smoothening tips that will make your skin smooth like butter. Tips for both face and body included!
Having smooth buttery skin was always one of my girlie fantasies, but my skin was quite the opposite.
Blame it on the pollution, dust, genetics, or whatever, but my skin was always dry to touch.
Now, I’d love to tell you that I stumbled upon a magic fix that turned my skin super soft, but it was a combination of habits and skincare routines that finally did it for me.
I am simply in love with how my skin feels right now.
And since my job is to spread all the things that work for me in the beauty and skincare department, it’s only right that I share my smooth skin tips with you beauties too.
So, if you’re ready to feel baby-soft all over, keep on reading.
12 Smooth Skin Tips You Must Try
1. Exfoliate Your Skin
Let me admit right off the bat that exfoliation is the least favorite part of skincare, yet I do it 2-3 times every week, without fail.
Dead skin cells sitting on top of your skin literally block your skin’s smoothness, and exfoliation is the easiest way to remove this layer.
You can go with a good old body scrub or try a chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid for a smoother finish.
Just be very very gentle, girl.
I see so many women exfoliating harshly because they think that’s how it’s supposed to be done, but your product already all the exfoliating factors. So need to go all scrubby dub-dub.
2. Opt for Waxing Instead of Shaving
I only ever used to remove my body hair with a razor, but then my skin started getting cuts and bumps.
I wasn’t doing it properly enough, but then I realized the effort just wasn’t worth it and switched to waxing. Best decision ever!
Waxing pulls your hair out from the root, which over time makes it finer and softer. On the other hand, shaving only cuts the hair from the surface, and they grow back sharp and stingy.
With waxing, you’ll no longer have to deal with ingrown hair and your skin will be smoother (and hairfree) for a long time.
It’s a switch that is very much worth it, trust me.
3. When Shaving, Do Pre and Post Skincare
Okay, despite being a waxing stan, I know sometimes you have no option but to shave.
But if you’re going to do it, make sure you do it right.
Never ever shave on dry skin. Hop in the shower and let the warm water soften your skin before you start.
Start by exfoliating to avoid ingrown hairs and get a closer shave. And then use a shaving cream or conditioner as a skin protectant. It will help the razor glide like a dream.
Post shave, moisturize your skin like your life depends on it. Look for something with aloe or shea butter to calm the skin down and lock hydration.
4. Follow a Good Face Skincare Routine
The skin on your face is more delicate than other parts of your body and it needs extra attention.
Here are some tips that will make your face skin soft:
- Cleanse your face gently to avoid stripping natural oils and making skin hard
- Use chemical exfoliants like AHA (glycolic, lactic) or BHA (salicylic) twice a week
- Avoid super gritty scrubs that cause micro-tears
- Moisturize your face (gel moisturizers for oily skin, creams for dry skin, and ceramides, niacinamides, and peptides for barrier repair)
- Massage your face daily with your hands, a roller, or gua sha
A post I recommend: How To Get Glass Skin: 10-Step Glass Skin Routine
5. Apply Petroleum Jelly On Dry Body Parts
Some areas of your body are more dry than others.
I mean, I am an oily-skin girl, but you wouldn’t be able to tell if you touched my knuckles. They’re always so dry and cakey!
For such dry body parts, there is only one miracle cure — petroleum jelly, i.e., our beloved Vaseline.
It’s the holy grail for treating your dry elbows, knees, heels, and even your lips.
If you have really dry skin, then you can try slugging. After your nighttime body lotion, layer on a thin coat of petroleum jelly on your body parts.
You’ll wake up feeling like a glazed croissant. Yum!
(Okay, that was totally cheese, let’s move on…)
6. Eat Skin-Friendly Foods
This tip should keep as no surprise. What you put inside your body shows on your skin.
I’ve noticed such a difference just from drinking more water and adding skin-friendly foods to my diet.
Here are some of them:
- Avocados for healthy fats
- Berries for antioxidants
- Nuts/seeds for that glow from within
- Salmon for omega-3 fatty acids (I can’t get myself to eat this, but if you can, say yes please)
- And of course, lots of water (add lemon, cucumber, or mint if plain water bores you)
Must read: 13 Skincare Mistakes You Should Avoid At All Costs
7. Keep Your Showers Between 5-10 Minutes
Shower is a form of therapy for us ladies, so it pains me to admit this, but long showers can be bad for your skin.
When you expose your body to water for too long, your skin is stripped of its natural oils and opens up your pores, letting moisture seep out.
This can dehydrate your skin fast, and moisturizing later on isn’t enough, nor is it a natural way to compensate for the lost moisture.
Your showers shouldn’t last more than 5-10 minutes, as this time is more than enough to cleanse your body and maintain its natural smoothness.
8. Use a Gentle Body Wash
Oooh yes, this is such an underrated step but so important!
Picking the right body wash or shower gel can totally make or break your smooth skin goals.
You don’t want anything that strips your skin dry or leaves you feeling squeaky (the enemy of softness).
When picking your body wash, avoid products with harsh sulfates. Look for labels like ‘sulfate-free’, ‘gentle’, and ‘for dry/sensitive skin’.
Keep in mind that just because it smells good, doesn’t mean it will clean good too. Checking out the ingredients of your shower gel is super important.
Some skin-loving ingredients you can look for are:
- Shea butter
- Coconut oil
- Oat extract
- Glycerin (super hydrating!)
- Hyaluronic acid
- Aloe vera
Body washes that I approve of: Native body wash and Aveeno daily moisturizing body wash.
9. Moisturize With a Body Lotion
While your skin is still damp from the shower, moisturize it with a nice body lotion. It will lock in hydration and give you a plump feel.
Since I am obsessed with my bath routine, I have tried a dozen body lotions, and my two favs are Aveeno lotion and Palmer’s coca butter.
Both are affordable and will do the job of keeping your skin safe and smooth.
You can also try almond and rosehip oil. Although oiling doesn’t work for me, I have friends who swear by it, so do try.
10. Keep a Humidifier In Your room
When the air in your room (especially with heaters or AC blasting) is dry, it literally pulls moisture out of your skin.
That might be why your skin feels tight, flaky, and dull all the time, no matter how much lotion or face cream you slather on.
This is why you need a humidifier in your room. It’s a low-effort and high-reward hack for soft skin that nobody talks about, but I am going to.
A humidifier adds moisture back into the air around you, which keeps your skin hydrated and plump and prevents dry patches.
It also makes your moisturizer work better and can even help calm eczema and dry skin flare-ups.
My humidifier runs every night and honestly, it’s a whole vibe that I really don’t want you to miss out on.
11. Pamper Your Hands and Feet
If I had to divide my soft skin routine into parts, there would be three categories. One for my face, one for my body, and one for my hands and feet.
Your hands and feet are more active than the rest of your body, which makes them more prone to dryness, cracks, and flakes.
They can also show telltale signs of aging, which I am sure you’d like to avoid.
This is why you need a separate pamper routine for your hands and feet.
Do this once a week:
- Soak in a bowl of warm water and add a few drops of olive oil
- Use a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells
- Slather on a hand/foot mask and leave it for 10 minutes
- Lock in with a moisturizer
Also, always apply hand cream after washing your hands, and use SPF on your hands to prevent aging & sun spots.
If your hands tend to get extra dry like me, then keep a mini hand cream in your bag for daily top-ups.
You can also use a mani-pedi kit, whichever one is available to you for your regular pamper sessions.
12. Prep Your Skin Before Bed
Your skin repairs itself while you sleep, so give it something to work with!
Apply body lotion if you’ve taken a night shower, put little oil on the dry spots, and cozy ip in soft PJs so that your skin isn’t irritated at night.
Also, put on a hydrating lip mask to make your lips super soft.
Best way to feel luxury, softness, and main character energy!
Must read: How To Glow Up Overnight (7-Step Beauty Routine)
Let’s Make Your Skin Soft!
I know that dry and rough skin can be a stubborn to treat, but you just need the right mix of love, products, and patience.
And of course, the right skincare tips, which I hope I was able to give you in this post.
Let me know if you try any of these or have your own smoothening tips. I’m always up for trying new things for my skin (within reason, of course).
