Beauty care practices continue to improve every year with new products that help us look and feel out best. There are CTM (cleansing, toning, moisturizing) rituals for the face, nourishing shampoos, conditioners, and serums for the hair, and strengthening gels and growth supplements for the nails. But what about our legs?

Hiding behind trousers, jeans, and comfortable pajamas for most of the year, we tend to overlook our precious legs until the warmer months come around. To be honest, the only debut they get is in the spring and summer. And when it comes time to show them off, we’re often left looking for solutions on how to get smooth legs without cellulite or how to tone them to have healthy legs that help carry us throughout our days.

According to New York City dermatologist Howard Sobel, MD, you see your face in the mirror all the time, but you rarely look at your legs and are more likely to neglect them. To avoid that, let’s walk through some serious TLC for healthy legs with these 4 tips, from body scrubs to healthy skin supplements.

How to Achieve Smooth & Healthy Legs

1. Reduce the appearance of cellulite

Cellulite is the dimpled skin formed mostly around the thighs, butt, and stomach areas. Cellulite forms when the fat cells under the skin push up against the connective tissue, causing the skin to pucker. It is extremely common and affects almost all adult women, irrespective of body shape, size, weight, type of skin, or lifestyle. So, you’re definitely not alone! Even celebrities and fitness influencers aren’t immune. So, the question arises, ‘How to get rid of cellulite on the legs?’ Answer. You can’t. At least not at home. However, what you CAN do is reduce the appearance of it. Here are a few tricks that should help:

• Coffee Scrub: A coffee scrub is known to be a highly promising remedy for cellulite. Gently massaging the coffee scrub on the thighs in a circular motion purifies and helps stimulate the lymphatic drainage (which rids the body of waste). And caffeine tightens and plumps the skin. According to Dr. Howard Sobel, “caffeine will dehydrate skin by decreasing the water content of fat cells, thereby decreasing the appearance of the cellulite.”

• Dry Brushing: Using a dry body brush is another great way to lose cellulite on the legs. Gently scrubbing before you shower impacts not only the dimples but also rids the body of dry skin. Do this once or twice a week, and remember to start scrubbing from your ankles and work your way up.

• Water: Drink plenty of water. Water is one of the basic remedies for every skin issue. Drinking ample water helps clear the skin of unhealthy toxins, keeping it hydrated and fresh. However, drinking excess water could also lead to bloating. So, stick to the recommended amount according to your body weight.

• Exercise: It goes without saying that exercise strengthens the muscles and tightens the skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite. A few exercises to reduce cellulite on legs are squats, step-ups, side lunges, leg kickbacks, jump squats, etc.

2. Massage and Relax

We all love to hit the spa every now and then, but regular visits may be too deep for our pockets. However, self-massaging your legs regularly with body oil provides intense nourishment and health to the skin. It is also a relaxing therapy after a long day, improving blood circulation and relieving any kind of discomfort, stress, or fatigue in the legs. So, how to massage legs on our own? Opt for natural oils such as coconut, argan, almond, jojoba, or rosehip, among others. Using your thumb and fingertips, gently massage the oil in a circular motion from the ankle way up to the calves and knees. Do this regularly for 2-3 minutes, and soon you’ll feel your legs becoming softer and smoother. 

3. Scrub and Moisturize

Exfoliation is the key to glowing skin. Buffing the skin once a week not only keeps dryness away but also reduces ingrown hair as the superficial skin layer is removed. Choose an exfoliator that nourishes the skin, such as coffee or coconut. You can also make your own leg scrub at home. To exfoliate, take some scrub and apply it on your legs, gently rubbing in a circular motion. Be careful not to be hard or over-exfoliate as it can damage your skin.

Along with scrubbing, moisturizing goes a long way in maintaining your skin supple, fresh, and radiant. Slathering a
high-quality lotion right after bath locks in moisture, keeping your skin hydrated through the day. Depending on your moisturizing needs, choose a lightweight body lotion or body butter to moisturize your legs daily. If you have dry skin, scrubbing and moisturizing is the solution to help you achieve smooth and healthy legs.

4. Vigorous Exercise

Leg strengthening exercises are a must to shape and tone your leg muscles. You don’t even need to sign up for expensive gym memberships. Simple leg exercises such as walking, jogging, jumping, skipping, cycling, aerobics, squats, or even climbing stairs are excellent ways to increase blood circulation and tighten the skin around your thighs, butt, and calves. This is a sure-shot step to strong and healthy legs!

5. Keeping Your Skin Healthy from Within

Finally, take steps to nourish your skin with healthy supplements and vitamins. Your legs won’t be able to hit their peak health if you are just using external solutions. Nourishing your skin from the inside out helps create healthy habits while supporting your body to run at peak performance and have the best results for radiant skin. Collagen, keratin, elastin, hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, and vitamin C are all wonderful additions to your daily health routine that not only help with health legs, but offer many more benefits for your overall health as well.

Your legs take you everywhere you go, so it’s time to treat them with the TLC they deserve! Whether they’re hidden in winter or making their debut in summer, healthy legs require year-round care for optimal results. Use these leg care tips to feel confident and healthy!