Do These 3 Habits Every Week For Firmer Skin, From An Esthetician

Working toward a firm complexion that bounces back is much like building muscle on the body—you have to commit to a regimen and see it through for at least a few months before getting those wow-worthy results. 

Moursi starts off with a tip focused on the body skin: Start dry brushing as soon as humanly possible–and stick with it. This process helps to improve microcirculation in the skin and doubles as an accessible way to relax and ward off stress, she says. 

“Dry brushing is a hybrid of exfoliation and massage,” she explains. “As a full body exfoliating treatment, at-home dry brushing is performed with a soft-bristled brush stroked against the skin in slow, circular motions. You start at the feet and hands and then move toward the heart," she explains.

Once the dry skin is sloughed off, Moursi explains, the smooth skin surface will more easily absorb any body serums, lotions, or oils you have on hand. 

Finally, this step serves as a gentle way to support lymphatic drainage. “The lymph system lies immediately underneath the skin, dry brushing stimulates lymph flow, helping the body rid itself of toxins,” she says. 

“Retinol is a must-have ingredient in a serious anti-aging regimen for smoothing out lines and wrinkles,” Moursi says, which won’t come as a surprise to most skin care fanatics. She adds that retinol helps to stimulate collagen production, improving skin firmness over time—another reason it’s so effective for healthy skin aging.  

But just as you wouldn’t want to jump into lifting heavy weights six days a week, the same is true for retinol use: Slow and steady wins the race here. 

We’d be remiss to not mention the inside-out approach to skin care—which includes water intake. 

“Certain habits can lead to skin getting dehydrated faster, which can lead to more wrinkles and a lack of elasticity, or skin ‘bounce-back,’” Moursi says, listing excess caffeine as the first example. 

While caffeine itself isn’t always dehydrating, skipping water for more coffee most certainly is. Moursi suggests going one-for-one: “Get into the habit of having a glass of water with your coffee,” she says, which will help to mitigate the dehydration that could occur.