Orange Peel Skin On The Legs: 3 Tips That Can Help Treat It From The Pros

It's that time of the year when I start to think more and more about my legs. The layers come off, the skin comes out, and all of a sudden adopting a more thorough body care routine starts to sound like a great idea. 

I'll be honest with you: I've always been a bit self-conscious about the skin on my legs. I've written before about how I deal with strawberry skin (or skin that looks congested post-shave), as well as just generally having dry skin on my body. And like a lot of folks, I also deal with dimpling and bumpiness on my thighs (this is sometimes called "orange peel skin"—the beauty industry really loves comparing skin to fruit, I guess?). Essentially my skin just isn't as smooth and svelte as I'd like it to be naturally. 

The good news is that I've hit a point in life where things like this really don't bother me. Skin is skin is skin—and rarely does it look as flawless as it might in Photoshopped advertisements. But perfectionism isn't a goal of mine, and I'd rather just have my skin look healthy. 

I can not overstate the importance of daily hydration for skin health. Dry, dehydrated skin appears dull, crepey, and is more prone to sagging—all of which will exacerbate the appearance of dimples and bumps. Not to mention, moisturizers can temporarily help skin look more supple and glowy. And in the long term, a high-quality hydrator will help your skin look younger for longer. Don't skimp on hydration!

If your concerns are dimples on the skin, you might benefit from looking for a toning body cream or one formulated to treat crepey skin (as there'll be ingredient overlap). Toning creams may have active ingredients to help tighten the skin and strengthen the epidermis. 

For example, caffeine is a popular ingredient in toning creams, as it can give the skin a boost of circulation and suppleness. Retinols help improve skin cell turnover, boost collagen production, and even thicken the epidermis of the skin, which can help improve the look of skin over time (however, they can be challenging to tolerate—even on the body). AHAs, like glycolic acid, have also become popular in body treatments as they can slough off dry skin and even help support your body's collagen production.  

I personally don't faux tan, but lots of pros swear by it to smooth out the appearance of skin. (There's a reason most celebrities get fake tans—even if they don't admit it.) Beauty editor Jamie Schneider once wrote about how it's typically seen as a "high-maintenance" beauty ritual, but in reality: It makes your day-to-day so much simpler because your skin looks glowy and polished without much fuss.

"Especially as the weather warms up, I'll self-tan every 10 days or so for a faux glow. In addition to making me look like I just returned from a beach vacation, I find it helps balance and brighten my complexion, sort of like a full-body color corrector," she writes. "That doesn't mean I'll skimp on my daily lotion, but self-tanner makes my skin appear much smoother, tighter, and more even-toned."