Summer skin

Summer skin can be rough

and

oily. What an icky combination.

Our bodies, having never really recovered from winter, are flaky. And once the mercury goes up, our T-zones get oily. I don't know about you, but it seems as if my pores just don't want to stop expanding.

Local aestheticians suggest that, before we put on short shorts and tankinis, we slough off the dead skin with a body polish. At the salons, this is a yummy-smelling massage. But with a good shower and a little patience, you can get off the dead skin yourself. Some of my favorite products include Joe Malone, Kiehl's and Philosophy - which has a fabu peppermint scrub.

To freshen our faces, many folks recommend a facial every three months. Some of my local favorites include the Powder Room in Northeast Philadelphia and Heaven & Earth on Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill.

But if you can't make, or afford, a four-times-a-year splurge, there is always Bioré. (I swear by the brand's warming face mask.)

To keep oily T-zones - that would be your nose, forehead and cheek area - at bay, Newtown Square-based Wei Brian suggests women cleanse their faces at least twice a day and moisturize with toners infused with minerals.

"These minerals put nutrients back into the skin," said Brian, whose skin-care line, Wei East, is based on Chinese herbal medicine and is available on the Home Shopping Network.

Another tip, Brian said, is to use a mask once a week. This helps minimize the pores.

Julie Ebner of JuJu Salon in Old City recommends we carry an atomizer filled with water and toner to mist the skin.

"Herbal extracts are the best," Ebner said. "For inflammation and breakouts, use lavender, and at night, use blue chamomile to relax, or essential oils with carrots and myrrh."

And most important, don't forget to use a moisturizer with an SPF, as sunburns and skin cancer do not discriminate.