Skincare should never be an afterthought. And skincare for the bedroom, in other words, in preparation for an intimate evening, should be fun and titillating.
For a few ideas, we spoke with Los Angeles-based aesthetician Sora Connor, who’s known for her full-body holistic approach to skin. She focuses on blood flow, circulation, and lymphatic drainage, massaging her client’s visage to manipulate and sculpt the face.
Here, she shared some of her tips on how to prep (and a few things post) for a night of pleasure.
The bedroom is an intimate space, so whether you’re inviting someone into your bedroom or sharing an evening with your partner, how should we prep our skin? What results should we be yearning for?
Coming to that part of the evening, I’m going full out for prep time. In the shower, I’ll do a body scrub and then shave. I’ve gotten really into body serums, so coming out of the shower, a body serum is applied before your body moisturizer. The serum is going to sink a little bit deeper into the skin and offer more hydration, whereas the moisturizer, even on the face, will sit on top. A lot of the serums have really great peptides and ingredients and there are even ones with vitamin C or retinol. Essentially, it’s that extra layer of skin health for your body.
Also, when you layer the moisturizer on top, use something that smells good. I’m a huge scent person. So anything that smells luscious and makes you feel like a goddess.
Are there any products we should avoid?
It’s going to be dependent on each person. But don’t try something new. Don’t try a new acid or retinol because you never know what it’s going to do to your skin. You don’t want to look blotchy and red. Stick to your tried and true and be minimal with your skincare.
At night, I do the bare minimum, just a serum, and then moisturize, something that’s not going to be too sticky or sliding all over the place. Oils are going to be a personal preference, but if you do want that shiny glossy look and you’re not nervous about getting it on your sheets, go for it. I love that look.
What are some of your favorite products that lend to that after-sex glow when your blood is flowing?
As far as body serums, I really love Kayo. They make a great scrub and body serum. Also, Nuxe Shimmering Body Oil Huile Prodigieuse, they have this shimmery body oil. It’s a dry oil, so it doesn’t transfer, but it’s very shimmery and it gives you that sunkissed look and can be used on the face, body, and hair. I’ll use that instead of doing a full face of makeup and put the oil on the high points of the face for that beachy blood flowing look.
Also, apply a little spritz of your favorite scent. I like to put it on the back of my neck. It evaporates and gives your hair a little bit of a smell too.
And let’s say this is a more spontaneous evening, a really great thing to do after is to keep the romance going and hop in the shower together!