Bare Skin Blues? Try These 6 Fixes for Spider Veins, Stretch Marks, and More

If you’re like us, you’ve been dreaming of the warm, sunny days of summer — while also dreading the thought of shimmying into the skin-baring attire this season calls for. To the rescue: Easy workouts and skincare tips. These can help effortlessly tackle your biggest summer problem areas: Your thighs, bottom, upper arms, and more. Best of all, we give you step-by-step instructions to simplify the process so you can feel confident stat. Read on to discover how to target your summertime insecurities and feel your very best.

For Your Thighs

No matter how cute and flattering your new swimsuit is, pesky stretch marks on your thighs can dampen your enthusiasm for wearing it. Good news: There are multiple ways to firm the muscle and skin of your thighs so you can make stretch marks less apparent.

Quick and Easy Tips

“Performing the ‘warrior II’ yoga pose activates and strengthens the adductors, muscles on the inside of thighs, to help legs look leaner from hip to knee,” says celebrity trainer Jonathan Tylicki. And it’s easy to do: Stand with your legs four feet apart, left foot in back, turned out at a 90-degree angle. Bend your right knee into a lunge, then extend your arms out to the sides. Hold for 10 breaths, then switch sides. Do five sets three times a week for results in four weeks.

Want a DIY a skin solution? Try lavender essential oil, which may stimulate collagen production. To do:

1. Combine three drops lavender essential oil with regular body lotion.
2. Massage onto stretch marks once daily for four weeks.

For Your Upper Arms

Feel more confident baring your upper arms in breezy sleeveless tops, strapless dresses, and bathing suits by firming up the area’s jiggly skin. Try these tricks so you can feel tank-top ready.

Quick and Easy Tips

One way to get rid of bat wings is through a simple arm workout, says Tylicki. To do: Place palms on the wall and stand an arm’s length away. Then bend elbows to lean your upper body in toward the wall. Hold for one second, then push out and straighten your arms. Do two sets of 15 five days a week for results in 30 days.

For an easy DIY method, try rosemary essential oil. Its active ingredients may improve skin’s elasticity. To try it:

1. Add four drops of rosemary essential oil to a palmful of any body lotion.
2. Rub onto upper-arm skin.
3. Repeat twice a day for toned-looking arms in 30 days.

For Your Legs

As the temperature rises, so too do the hems on our pants, dresses, and skirts. Too bad it also exposes all the pesky purple spider veins on our legs. The unsightly clusters are caused by blood pooling to the skin’s surface due to weakened capillary walls from genetics or long periods of standing. Thankfully, there are easy ways to make them less evident.

Quick and Easy Tips

There are a few different things that may help reduce the appearance of spider veins on your legs. One is the herb butcher’s broom, which may keep blood from pooling under skin due to its plant compounds. Try combining a few drops of butcher’s broom with a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and rubbing it onto your veins twice daily.

Another DIY trick is to use jasmine oil, which has stimulating properties that may aid in circulation. To try it:

1. Combine three drops of jasmine essential oil with a quarter-size amount of your favorite body oil.
2. Rub onto veins twice a day to see results within four weeks.

For Your Face

A sprinkle of freckles on our cheeks was adorable in our younger days, but the bigger brown spots we now sport on our face aren’t as cute. Luckily, there are ways to make them less obvious.

Quick and Easy Tips

One way to aid in getting rid of discoloration is by using vitamin B-3, or niacinamide. “Niacinamide encourages cell turnover, which helps shed those dead, darkened cells,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. Try incorporating a niacinamide serum (Buy from Ulta, $6) into your skincare routine.

Feeling more like doing a DIY? Try ginger oil, which may reduce discoloration and prevent new spots from forming. To do:

1. Mix two drops of ginger essential oil with a quarter-size amount of a favorite face oil.
2. Apply onto spots and let sit 15 minutes; rinse.
3. Use three times a week to see more even-toned skin in four weeks.

For Your Neck

Pulling on cute tops like V-necks, halters, and even bikinis can help us feel ready to tackle the warmer days, but they can also accentuate wrinkly neck and chest skin — beauty bothers we’d rather keep under wraps. Showcase these areas worry-free by trying these tips.

Quick and Easy Tips

Try this facial yoga technique. Interlock your fingers with your palms facing you and push your hands out from your body until your arms are straight. Look down to deepen the stretch, and slowly move your chin up and to the left at about 45 degrees. Stop, take a few deep breaths, and return your chin to the center. Repeat for the right side, and continue for two minutes.

Want a DIY option? Try frankincense oil, which has antioxidants that may aid in firming the skin. To do:

1. Mix two drops of frankincense essential oil with a quarter-size amount of moisturizer.
2. Rub onto the face and chest.
3. Repeat twice a day to see a difference in three weeks.

For Your Bottom

Bright summer sun sure boosts our mood, but the thought of exposing dimply skin while wearing a bathing suit can put a damper on our spirits. Thankfully, there are a few tricks you can try.

Quick and easy Tips

Try a simple workout. Tylicki’s favorite tush-boosting move? Donkey kicks. “The move engages the hamstrings and gluteus maximus, defining the area where the butt and thighs meet for a perky and toned-looking tush.” To do: While on all fours, bend back one knee, lifting the foot up so your leg forms a 90-degree angle. Lower it back down. Do 15 reps before switching sides; repeat three sets on each side three times a week for results in 30 days.

An easy skin hack can help firm skin even further. Try grapefruit essential oil, which may help reduce the appearance of dimply skin with its vitamin C. To do:

1. Mix three drops of grapefruit essential oil and a palmful of your go-to body wash.
2. In the shower, rub onto cellulite-prone areas for at least one minute.
3. Let sit for five minutes, then rinse.
4. Repeat three times a week to see results in three weeks.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.