BACK BEAUTY

Forget about plunging necklines. Channel the sexy this season with a gorgeous back.

Think of the sensuous backless saree blouses, the low cut dresses or the sexy swimwear – they all demand a slender, sexy, glowing back to carry it off with style. And that can only happen with some dedicated TLC for the back.

Remember that your back requires as much attention as your face. It needs proper skincare to keep it soft and clean and workout cut flab. The task of maintaining it can be difficult as this partof the body is not easy to reach up to. But that should be the primary reason why you make the extra effort to keep it in shape.

Check in Indulgence: Give me a choice between a body spa or a back massage, I will without a blink choose the latter. I am not exaggerating when I say nothing, just nothing is more relaxing than a focused kneading of the back. Think of it after a long haul flight or a stressful day at the desk, the therapist gently pressing and melting those knots out. Bliss. Just add on to it and ask the spa to combine it with a scrub. You may have to do this in advance as most spas may not have a back polish in the menu. So check in for the body scrub and simply ask them to focus on the back.

Cook it Up: Stirring up a scrub at home can be fun. Think of the things that you like – coffee, vanilla, orange, cocoa, milk, sugar. Just pick your favourites and whip up a delicious scrub. I love 4 tbsp coffee grounds, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 6 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp honey and 2-4 drops of Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic Orange Oil. Mix them well. Use this to massage on moist skin.

Rinse off gently and follow up with a nourishing body cream or lotion. Bend down and use your hands to spread the cream over your back. If you have a body oil mist, the work gets even easier.

Off the Shelf: There are body scrubs and body scrubs. My favourites include – Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub for Smooth Skin, The Body Shop Strawberry Body Polish and L’Occitane’s Almond Delicious Paste.

Tip- Moisten the skin with lukewarm water and apply the scrub over the back and shoulders using a loofah. Use a long-handled loofah for ease. Wash off with lukewarm water after keeping it for 20-25 minutes. Don’t use a body wash or soap while removing the scrub, so that the oil remains in the skin.

Alternately, try Kiehl’s Over Night Biological Peel. The serum is meant for face but I use it on my back to get rid of patchy skin. I specially recommended it for swimmers. Takes off the tan and reveals even-toned skin

Get Moving: Along with skincare focus on workouts that help toning up your shoulder blades, strengthening your spine and sculpting your waist. Fitness and wellness expert Dr Mahima Bakshi recommends the following two moves:

1) For shoulder strengthening nothing works better than therabands. Resistance training done using them is the best exercise for your shoulders. Different colour of bands depicts different levels of resistance. You need to progress from low to high. Shoulder rotations, flexion extensionand overhead abductions are a must. And if you want to sculpt the shoulders then try weight training.

2) For strengthening the back, the spine should be considered as a unit while exercising. Upper back strengthening with weights while balancing on an exercise ball is a good idea. This would also strengthen the core muscles making the lower back, sides and abdomen stronger. Back extension exercises, yoga asanas like surya namaskar and sit ups can help tone the muscles of the back. But before you do all these exercises just remember that back stretches are a must.

An edited version of this was published in L’Officiel, July 2015 issue.