From dry, bumpy legs to sagging posture, these are the eight mistakes that are making your body look older – and our beauty expert tells you how to smooth and lift skin

When it comes to beauty, we often limit ourselves to the neck up. The face is our focus and what lies beneath is barely visible.

We might be able to get away with this in the winter. But as we approach the spring comic, the horror will become reality.

When people talk about bodies “looking their best,” it’s often a euphemism for “thin.” I don’t mean this. I’m talking about giving our areas under the collar some of the care we give above. Here are some of the blunders we make – and what we can do to improve our habits…

Unable to scrub

The first trick for 40+ bodies is exfoliation. Dry brushing the body is the cheap, easy and mess-free way to lose dead cells. The Organic Pharmacy Skin Brush (now £16, debenhams.com) has natural bristle fibers and a (removable) wooden handle for full reach.

If you prefer a gritty scrub, Weleda’s Birch Body Scrub (£10.95, boots.com) contains natural wax beads to gently scrub away used cells.

Being a sud dud

Some people don’t feel clean without a luxurious foam. However, foam is the product of soap-based surfactants that have a higher pH than the skin and can cause irritation, stripping away the oils and proteins and drying it out.

I love Bioderma Atoderm Cleansing Oil (now £14.40 for 1 litre, boots.com). It’s packed with nourishing lipids and is so gentle that you can use it on your face and body. I’m also keen to try Dove’s new Advanced Care Body Wash (from £3, ocado.com), which launches today and is billed as being as mild as water.

Apply

The purpose of moisturizing is not to apply a dense film, but to apply a layer of nutrition. This doesn’t have to be expensive. The sublimely scented Marks & Spencer Apothecary Warmth Hand & Body Lotion (£5, marksandspencer.com) wins my vote.

But splash it out, if you need the boost to moisturize: the aromatic Nudestix NudeBody Peptide Body Creme (£29, lookfantastic.com) is rich, yet non-greasy, with natural acids to exfoliate, and natural oils to to provide softness.

No ‘second sight’ routine

Your neck, décolleté and arms form a kind of ‘second face’, an area that can be just as tempting if you take good care of it. Ignore it at your peril.

You don’t need site-specific products, but make sure your skin care extends at least to your décolleté. Give the area extra care with Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Moisturizing Body Serum (£24.95, boots.com).

For subtle highlights, French women prefer Nuxe’s ​​classic Huile Prodigieuse Golden Shimmer Multi-purpose Dry Oil (from £18, lookfantastic.com). I’d rather add shine and shield with Supergoop’s Glowscreen Body SPF30 (£35, cultbeauty.co.uk), a shimmering sunscreen in four shades with a golden pearl effect.

Leggings of it

Middle-aged calves are often: terribly dry, patchy (with infected hair follicles), or terribly dry and patchy. For the former, look for This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle (from £10, spacenk.com). For the latter two, Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion (£22.50, boots.com) removes all kinds of bumps.

Getting tango

If you’re embarrassed to bare your limbs without fake tan, remember: pale is beautiful, just like dark is beautiful.

If you like artificial bronze, exfoliate and moisturize first. Apply it with a mitt like St Tropez Tan Dual Sided Luxe Tan Applicator Mitt (now £4.50, boots.com). And use Isle of Paradise Over It Magic Self-Tan Eraser (£15.95, boots.com) before reapplying.

Sloppy slouching

Your grandmother was right: good posture costs nothing.

Perfume thrift

Many women only spray the scent above the shoulder, while it could be a total treat.

Where should you apply fragrance? Wherever you want to be kissed and/or where you radiate the most warmth.

RACE YOU TO IT!

APRIL FRIZZ FIGHTERS

MY ICON OF THE WEEK

Kirsten Dunst

For the 41-year-old’s dewy look at the Oscars, make-up artist Melanie Inglessis mixed Gucci’s Éternite de Beaute Foundation (£47, sephora.co.uk) with Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Glow Serum (£37.50, cultbeauty.co. UK) . She finished with a swipe of Velveteen Liquid Lipstick in Ribbon by Lisa Eldridge (£21, lisaeldridge.com).

COSMETIC DESIRE