Welcome your body into the new year with a great skincare routine that will guarantee smooth, glowing skin from top to toe.

1. Exfoliate

Sloughing off dead skin cells reveals the younger, healthier skin beneath, making it a vital first step in the quest for perfect skin.

A thorough, twice weekly exfoliation should start with body brushing. Use a body brush, loofah or exfoliating gloves and start at the soles of your feet and work your way up.

Once in the shower apply a body scrub, like Sorbet’s Smoothing Body Scrub, R37, and work it in a circular motion, from the soles of your feet up. Just be careful of sensitive areas, like around the bikini line and décolletage, which need only a gentle exfoliation.

Once your body is tingling all over, rinse with lukewarm water and, if you are brave enough, follow that with the coldest water you can handle.

2. Moisturise and then moisturise again

Once you have exfoliated, your skin is dying for a drink.

Applying moisturiser to unexfoliated skin is the equivalent of laying it over dead skin cells. Yuck!

However, after the completion of step one, your skin is ready to absorb moisture into the lower levels of the skin that need it most.

The natural ingredients in Cocoa or Shea Butter moisturisers rejuvenate and provide essential vitamins needed for smooth, glowing skin. Try The Body Shop for a wide range of both.

3. Protect

We all know that there is no such thing as a healthy tan. The darkening of your skin is the body’s defence as it attempts to repair damaged skin cells and is basically a cry for help. Not so glamorous when you think of it like that.

The delicate skin on your neck and décolletage is the quickest to show the effects of premature ageing from the sun, so as part of your daily routine add sunblock to exposed areas. Try Garnier Ambre Solaire UV Sensitive Protection Lotion, R129.99.

4. Eat right

They say you are what you eat, so your diet is as important as the product that you put onto your skin.

"I recommend animal protein and plenty of healthy fats," says nutritional therapist Sally-Ann Creed. "Olive oil, avo, salmon nuts and seeds are a must for healthy skin and hair."

Green tea is full of anti-oxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes; carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which is necessary for healthy skin; and the humble blueberry is considered by experts to be the highest food source of antioxidants, which target free radicals that can wreak havoc on skin cells.

5. Drink plenty of fluids

While plain old water is obviously the healthiest for you, tea and coffee – even fruit and veg – count towards keeping you adequately hydrated.

Water flushes toxins out of your vital organs and carries nutrients to your cells – in fact, every system in your body depends on water. Too little fluid in your system can lead to dehydration, which means your body doesn't have enough water to carry out its normal functions. Even being only mildly dehydrated can make you feel tired and drained.

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult need every day? Well, the Institute of Medicine has determined that men need roughly three litres, and women, about 2.2 litres. Remember that this is fluid intake, so all fluids count, as do some moisture-containing foods.

An easy test for if you are drinking enough is the colour of your urine. It should be a pale yellow colour. If it is, you are adequately hydrated, if it is not, up your fluid intake!

Visit Beauty South Africa for more information