It comes upon us before we've had time to really think about it. One minute we're firmly buttoned up in head to toe covering of socks, tights, jumpers and gloves and suddenly it's time to strip off and bare all in the sun. Winter can be harsh on the skin and after months of chapped lips, dry rough patches and a dull, lack-lustre appearance it can feel a little intimidating the first time we put on a skirt or a skimpy top and expose our 'hidden bits' to all and sundry.

But before you rush for a tube of your favourite fake tan or slap on the sunscreen to protect yourself from harmful rays, pamper your skin to make sure it's in tip top condition to look its best for the summer months ahead.

Start by buffing your skin with a body brush each morning to improve circulation. Begin at your feet with gentle, circular movements working your way up your body and avoiding your breasts. Exfoliating is also important if you want to have glowing skin, improve your skin tone and minimise dry legs and arms. Exfoliating with one of the many great body scrubs available now can do more for your skin than a body lotion and give your skin a top-to-toe silkiness and velvety feeling. Once you've scrubbed body lotion sinks into the skin more easily and will give a far more even appearance to any self-tanning products you use. And remember to be as kind as you can to your skin by washing your clothes in Bold 2 in 1 for beautifully soft fabric next to your skin.

You may well have ignored your feet all winter too and now the sandal season is here it's time to treat your feet to get them as beautiful as they can be! If you can afford to, treat yourself to a pedicure at the beginning of the season to get rid of hard skin and to give your feet a well-earned massage. At home clean your feet with a liquid soap wash and soak them once a week to keep them sandal-worthy. There are some great foot scrubs on the market now too for a home massage which you can do yourself or get someone to do for you!

For the merest hint of a tan use a bronzer to instantly lift your mood. If you want something slightly more permanent self-tanning treatments have moved on in leaps and bounds in the past few years that there's no need now to look like a carrot or have stripes running down your legs. And by preparing your skin in advance to get it in good condition you'll have far more of a chance of getting an all-over glow.

And if you really can't resist going out in the sun and after our long winters who can blame you, do remember to protect yourself. To help look after your skin use a protective moisturiser all year round that contains UVA and UVB filters and when you sit outside always use a sun block with an SPF15 to avoid wrinkles in the future. As long as you are sensible there's no reason not to enjoy the warm weather and look at your radiant best!