You can’t open Facebook without being assaulted by ads for crepey skin all promising to tighten, lift and restore. But before you reach for your credit card, let’s talk about what your summer body actually needs.

First, a reminder: your body skin isn’t just facial skin stretched out. It’s different. It tends to be thicker in some places, thinner in others, with fewer oil glands—and it covers all of you. In fact, it’s your largest organ, tasked with shielding you from the elements, regulating temperature and retaining moisture.

In the desert—or wherever summer takes you—this job gets harder. Heat, sun, chlorine and air conditioning all pull hydration from the skin. The result? That papery, crinkled look we call crepey skin. But here’s the good news: crepey is really just dry, thin skin—and when you deeply hydrate and nourish it, it can visibly “unwrinkle.” It’s like spraying a crinkled piece of tissue paper with water.

So what does that take? Just the right ingredients, the right body cream or lotion and a little consistency.

Think of these products like you’d think of a recipe for the perfect margarita. You don’t want to skimp on the good stuff, and when you get it right, it’s heaven. The best formulas are rich in plant oils and butters, not just water and fragrance. Look for ingredients like bacuri butter and pracaxi oil—two healing powerhouses from Brazil. Bacuri is loaded with amino acids and antioxidants to restore elasticity. Pracaxi brings behenic acid to the table, helping to regenerate and deeply nourish dry skin. There are many others that offer blessed relief, and their names should be recognizable to you.

Next, check for skin-supporting ingredients like niacinamide (vitamin B3), which improves texture and barrier strength; panthenol (provitamin B5), which hydrates and soothes, and allantoin, which calms irritation and encourages healthy cell turnover.

Skip formulas that rely heavily on water, waxes or mineral oils without offering real nourishment. These may give a quick slip but rarely deliver lasting results. What your skin craves is moisture plus nutrition. There’s nothing brand new that’s just been discovered that will offer salvation. The old faithfuls are still the best, despite what the beauty industry hopes you fall for.

What about sunblock? If you spend time outdoors, it’s essential. But here’s the trick: apply it after your body cream. Hydrated skin holds up better in the sun, and layering a nourishing base underneath helps protect and repair. Use your body cream day and night—it preps the skin and helps everything else work better. Then follow with a simple, no-nonsense sunblock like Neutrogena. You want something that focuses on sun protection and isn’t pretending to be a moisturizer.

Bottom line: you don’t have to go back to school to learn how to read a label. You can cavort in the summer without ending up looking like an old rhino by Labor Day. Just know that if a product lists a few botanicals you recognize, chances are your skin will drink it in…like the aforementioned margarita.

Brook Dougherty of Indio is the co-founder of JustUs Skincare and welcomes your questions. She can be reached at (310) 266.7171 or brook@justusskincare.com. For more information, visit www.justusskincare.com.