Summer is here and it is time to transform your ashy, dry and pale skin into glowing, body-baring skin.

A common problem is that over the winter, ashy, dry and flaky skin builds up on the legs and body, and this makes your skin difficult to soften even with moisturizing. A good step is to invest in a series of customized in-office chemical peels for your legs, arms, neck, face or anywhere you have lost last summer's glow. This will rid you of dead skin and stimulate fresher, new cell turnover.

I recommend a series of treatments, anywhere from three to five peels depending on the part of the body and the extent of the dead skin build-up. Now is a good time to start because you should wait at least a week between peels (but now more than two weeks) and the sun is not yet at it's strongest. Be sure to moisturize your skin frequently for seven days following a peel and not expose yourself to sun or sunlamps.

After this series of treatments, moisturizers will then be absorbed quickly, and self-tanners will glide on smoothly and evenly, leaving bronzed, dewy skin. This is a great way to look body-baring bronze before the beaches warm up.

However, not everyone is able to make regular appointments with their skin care specialist. So look for a glycolic body lotion. Glycolic acid will similarly to a peel, although it is less effective.

The purpose of both treatments is to rid the body of dead skin. This is so important because the dead skin acts a sponge, and will soak up more of the self-tanners and lotions causing blotchy looking skin. Prime areas to watch out for are the elbows, knees and around the ankles.

Lastly, before the summer heats up, review the products you currently have in your medicine chest. Any products from last year with an 'SPF' should be tossed. More likely than not, they have expired and this can lead to two problems: One, their sun-blocking effectiveness will have greatly decreased. While there is no exact calculation, suntan lotion from last year with an SPF 15, won't be an SPF 15 anymore. Two, old lotions can 'turn,' just like certain make-ups (i.e. mascara), and they can develop a rotten smell and may cause a rash.

When purchasing new SPF lotions for this coming season, investigate ones for your face and body that are oil-free, and get into the habit of wearing it daily, under makeup. It is so important to realize that sun damage is a major contributor to premature aging.