A Body Care Routine I Can Stick To
For many years I’ve had my facial skincare routine down pat, but when it came to body care, I tended to slack off. I would apply body lotion once in a blue moon, only when prompted by the frightening sight of my pale, dry shins… but I’ve been trying to get better. Baby steps, right? This is the current routine that I’ve happily kept up with over the past couple of months. BYE BYE, DRY LEGS!
Bioderma Atoderm Moisturizing and Cleansing Oil $19.90
Shower oils are a revelation - they cleanse just as well as any good shower gel but they don’t strip the skin of moisture. There are many great ones available, but this one by Bioderma is the one I’m repurchasing repeatedly. It comes in a giant pump bottle and the fragrance isn’t too strong or irritating. It has a very, very faint sweet clean scent. My husband suffers from psoriasis so a lot of the heavier fragranced, super soapy stuff can trigger outbreaks. This hasn’t aggravated his skin, and it leaves us both feeling soft and hydrated out of the shower. It also works great as a shaving oil, so I don’t need to purchase a second product for that purpose. Win win!
If you want a more substantial fragrance in your cleansing oil, L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil $42.00 is fantastic. The large 500mL bottle is $42.00 but they sell smaller versions if you want to try it out first. I also like that they sell refill packages for it, thus reducing the amount of plastic waste. I also loved the sweet citrus scent of the RITUALS The Ritual of Happy Buddha Shower Oil $9.50 but I did go through it quite quickly since they only offer smaller bottle sizes.
I don’t use body scrub every day, but 1-2 times per week it really makes a difference. I have tried and loved a ton of body scrubs, and this is the one I’m using right now. I love the fresh clean scent and the abrasive particles that help against ingrown hairs and flaky skin. It also foams up a tiny bit, offering a deeper clean without drying my skin out. If you’re looking for something more gentle, however, the Jordan Samuel Skin Granita di Caffè Body Scrub $34.00 is an excellent treat (and it smells like espresso, YUM). The latter leaves a moisturizing film on the skin as well, which comes in handy if you’re feeling lazy and want to skip the body cream after you get out of the shower.
Mugler ANGEL Perfuming Body Cream $59.84
If you love the scent of Mugler’s famous Angel - try this body cream. In my case, the actual perfume doesn’t smell great on me, but this body cream does! It’s incredibly moisturizing and lightweight, with a powerful fragrance that lasts all day. There is no need for me to apply any perfume when I wear this body cream. It’s a warm and cozy scent that oozes femininity and makes for a special treat.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Fragrance Free Body Gel Cream $7.39
This has been my unscented daily go-to. I love the lightweight texture and that I can get dressed immediately after application. It sinks in quickly and gives my skin a drink of hydration. I appreciate the fact that there is a scented and unscented version - and this is for all the moisturizers in the Hydro Boost range, whether you pick the whipped body balm in the tub, the hand cream or the facial moisturizers. I wish more companies would follow suit since many people are sensitive to synthetic fragrance. If you opt for the scented version, it’s a very clean and fresh smell that doesn’t linger on too long. I’m partial to the unscented one on a daily basis. I start application from my feet upwards, using a couple of pumps for each section of my legs and moving upwards.
If you have very dry, flaky skin and need something a bit richer, La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ $19.99 is an amazing option. It also has a pump bottle which makes dispensing easy, and a rich moisturizing texture that leaves your skin feeling velvety soft.
Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA $28.00
I stocked up on this last year before Paula’s Choice rebranded and all their packaging changed, so the one in the image below is in the old packaging. However, rest assured that this product is awesome. I don’t use it every day, but I do reach for it often if I’ve got any ingrown hair concerns or if I have keratosis pilaris creeping up on the backs of my arms and legs. It’s almost like a serum in texture, is unscented and absorbs super quickly into the skin. When I use it, I apply it before body cream. I found a notable improvement in any bumpy skin texture, and using it after shaving ensures my skin is silky smooth for as long as possible.
