If you’ve found yourself recently contemplating an “Everything Shower” then you can attest—skincare has moved well beyond the face. And, if you ask us, for good reason. Our face is not the only area of our body that requires some extra TLC. From keratosis pilaris and ingrown hairs to sagginess and dark spots, there are plenty of skincare concerns that fall under the term “body care” and need specific products to treat. Curious what those are? Let’s dive in.
‘Body Care’ Is the New Skincare and These Products Are Your Starting Point
The Best Body Care Products at a Glance
What’s Behind the Rise of Body Care?
First things first, how did moisturizing your whole body become a trend? In a 2020 article by McKinsey & Company discussing the pandemic’s impact on the beauty industry, European e-commerce company Zalando reported “a boom in pampering and self-care beauty categories.” This included candles and aromatherapy, but more specifically, sales of skin-, nail- and hair-care products were up 300 percent, year over year. With so much time spent at home during the past three years, people are embracing self-care...and that includes caring for their skin from the neck down. Brands are also responding with formulas that are good enough for the face—but designed for the body.
So it’s clear: Taking care of your whole body is a thing now. But if you haven’t already made this a permanent practice, where do you begin? Sure, applying moisturizer is a good start, but which one? And how often? And for how long?
We’ve partnered with Sephora to highlight three key benefits folks are searching for when it comes to body care: 1) firming 2) smooth texture and 3) even skin tone. Here are eight products that fit those categories and are great additions to your current (or frankly, nonexistent) routine.
Best for Firming
Nécessaire Niacinamide Body Lotion
Sephora
Why We Love It: Fast-absorbing and non-greasy
A daily multi-vitamin treatment that uses peptides, niacinamide and vitamins C and E to moisturize, strengthen and visibly firm skin. (The 2.5 percent niacinamide also works to support the skin barrier.) Bonus: The product is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and non-comedogenic.
Best for Firming
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Body Cream
Sephora
Why We Love It: Visibly firms skin with an addictive scent
Infused with powerful, caffeine-rich guarana and a Brazilian blend of skin-loving ingredients, this award-winning formula melts in to visibly smooth skin while imparting a touch of shimmer. Notes of salted caramel and pistachio create the iconic scent.
Best for Firming
Moroccanoil Night Body Serum
Sephora
Why We Love It: Concentrated formula with that Moroccanoil signature scent
This serum aligns with your skin’s natural overnight recovery process, delivering high-performing ingredients that work together to give you silky skin, in addition to providing protection from environmental stressors.
Best for Smooth Texture
First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA
Sephora
Why We Love It: Cult-favorite with instant and long-term results
Safe for sensitive skin, this fast-acting body scrub uses glycolic and lactic acids, at a combined level of 10 percent AHAs, to help resurface skin’s top layer and pumice to physically exfoliate. This combination helps improve skin’s texture and smooth away bumps, roughness and scaly areas, also known as chicken skin.
Best for Smooth Texture
Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Triple Action AHA Body Scrub
Sephora
Why We Love It: Retexturizes and conditions for smooth skin
This cherry-powered body scrub exfoliates three ways at once for smoother-looking skin. It buffs, conditions and nourishes to reveal more visibly even texture and tone in just one week. The crisp, juicy cherry scent is inspired by Barbados cherry. The scrub is clean, vegan and gluten-free.
Best for Smooth Texture
Skinfix KP+ Psoriasis Smoothing Treatment Body Lotion
Sephora
Why We Love It: Clinically proven to smooth KP bumps
Designed to be used daily or during flare-ups, this body cream is formulated with chemical exfoliants (BHA) and emollients to visibly smooth KP bumps and reduce scaling and flaking in psoriasis-prone skin. A balancing blend of B-L3™ Complex, niacinamide and postbiotics minimize discomfort and support skin-barrier health.
Best for Even Skin Tone
Isle of Paradise Brilliantly Bright Body Lotion
Sephora
Why We Love It: Improves the apprearance of dark spots and dullness
This fast-absorbing, brightening body lotion improves the appearance of dark spots and dullness for more radiant-looking skin. The restorative moisturizer is pH-balanced to encourage healthy skin barrier function and is gentle enough for daily use. The energy-boosting exotic scent has notes of grapefruit, pineapple and apple blossom to invigorate your mind and energize your body.
Best for Even Skin Tone
Topicals High Roller Ingrown Hair Tonic with AHA and BHA
Sephora
Why We Love It: Removes ingrown hair bumps
This dermatologist-tested lightweight serum exfoliates, comforts and fades the look of discoloration and redness associated with ingrown hairs. It can be used on your face, armpits and bikini area. It also glides on with a hands-free rollerball, instantly delivering a cooling sensation that soothes feelings of discomfort due to razor burn.