Because we spend too much time talking about the skin on our face and not enough about the skin on the rest of our bodies.
I mean seriously, raise your virtual hand if you’ve neglected the rest of your body because you’ve spent lots of time taking care of your face. Before you know it, your skin is irritated, bumpy, and just overall meh, meanwhile your face is glowing.
TBH I’m all for a glowing face (who isn’t?!), but when it comes time to put on that swimsuit, that’s when I really start regretting any body care neglect.
So we’re here to share our fav tips, products and tricks for keeping your body care on point! We’re breaking it down by pre-shower, shower, bath, moisturize, and spot treatments.
Let’s get right to it!
Body Care Essentials: Pre-Shower
Ahh, yes there’s actually one step you should do before your shower to keep your skin exfoliated and your lymphatic system pumping. Any guesses?!
DRY BRUSH!
I love a good dry brush session! It feels amazing…I literally crave it! I do it before the shower so I then rinse off all the loose dead skin cells, but you can really dry brush at anytime! Oh and, the benefits of dry brushing?
- Energizes the body
- Increases circulation and blood flow
- Stimulates drainage from the lymphatic system to smooth skin’s surface
- Remove flakes and dry patches
- Even out lumps and bumps, including cellulite
- Prevent ingrown hairs
- Rejuvenates the nervous system
- Enhances digestion and kidney function
- Relieves stress
- Promotes happiness
What’s not to love right?! Oh, and you can get my favorite dry brush on Amazon for only $10!
Body Care Essentials: Shower
This category can be broken down by three sections:
1 – Washing
When it comes to washing, Claudia and I have a few favorite body washes. While most of them generally do the same thing, for us it’s important to have clean ingredients, simple scents, and be good at washing (duh…). Our favorites currently are:
If you have extremely dry skin, opt for the Alba Botanica Very Emollient Coconut Rescue! It’s super hydrating and best for dry to very dry skin. Otherwise, the other two will be perfect for just about everyone! Even if you have occasional dry skin, the Alaffia and Everyone washes will be great for you.
2 – Shaving
You guys know we’ve tried our fair share of razors! We’re constantly updating our shaving status on Instagram stories. We have a few favorites, but they really depend on what kind of shaver you are.
- If you like a subscription model because you just can’t deal with going to the store and getting razors, then we highly recommend Billie. We reviewed these a while back and we both used them for about a year.
- If you like a luxurious shave with basically zero irritation then the OUI razor is right for you. While this razor is pricey, the refill blades are super affordable. In the end, it’s less wasteful and the safety-razor style is much more gentle on your skin. Say goodbye to razor bumps and ingrowns!
- If you like to keep it simple and cheap, we recommend almost any disposable MEN’S razor. I personally get a big pack of Gillette Custom Plus3 at Costco. Then my husband and I are covered, all in one purchase! #efficient
3 – In-Shower Moisturizing
Okay are you ready for this game-changing shower hack?! Use body oil in the shower right before you get out! The result? Fresh, soft, supple skin that’s ultra-hydrated!
Not to mention, this is a total time saving beauty hack since you don’t have to apply moisturizer when you get out.
Our favorite body oil is by VERSED. It smells amazing!! Who doesn’t love ylang ylang and calendula?!
Body Care Essentials: Bath
If you need bath advice, I’m your girl. I freakin’ love baths. Claudia on the other hand? Not so much. Either way, there are a two key essentials to any good bath: salt and oil. Salts are detoxifying while oils are deeply hydrating…it’s a combo I can’t live without!
When it comes to both of these categories, I have more luxurious and more affordable favorites for both. Here are the prooducts I swear by:
If you really want to do it right, you can do some of all four of these recommendations in one bath!
My recipe for a perfect bath:
- Piping hot water
- 1 cup of epsom salt
- Small handfull of Herbivore Calm Salts
- Big squeeze of jojoba oil
- 1 dropper full of the Cocokind Watermelon Hemp Oil (I also use this as a daytime face moisturizer!)
I promise you, not only will you be so relaxed after soaking at least 20 minutes in that combo, but your skin will be oh-so-happy! Detoxed and hydrated, what’s not to love?
Body Care Essentials: Moisturize
This is arguably the most important step to your body care routine. If your skin isn’t hydrated, nothing else will go well. I mean that’s a tad dramatic, but as someone who HAS to moisturize the second I get out of the shower, it’s really not that dramatic.
I’ve tried A LOT of moisturizers in my day. Let’s be real, between Michigan winters and dry, ezcema-prone skin, I have to have something that works and works well. Here are some of my tried and true favorites:
I have finally found my favorite all-over, super-hydrating, not-so-smelly, but not unscented body lotion. This keeps up your hydration for at least 24 hours! Big plus for any of you dealing with dry winters.
While I lather this all over my body, it would also be great if you just wanted to use it on dry areas. It’s pricey for a small container, but it works really well. Note: It works really well at curing my chicken skin on the back of my arms!
They call it Dream Cream for a reason. It literally feels like a dream when you put it on. It’s super soothing and hydrating. Works like a charm. It also smells so freaking wonderful. My only con is it contains parabens. Ugh.
Body Care Essentials: Spot Treatments
This category is for anyone who wants to get a little extra with their body care. I only have a few things to mention here, but they are game changers nonetheless.
Shaving or Body Hair Treatment
First up, Fur Oil. If you have hair on your body, you need this company in your life. While it may seem a tad pricey, it makes up for in its longevity and effectiveness. I use this oil after I shave (every other day) on anywhere I shaved (not my whole body), and it works wonders. It keeps my hair follicles happy and healthy AND it helps my hair to grow back much softer.
And listen up, ladies! If you shave down there, you absolutely NEED this oil. I’ve struggled for years to find something to prevent ingrowns and make the whole process a little more pleasant. This is it!
Oh, and if you ever get ingrowns, not to worry, they have a concentrate for that. Just a little exfoliation plus the concentrate and I promise that painful ingrown will be gone in a day or two. Gotta love it!
Eczema Sufferers
If you deal with eczema…listen up! You need this Eczema Honey Skin Soothing Cream in your life. My mom got this for me for Christmas this past year and I just happened to have a couple little patches of eczema surfacing, so I applied a dab or two to the area, rubbed it in and instantly felt relieved.
Oh, and when I woke up the next morning? The patches were GONE! Seriously…GONE! I couldn’t believe it. I used to use a medicated cream for my ezcema and not anymore. So happy with this stuff!
Dry Patches
If you have little irritating dry patches that show up form time-to-time, you’ll want to introduce a balm or salve into your routine. Our favorite? The Cocokind One-For-All Balm. You can literally use this anywhere. Lips, feet, cuticles, etc. If it’s dry, put this on and I guarantee you’ll be feeling relief in no time.
Take care of that beautiful body!
Here’s to putting almost as much effort into the skin on our body as we do to the skin on our face! Considering the majority of skin is actually on our entire body and not our face, it’s time we give it the TLC it deserves.
I hope you learned a new tip or two that will help your body care routine! If you have any other suggestions or favorite products, let me know below.
