In our quest to find the best moisturiser, serum and facial oil suitable for our skin type, we often neglect an important part of holistic skin care — body care. Leaving the rest of the body uncared for, especially during the weeks of seasonal transition, can lead to your skin feeling and looking dry and patchy.
It is also important to know that just like your skin care, body care products also need to be aligned with the skin type. There is no one formula for everyone. For instance, while cocoa butter, which is commonly found in many body lotions, is great for dry skin, it is not suited for acne-prone or oily skin as it is high comedogenic, explains Nidha Adeni, the founder of Bangalore-based beauty brand Cinnamon Soul. She elaborates, “People with oily skin would actually benefit a lot with products that have activated charcoal which sort of pull out all the griminess and the oil without overly excessively stripping the skin. At the same time, it might not suit someone with dry skin because it’s just going to make their skin dryer.”
She advises the following body care routine for clean, moisturised, and protected skin:
-Using the right cleanser that is not very harsh or abrasive is very important. It will help remove dirt and dead skin that build up on your body during the day. Make sure to not overly cleanse your body using harsh products or over exfoliate it because then your skin will just end up playing catch up because it will be stripped of its necessities.
-The second would be to moisturise because you need to rehydrate and restore the water balance in your skin. It’s very important to use a good after-shower body oil or a good body lotion that will lock in the moisture and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day.
Using the right cleanser that is not very harsh or abrasive is very important. (Photo: Pexels)
-Finally, protect your skin with good SPF and match the strength according to sun exposure time and your plans for the day.
-It is also recommended to use a good exfoliator once or twice a week to help you on your body, especially around your elbows, because these parts tend to get more roughed up, have more build up dirt and dead skin.
What to add to your body care routine
“As a general rule of thumb, emollients and antioxidants are two basic things to make sure your products have as they help block skin moisture and protect it from any free radicals and oxidative stress”, says Adheni. She also suggests incorporating niacinamide which is especially great for people who have eczema, along with natural oils like jojoba, avocado, and macademia as they come the closest to matching our natural sebum production. You can also look for products with berry extracts as they are high in vitamin A, C, E, and anti oxidants.
Changing your body care routine as per the weather
When the weather changes from winter to summer, it is important to provide the nourishment, hydration, and moisturisation while also keeping it light, easy, and breathable as your skin already has to work double duty due to the excessive sweating. While you load up on your SPF during summer, don’t forget to practice a good cleansing routine at the same time to avoid blocking your skin’s pores.
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