The Sephora Sale is on, and if you’re planning on picking up a few things, body care is where I’d spend first. It’s part of the routine most of us skip, and it makes a big difference to how your skin feels day to day. These are the five body care products I swear by, and the ones I’m personally topping up on during the sale!
I don’t recommend things just because they’re on sale. These five are in my own routine, which is why they’re on this list, and I’ll tell you exactly what each one does so you know what you’re buying.
This is the one I’d put at the top of the list if your skin gets dry. It’s whipped, so it feels light and soaks in quickly, but it’s still rich enough to actually moisturize. It’s made with argan oil, avocado oil and shea butter, which are all really good at softening dry skin, and it doesn’t leave you feeling greasy. Put it on straight after your shower while your skin’s still a little damp and you’ll get the most out of it. It’s refillable too, so you can top up the jar with a refill pouch instead of buying a whole new one.
Link to Josie Maran Body Butter: here
2. CYKLAR Vanilla Verve Sensorial Body Wash for Moisture Barrier
A lot of body washes leave skin feeling tight, and this is the opposite. It’s made to look after your moisture barrier, with glycerin and sodium PCA, which help your skin hold onto moisture, plus a blend of nourishing oils. It lathers up rich and silky, and the vanilla scent is warm and a little spicy, with bergamot, cardamom, amber and musk underneath. It makes an ordinary shower feel like a luxury treat. The bottle’s a good size so it lasts, and if you’re sensitive to scent, there’s a fragrance-free option.
Link to CYKLAR Vanilla Verve Sensorial Body Wash: here
3. HigherDOSE Serotonin Soak Magnesium Bath Salt
If you want one thing that makes you slow down, it’s this. It’s a magnesium bath salt, made with magnesium chloride flakes, French green clay, apple cider vinegar, sunflower seed oil and seaweed extracts, with a small amount of essential oils. Magnesium is what people reach for to relax tired muscles, and a long hot bath does the rest. Add four scoops to a hot bath and soak for 20 to 30 minutes. One bag gives you four baths, so it works well as a once a week ritual. Drink some water and listen to your body, and don’t stay in longer than feels comfortable.
Link to HigherDOSE Serotonin Soak: here
“Body care is the part of the routine most of us skip, and the part you feel the most.”
4. Soft Services Buffing Bar Exfoliating Body Bar for KP and Ingrown Hair
If you’ve got KP, those little bumps on your arms and thighs, or you get ingrown hairs, this is the one to try because it’s amazing! It’s a dense bar made of superfine crystals in a moisturizing base with shea butter, glycerin and aloe. It sloughs away the dead skin and extra keratin that block hairs and cause bumps, and it leaves your skin soft. Use it in the shower on wet skin, in small circles with light pressure, two or three times a week, then rinse and moisturize. It’s a proper exfoliant, so start slowly and don’t use it on irritated, sunburned or broken skin. Follow it with a body butter and you’ll feel the difference.
Link to Soft Services Buffing Bar: here
5. Soft Services Theraplush “Hold” Overnight Retinol Hand Repair Cream
Your hands show your age just as much as your face does, and they almost never get the same attention. This is a rich overnight cream with a gentle 0.05% retinol, plus oatmeal and panthenol to soothe and hydrate. Put a thin layer on your hands and cuticles as the last step before bed. It’s thick but not greasy, though it can feel a little tacky until it sinks in, and it comes in a refillable case. Retinol can make skin more sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen on your hands during the day, and skip this one if your skin is very sensitive.
Link to Theraplush “Hold” Overnight Retinol Hand Repair Cream
Where to start
If your skin is dry, start with the Josie Maran body butter and the CYKLAR body wash, since they work really well together. If you’ve got KP or ingrown hairs, the Soft Services bar is your best first buy. If you need to wind down, the HigherDOSE soak is the one. And if you’ve been ignoring your hands, the Theraplush cream is an easy upgrade. One routine that works really well: buff with the Soft Services bar in the shower, then put the Josie Maran body butter on straight after…you can thank me later!
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Body care doesn’t need to be complicated, and you don’t need all five to feel the difference. A body butter that actually moisturizes, a wash that doesn’t leave you feeling tight, a soak for the nights you need to slow down, a bar for bumps and ingrown hairs, and a cream for your hands will cover almost everything. While the sale’s on, it’s a good time to pick up the ones you’ve had your eye on, and all the links are above. Leave a comment and tell me which one you’re adding to your basket first, and if you’ve got a body care product you swear by that isn’t on this list, I’d love to hear about it!
Makeup Hacks For Ughhh Days
Some mornings you look in the mirror and literally nothing is cooperating. Your skin looks dull, your eyes look tired, and everything you put on somehow makes it worse. I have those days too, and over time I’ve worked out a short list of makeup tricks that get me through it without piling on more product than usual. None of it’s complicated, and most of it actually takes less time than a normal makeup day.