The good news? Bodycare has quietly caught up with skincare: acids, urea, peptides and retinol are all now available in body-specific treatment formulas, helping tackle all the things you want for your face, but for your body too - from firmness to pigmentation, texture and breakouts. Here are 9 buys from our Beauty Editor, Lydia’s favourite body care brands - including gleam-imbuing oils, skin-softening butters and refining retinol serums.
Naturium
The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion, £20
A gentle chemical exfoliant that sees off the flakiness left behind by sun and salt, without a scrub in sight. I use this two or three nights a week and find it helps everything else work harder.
Fenty Skin
Butta Drop Hydrating Body Milk, £29
Lighter than the cult Butta Drop cream, which I prefer in the heat. With nourishing tropical oils, a pleasing whipped texture, and no tacky finish under clothes.
Nécessaire
The Body Oil Grapefruit, £48
Skincare-grade formulation in body-sized packaging. Bright, sharp grapefruit rather than anything sweet – a good option if gourmand scents aren't for you and you like to add a little zing to your morning routine.
Naturium
Retinol Body Lotion, £28
The serious one. Retinol can help soften the look of crêpiness on chest and upper arms over time. Introduce it slowly, use it at night, and stay diligent with your SPF. Yes, even when the sun fades.
The INKEY List
Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick, £15
A targeted deodorant-style stick for the places a lotion never quite reaches - backs of arms, shoulders, between the shoulder blades. Swipe on, leave for ten minutes, rinse. Cheap as chips and genuinely brilliant on bumpy upper arms.
Saltair
HA Body Hydrator Hyaluronic Acid Body Serum, £25
A proper serum texture rather than a lotion, it sinks in within seconds, which makes it the one to reach for when you're dressing in a hurry. Hyaluronic acid draws water into skin that's spent a summer losing it.
This Works
Perfect Legs Skin Miracle, £12
A tinted treatment that evens out the look of legs, great for having in your arsenal as it’s not a fake tan but a wash of colour that blurs marks and washes off easily. Perfect for a foolproof hint of a tint.
Aesop
Solais Replenishing Hand Serum, £35
Hands take as much of a battering as anything in the summer - sun, salt, sea and a summer of gardening, yet get the least attention. This is a lightweight serum rather than a heavy cream, so perfect to add to your morning body care routine.
Naturium
Urea 5% Body Serum, £24
Urea is the unglamorous hero of body care, a humectant that softens even the roughest of patches. Heels, elbows, shins. Not a pretty product, but a properly effective one.
title:FAQs: Body Skincare After Summer
q:How do I repair my skin after a summer of sun and sea swimming?
a:Start with gentle exfoliation to remove the build-up left by salt, chlorine and sun cream, a glycolic acid body lotion works well two or three times a week. Follow with a humectant such as urea to draw in moisture, then seal with an oil or butter on damp skin.
q:What are the best body treatments to buy at Space NK?
a:Space NK's bodycare spans budget to luxury. The INKEY List's Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick (£15) and Naturium's Urea 5% Body Serum (£24) are among the best value; Saltair's HA Body Hydrator (£25) and Aesop's Solais Hand Serum (£35) sit mid-range; Nécessaire's Body Oil Grapefruit (£48) is the splurge.
q:Can you use retinol on your body?
a:Yes, retinol body lotions are formulated at lower concentrations than facial retinoids and can help soften the appearance of uneven texture and crêpiness over time. Introduce it gradually, apply at night, and wear SPF on exposed skin. If you have a skin condition or are pregnant, check with a GP or dermatologist first.
q:What does urea do for skin?
a:Urea is a humectant that occurs naturally in skin and helps draw water into the outer layers while gently loosening dead cells. It is particularly useful on genuinely rough areas, heels, elbows, knees and shins, and works well under a richer cream.
q:Should I use body oil or body lotion?
a:Both, ideally. Lotions and creams contain water and hydrate directly; oils are occlusive and lock that moisture in. Apply lotion to damp skin, then an oil on top if skin is very dry. Oils alone can sit on the surface without adding much hydration.
q:When is the best time to apply body moisturiser?
a:Within three minutes of stepping out of the shower or bath, while skin is still damp. This traps the surface water rather than letting it evaporate, and makes even an inexpensive lotion noticeably more effective.
