Should You Be Investing in Body Care? See Which Serums, Lotions, and O

Vogue

Should You Be Investing in Body Care? See Which Serums, Lotions, and Oils Your Regimen Needs

Great skin was at the heart of 2022’s beauty trends. With runways, editorials, and plenty of TikToks offering their take on fresh, glowing skin, we couldn’t help but wonder if the new year would bring a new emphasis on skin beyond the face. Would a body care routine become the new area of focus for a multi-step regimen? Should we be treating it any differently?

“Skin is skin,” says Jenefer Palmer, founder of clean beauty brand OSEA. “Just like our facial skin-care routines, we need to exfoliate, wash, and moisturize our bodies.” As a beauty writer, I certainly have noticed a boom in body-care pitches hitting my inbox. A retinol-infused lotion to improve signs of aging. A salicylic acid serum to prevent ingrown hairs. A charcoal-rich scrub to buff away dead skin. An emollient body balm to lock in moisture after a shower. As someone who is rather religious with all her routines, it has been quite an exciting development—my own body-care routine leaves my skin baby soft, without a dry patch in sight. Now more than ever, everyone can give their body the same thoughtfully crafted regimen as their face.

At a Glance

The Firm & Sculpt: Mutha Body Contour Serum

Hope Dworaczyk Smith, founder and CEO of skin-care label Mutha, explains that though body solutions were on the rise before 2020, the pandemic put that process into overdrive. Rather than a luxurious act of self-care, it’s become a staple in one’s daily beauty ritual. “I love seeing the developments in the body-care market in recent years; consumers are more interested in self-care in general, but they’re also realizing that skin—no matter where it is—benefits from customized care,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman says. “Your skin is your largest organ, so I’m all for taking care of it from head to toe!”

All of our experts agree that the body-care category will continue to evolve in 2023 as consumers look to improve their overall wellness and mental health practices, while tackling various skin-care conditions. “A regimented body routine can help target specific concerns like dryness, dull skin, acne, keratosis pilaris, and stretch marks,” says Smith, who adds that by pairing high-performance ingredients with proper massaging and lymphatic drainage techniques, you could reduce puffiness and the appearance of cellulite.

Just as you would for your face, be sure to consult a dermatologist or trusted skin expert for guidance on proper treatment. Engelman emphasizes this point, especially to tackle concerns like folliculitis, eczema, and psoriasis, which may require prescription or over-the-counter medications. “If you don’t have any particular skin concerns and just want to give your body a little more TLC, you can start a body-care routine when you’re ready,” Dendy notes, recommending giving it 4-8 weeks (which is 1-2 skin cycles) to see results. “You’ll want to implement a steady routine of cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing (and do not forget the SPF!) to ensure that you not only appear healthy, but feel it, too.”

That said, we’ve combed through the vast marketplace to curate Vogue’s edit of this year’s best body-care solutions with a little help from brands like Mutha, Osea, Costa Brazil, and Tata Harper. Whether you’re looking to firm sagging skin or just want to quell flaky, dry skin for good, there’s a product for everyone. Here, all you need to create your personalized body care routine.

The Firm & Sculpt

To address firming and sculpting concerns across the rest of your body, these solutions work wonders. The Mutha Body Contour Serum is a Vogue editor favorite as it tightens, exfoliates, and nourishes through a supercharged cocktail of ceramides, fruit extracts, and niacinamide. U Beauty’s compound is another top pick to target the arms specifically. Powered by the brand’s Siren Capsule technology, the treatment promises to help depuff and tone by counteracting the effects of gravity. SkinCeuticals Body Tightening Concentrate does this too, but through a blend of peptides, yeast extract, hydrolyzed rice protein leaving an instant cooling effect. For a multipurpose treatment, though, RéVive’s cream solves for hydration and lifting thanks to the featured hyaluronic acid and firming proteins.

The Rich Butter

Especially in winter, a body butter takes the hydration up a notch. While it certainly varies from brand to brand, these formulas tend to be much thicker and richer than their cream counterparts. Smith explains that Mutha’s butter continues to be the brand’s best-selling product and a mainstay in her personal regimen. “I’ve always had stretch marks and, using this during pregnancy, prevented new stretch marks and diminished the appearance of old ones,” she says. “It’s clinically proven to hydrate for 48 hours and reduce the color and fine lines inside a stretch mark by 76%.”