We give a lot of love to our faces, but body skincare has tended to be an afterthought. A quick slather of lotion and call it a day. That’s been changing, first slowly, and now rapidly. Just this past year, Google Trends and Meta report searches for body care have jumped over 1000%. And what’s exciting: Today’s body creams and oils are stepping up with advanced ingredients like nutrient-rich botanicals, retinol, and probiotics to deliver the goods below your neck
“It’s nice to finally see attention on the body!” says Alison Carroll, co-founder and CEO of Wonder Valley, a plant-based skincare brand. “Body skincare is deserving of performative formulations, better and cleaner ingredients, and time and care in the daily routines we carve out for ourselves.” As a pro in the clean skincare circles, Carroll has a healthy rulebook: “Start with what to avoid: parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes and synthetic perfumes. This is a large surface area and daily application of harmful elements has a negative impact. From there, focus on microbiome-friendly ingredients that will strengthen your skin’s barrier, soften, and provide lasting hydration.”
Remember, adds Shannon Davenport, founder of Esker, botanical skin oils. “Your skin protects you from environmental stressors, bacteria, and toxins while helping regulate temperature and moisture. Keeping it healthy and hydrated supports its natural function and contributes to overall wellness.”
For an Antioxidant Boost
There’s almost nothing olive oil isn’t great for. The founders of Wonder Valley know this better than most. "Our Hinoki Body Oil is formulated with a high concentration of antioxidants from our key ingredient, Wonder Valley extra virgin olive oil, and skin-softening plant-based squalanes,” says co-founder, Alison Carroll. “We formulate our body care (and all products) a few times a year to ensure freshness.” The result is a lightweight oil that your skin drinks up to improve hydration and elasticity over time.
To Keep Your Skin Barrier Tip-Top
Marie Veronique Body Barrier Emulsion
This oil-cream hybrid is like luxurious invisible armor for your body, protecting you against everything you’re bombarded with throughout the day. Probiotics enhance ceramide production—a crucial component of a strong barrier—which naturally declines with environmental stress and age. Gluconolactone, a gentle polyhydroxy acid, draws in moisture while exfoliating. Meanwhile, calendula-infused safflower oil, harvested locally from Northern California, keeps skin calm and feeling fine.
A Positive Way to Start your Day
Esker’s Restorative Oil is more than just a hydrator—it’s a complete skin and mood boost. The star ingredient here is wild carrot seed oil, which delivers vitamins A, C, and E. There’s also rosemary to improve circulation and Madagascar Ylang Ylang for tackling wrinkles. But the oil doesn’t stop at skin: Frankincense gives it a warm, grounding aroma, while bergamot brings in bright citrus. The effect is a daily ritual designed to ease tension and send you off happy.
A Hero for Your Hands
Our hands endure UV rays, harsh temperatures, constant contact with germs and chemicals—yet they’re often overlooked in our skincare routines. Paume’s Age Defying Trio takes hand care seriously. The set includes the Probiotic Hand Balm for daily nourishment, the All-in-One Cuticle and Nail Cream to soften cuticles and strengthen nails, and the Renewing Hand Serum to visibly reduce brown spots, smooth fine lines, and improve skin tone. It’s powered by potent clean ingredients like bakuchiol extract, niacinamide, diglucosyl gallic acid, and vitamin C. For an extra treat, there’s Paume’s Overnight Hand & Foot Hydration Mask.
Calming Ritual
comfort zone Tranquility Body Lotion
This lotion is the antidote to a hectic day, as part of a soothing ritual designed to calm your thinking while it nourishes your skin. Essential oils of Sweet Orange, Damascus Rose, and Cedarwood create a sensory escape; Amaranth oil, rich in nutrients, provides hydration so you’re not just serene, but soft too. The lightweight formula is ideal for those moments you really need to unwind…so, probably every evening.
Radiance Restored
This is a serious workhorse of a body oil. It stars a highly effective form of Vitamin C THD to penetrate deep into the dermis to tackle fine lines, pigmentation, and dullness. The other players include ceramides derived from olive oil, luxurious plant oils, including wild-harvested cacay oil from the Colombian Amazon, rosehip, avocado, apricot, and ylang ylang oils to heal, moisturize, repair sun damage, boost elasticity…the list goes on, all while giving you a gorgeous glow.
Serious Repair
AmLactin Intensive Healing Lotion
Dry, weathered skin needs serious intervention, and this clean, miracle lotion is here to serve. Formulated with 15% lactic acid, it exfoliates while truly, deeply hydrating to tackle the toughest issues—think flaky patches, cracked heels. Ceramides, plant-derived squalane, and vitamin E all do extra-moisturizing and healing duty. And it acts fast.
Overnight Resurfacer
SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Body Overnight Cream
Sleep now becomes a transformative treatment. The mix of a retinoid and AHAs goes to work buffing and clarifying so you wake up smoother, with nice texture and tone. The addition of green tea provides that valuable anti-oxidant protection, and niacinamide, jojoba esters, and avocado oil all strengthen the skin barrier. Knowing that it’s’ paraben free, fragrance free, dye free, and cruelty free helps you drift off even happier, and rise softer and sexier.