The Basics of Body Skincare: Reasons and Routines
You probably have a multi-step skincare routine for your face, but do you need the same for your body? The skin is your largest organ; it covers you from head to toe, and the same benefits you get from cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing your face benefit your body too.
It’s time for a body care routine! Today’s article will walk you through a simple body care strategy and pick the best body skincare products. Keep reading to learn how to achieve soft, hydrated, smooth skin everywhere. We’ll cover:
- Why you need a body skincare routine
- Health benefits of body care
- The best skin regimen
- Body care products list
Why is Body Skincare Essential to Your Daily Routine?
Body skincare (body care or body care) means applying the same skin principles you use to treat your face to the rest of your body. While your face gets the most exposure to UV radiation and pollution year-round, the rest of your skin is subject to aging, dryness, and damage too. It’s just usually covered up and we don’t pay as much attention.
As we enter summer and more skin sees the light of day, it’s time to upgrade your body care products and make using them a part of your daily routine.
Health Considerations for Body Skincare
Face and body care offer long- and short-term health benefits and mental health benefits. Let’s explore these benefits next.
Long-term Benefits of Consistent Body Skincare
How you care for your skin today influences its health and aesthetics in the years and decades to come. Long-term benefits include preventing skin aging, minimizing skin diseases, and enhancing overall skin health.
Preventing Skin Aging
Over time, the skin ages, which impacts its ability to create an effective barrier between you and the outside world. As the skin barrier becomes compromised, the skin becomes more susceptible to oxidative stress and inflammation.
Prevention is the best medicine for skin health. Targeted skincare ingredients, including vitamins and polyphenols, can help protect the skin, stimulate collagen production, and maintain a healthy skin barrier.
Please read The Secrets of Anti-Aging Skincare for more information.
Minimizing the Risk of Skin Diseases
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun makes the skin age faster and increases the risk of skin cancer and other skin diseases. Daily antioxidants, SPF, and nourishing skincare ingredients help protect the skin and heal any damage. Often, we prioritize our face regarding sun protection, but any area of the skin is at risk, which is why your body care routine is also essential.
Please read How to Prevent and Treat Sun-Damaged Skin for more information.
Enhancing Overall Skin Health
Finally, a long-term benefit of using body care skin products is improved skin health. With the right routine, skin can become more hydrated, nourished, and healthy.
Short-Term Benefits of Immediate Body Skincare
In addition to the long-term benefits of prevention and optimized skin health, routine body skincare offers immediate results. It can quickly moisturize, soothe, and promote healing and repair.
Addressing Dryness and Irritation
Put lotion, cream, or oil on dry or irritated skin and discover instant relief. You can use it on the entire body or spot-treat problem areas. If your skin tends to be dryer and more irritated in the winter, you probably already rely on skin and body care for relief. In the summer, moisturizing body and face care can help relieve dry, scratchy, and sunburned skin from time spent outdoors or in the water.
Promoting Skin Healing and Repair
Skin issues aren’t confined just to the face. You can experience eczema, acne, rashes, and other skin problems anywhere on your skin. A consistent body care routine addresses the problem areas and promotes skin healing and a healthy skin barrier.
Psychological, Social, and Self-Esteem Benefits
Taking care of your skin (face and body) is self-care and benefits mental and emotional health. A skincare routine becomes a daily ritual that can be relaxing, nourishing, and stress-relieving. It all depends on how we approach it. Take this as an invitation to put a nourishing and relaxing intention into your body care.
Boosting Self-Confidence and Self-Image
Healthy skin can boost your confidence and self-esteem. Skin issues can promote negative thoughts and emotions, which increase stress and can make skin issues worse. Preemptive skincare measures and treatment approaches help improve how you feel about your skin and yourself.
Enhancing Social Interactions and Relationships
When you feel more confident and comfortable in your skin, you become more comfortable sharing your true self with others, which can benefit your relationships and social connections. Social interactions are crucial for overall health, including skin health.
Providing a Sense of Well-Being and Relaxation
Turn your body skincare routine into a relaxing experience and allow yourself to take a few minutes to relax, practice self-massage, and enjoy the quiet. If you don’t have time for meditation or mindfulness, why not practice mindfulness with skincare by being present and focusing on your senses and breath.
Body Skincare Routine
You might wonder, what skincare products do I need? Let’s walk through a simple, effective body skincare routine and the best self-care products to nourish your skin. As always, tailor the products to your skin type and health goals.
Wash With a Body Cleanser
Like your face routine, a body care routine should always start with clean skin. The first step is to gently cleanse the skin. You can do this in a bath or shower with a body cleanser targeted to your skin type. Avoid traditional bar soaps and other products that dry out the skin by stripping it of its natural oils.
You can choose a cleansing product that also exfoliates. We’ll talk about exfoliation next.
Importance of Choosing a Gentle, pH-Balanced Cleanser
The skin’s surface is naturally acidic, and this pH balance is essential for maintaining a healthy skin microbiome and barrier function. Many cleansing products are more basic and change the pH of the skin. For best results, you want a cleanser that is also acidic, with a pH between 4.0 and 5.0.
Look for products with hydroxy acids for pH balance and exfoliation when desired.
Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and impurities from the skin’s surface and pores, allowing skin regeneration and younger skin cells to shine through. It can make the skin smoother, brighter, and more radiant. It also allows your moisturizer (we’ll cover moisturizers next) to penetrate more deeply and be more effective.
You can use chemical exfoliators, like hydroxy acids, as part of your skin cleanser or try a physical exfoliant like a salt or sugar scrub. These can also be a part of your shower routine.
Benefits of Exfoliation for Removing Dead Skin Cells
Exfoliation benefits more than the face. Your whole body, including your scalp, needs to be exfoliated regularly. NassifMD® Purifying Scalp Detox Exfoliant – Hair & Scalp Cleansing Scrub is a great option for your head.
The benefits of exfoliating the skin include:
- Clearing damaged and dead skin cells
- Unclogging pores
- Promoting skin turnover
- Improving the skin’s appearance
Use Moisturizer
The most crucial body care product is an effective, high-quality body moisturizer. Moisturizers help lock in moisture after a shower. You can also pick a moisturizer unique to your skincare goals, targeting cellulite, skin sagging, dry skin, crepey skin, or other issues.
Selecting Moisturizers Based on Skin Type and Needs
The NassifMD® body skincare line offers several options to suit your needs. Each product supercharges hydration with a pleasant (and non-greasy) formula packed with nourishing oils and active skincare ingredients.
NassifMD® Crepe Inhibitor Triple Action Body Butter helps firm and rehydrate crepey skin immediately. Active ingredients include shea butter, Glycoin, Renovage peptide complex, and plant humectants for a deep moisturizing experience.
NassifMD® Hydro-Screen Souffle is our lightweight hydro-screen moisturizer for the face and body. It nourishes the skin for a plump, hydrated look and feel. Key ingredients include hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and a retinol-like extract from the babchi plant to improve skin tone and firmness while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Don’t save these ingredients for your face when your whole body benefits!
Apply Sunscreen
During the day, follow your moisturizer with SPF protection on all areas exposed to the sun, including the face, neck, décolleté, and hands. In the summer, add shoulders, arms, legs, and feet to the list if they aren’t covered by protective clothing.
Tips for Choosing and Applying Sunscreen Effectively
You can use the same sunscreen on your body as on your face. NassifMD® Simply Hydration Sheer Daily Sunscreen SPF 40 is an excellent option because it’s untinted and deeply hydrating.
Apply sunscreen in the morning after your moisturizer and before makeup. Then reapply every two hours when out in the sun. A wide-brimmed hat and protective sun clothing are also good options.
Sculpt and Firm
Topical skincare products nourish and hydrate the skin from the outside for a more toned and firmer look. Additionally, don’t overlook exercise. Strength training and other exercises that focus on building and toning muscles also help tighten and improve the appearance of the skin. Exercise also improves circulation to the skin, which can speed up skin healing.
Techniques for Toning and Firming the Body Skin
Some other techniques for toning and hydrating body skin may include:
- Massage
- Lymphatic drainage techniques (rebounding, vibration plate, lymphatic massage)
- Dry brushing
- Acupuncture
- Medical spa treatments
For all the care you put into your face, don’t neglect the rest of your skin. Adding body care to your skincare routine may be as simple as upgrading your body wash/exfoliator and moisturizing lotion. A simple routine goes a long way: you’ll see quick results and long-term benefits for skin health and prevention.
References
- Csekes, E., & Račková, L. (2021). Skin Aging, Cellular Senescence and Natural Polyphenols.International journal of molecular sciences, 22(23), 12641.
- Saginala, K., Barsouk, A., Aluru, J. S., Rawla, P., & Barsouk, A. (2021). Epidemiology of Melanoma.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 9(4), 63.
- Blaak, J., & Staib, P. (2018). The Relation of pH and Skin Cleansing.Current problems in dermatology, 54, 132–142.
