Whether you follow a 12-step regimen or not, chances are, you take better care of the skin on your face than the rest of your body. While your visage benefits from a series of targeted oils, serums, and hydrators, the rest of you likely gets stuck with regular-old lotion that’s designed to accomplish just one thing: moisturize.
But basic body creams and butters have new competition, thanks to an uptick in supercharged serums and oils hitting shelves. These high-performance formulas do much more than hydrate skin — they’re made with ingredients tailored to a variety of skin concerns. There’s a highly effective elixir for every issue, from stimulating collagen production to tackling the appearance of cellulite.
Loaded with minerals and nutrients — many of which have been derived from essential oils — and active ingredients commonly found in products marketed for your face, these concentrated formulas do the heavy lifting, similar to their facial counterparts. Even better, they often feel — and smell — positively luxurious.
Ready to start your head-to-toe skin-care regimen? Read on for a few of our favorite serums and oils.
Always in a rush? This body serum by One Love Organics comes in a convenient spray bottle. Just a few mists work to gently exfoliate and refine skin with pumpkin seed oil (a natural source of salicylic acid) and sea buckthorn oil.
One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Antioxidant Body Serum, $39, available at Birchbox.
Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in milk to keep her skin looking velvet-soft, youthful, and radiant — which is the idea behind Tony Moly’s concentrated serum. Made with 50% raw goat milk from New Zealand, this formula contains a type of protein that makes it gentle enough for most skin types. (And in case you’re wondering, it doesn’t smell like goat’s milk!)
TonyMoly Naturalth Goat Milk Moisture Essence, $47, available at TonyMoly
Ever notice how your skin feels taut when it’s cold out? 111SKIN’s new body serum was developed by a cosmetic surgeon to mimic that tightening reaction. A few applications can help to sculpt, tone, and smooth your skin — but in the comfort of your heated home.
111SKIN Cryo Body Serum, $150, available at Barneys New York.
Nothing replaces a healthy workout regimen, but this body-sculpting and toning serum helps, too. The brand conducted clinical testing to demonstrate how the essential oil-based formula can help revitalize skin, improve firmness, and even reduce the size of stretch marks over an eight-week period. Well, we did our own testing and found that just one bottle, used over one month, made our legs feel smoother and more toned.
Decleor Aromessence Sculpt Firming Body Concentrate, $55.03, available at Decleor Paris.
Everyone has cellulite — even supermodels aren’t immune — and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. But if you’d like to lessen the appearance, this detoxifying formula can help you get there. Invigorating essential oils like juniper, rosemary, grapefruit, and fennel help de-puff, eliminate toxins, and improve circulation.
The Organic Pharmacy Detox Cellulite Body Oil, $68, available at The Organic Pharmacy.
KHUS+KHUS encourages the use of its body serums in the Ayurvedic practice of self-massage called abhyanga. But even if you’ve never tried this daily ritual, you’ll benefit from the brand’s balancing serum — a therapeutic blend of patchouli (which some believe can help alleviate stress-related conditions), moisturizing sandalwood (known for its astringent-like balancing qualities), and more.
KHUS+KHUS LUNA Body Serum, $80, available at KHUS+KHUS Modern Herbal Fusion.
Dull, dry skin and patchy areas are no match for May Lindstrom’s intensely nourishing body elixir. It's a heady combination of cocoa, rose, lavender, and ylang-ylang — and the formula also contains infinitesimal flecks of mica that give your skin a barely there golden shimmer.
May Lindstrom Skin The Good Stuff Radiance Oil, $110, available at May Lindstrom.
By now, we all know that overexposure to the sun can have damaging effects on the skin. But we can’t stay away 24/7 — and sunscreen can't block every ray. That’s where this super-absorbent serum comes in. It’s comprised of several potent ingredients — including vitamin C ester and tamanu oil, which encourages cellular regeneration and, according to the brand, is used in France to help heal burned skin.
Kypris Body Elixir Inflorescence, $95, available at Kypris Beauty.
Inspired by beauty traditions from around the globe, this nourishing serum has a worldly ingredient list: apricot kernel oil from Northern Pakistan, argan oil harvested in Morocco, Brazil nut oil by way of Peru, and more — all of which help to keep skin dewy and soft.
Lina Hanson Global Body Serum, $63, Lina Hanson.
If you’ve started to use high-performance skin products on your face, consider this powerful contouring treatment for the rest of your body. Tracie Martyn’s natural, collagen-focused formula increases elasticity, lifts, and firms sagging areas, and immediately leaves your skin feeling suppler than before — at least it did for us!
Tracie Martyn Resculpting Body Serum, $98, available at Barneys New York.
If you’re looking for something that soaks in fast, consider Kopari’s lightweight coconut oil-based formula. The non-greasy multitasking formula can be used on your face, hair, and cuticles — as long as you don’t mind smelling like you just returned from the tropics.
Kopari Coconut Sheer Oil, $44, available at Kopari Beauty.
This all-in-one oil from French skin-care brand Darphin works on pretty much any part of you that’s thirsty for hydration, thanks to ingredients enriched with essential fatty acids. Use it on your body or face to help protect skin against moisture loss and your hair to prevent breakage.
Darphin Revitalizing Oil, $50, available at Darphin Paris.
Just a tiny dollop of this semi-solid body oil liquefies on contact with your skin and instantly softens the roughest parts of your body, like elbows, knees, and heels. It’s formulated with a whopping 28 plant, fruit, and flower oils and butters, designed to replace the natural oils you lose with age, cold weather, and more. Bonus? It’s also fantastic as a smooth shaving cream or post-shave balm.
Jao Goē Oil, $48, available at Sephora.
The solution for scaly legs in the winter, this incredibly rich, antioxidant-packed serum imparts a subtle sheen with deeply hydrating sea buckthorn, prickly pear, and baobab oils. The scent — citrusy, floral, and woodsy all at once — is complex, but not overpowering, so it’s perfect to apply before a night out.
de Mamiel Revitalising Body Serum, $87, available at Seed To Serum.
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