When it comes to summer trends, glowing skin is always in. While a balanced diet and a thorough skincare routine are great places to start, investing in a nourishing body oil is a fast-track way to achieving healthy, radiant, hydrated results. Whether you want to prolong the wear of your fake tan, add shimmer to your body, or upgrade your everything shower routine, a body oil is a fool-proof way to keep your skin looking (and feeling) its best.
Searching for the best shimmering body oils, the best hydrating body oils, the best scented body oils, or the best body oils for summer skin? Say no more. Scroll on to take a deep dive on the best body oils out there, and how to use them to achieve the glowy skin of your dreams.
What is body oil?
Body oil is a body care product designed to nourish and moisturise the skin. Unlike other hydrating creams and body care products which typically have a water base, body oils are primarily made with oils that lock in moisture, protect, and hydrate the skin. Not only do they leave skin feeling softer, smoother, and more hydrated, they also give us that healthy, glowing finish we’re all striving for.
Body oil vs body lotion
While body oil and body lotion both work to hydrate the skin, they do have their differences. Unlike body oils, body lotions are primarily water based, containing up to 80% water. They also have a lighter consistency than body oils and tend to absorb into the skin more quickly, leaving a non-greasy finish. Body oils, on the other hand, contain skin-loving oils that help to penetrate the skin deep down and lock in hydration more effectively than body lotions (particularly when used after showering), to give skin an immediate, longer-lasting glow.
The 6 best body oils to use
1. Coco & Eve Sunny Honey Antioxidant Glow Shimmer Body Oil
Luxurious and illuminating, meet the Sunny Honey Antioxidant Glow Shimmer Body Oil. The newest addition to Coco & Eve’s bronze-boosting collection, this fast-absorbing dry oil is brimming with glittering pearlescent minerals and natural glitter for the ultimate shimmering glow. Bursting with brightening vitamin C and hydrating squalane, Australian macadamia and coconut oil, this body oil gives skin a silky-soft, intensely nourished glow.
2. Mario Badescu Coconut Body Oil
Want a healthy glow and irresistible scent? You need to try the Mario Badescu Coconut Body Oil. Powered by a blend of hydrating ingredients including coconut oil and nourishing shea butter, this body oil deeply hydrates the skin for a radiant finish. This lightweight, non-greasy body oil also boasts a tropical scent of coconut, meaning your skin not only looks great, but smells it too.
3. NUDESTIX NudeBody Sunshine Oil Body Elixir
As well as being one of the best body oils for glowing skin, the NUDESTIX NudeBody Sunshine Oil Body Elixir also moisturises. This is thanks to skin-loving nourishing oils like coconut, argan, avocado, jojoba, rice bran, meadowfoam, sesame and squalane that are rich in ultra-moisturizing fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins B & E. There’s also tyrosine in the formula, which essentially helps produce melanin to give you a gradual and even sunkissed glow. Adding spa-worthy into the mix, the added aromatic bergamot and lavender essential oils give you a relaxed feeling.
4. Sol de Janeiro GlowMotions Glow Body Oil
Think of sun-soaked summer skin, and you have the Sol de Janeiro GlowMotions Glow Body Oil. Bursting with a skin-softening blend of cupuaçu butter, açaí oil and coconut oil, this body oil works to replenish and nourish the body. Add to your routine for a shimmery, ultra-soft finish, all year long.
5. Mallows Beauty Tropical Body Oil
Want that post-holiday, summer skin feeling? It’s time to bag a Mallows Beauty Tropical Body Oil. Putting the needs of your skin at the forefront of its design, this body oil is chock-full of nourishing vitamin E, castor oil, and anti-inflammatory squalane, giving you a healthy, radiant glow. Oh, and did we mention it’s scented like a tropical paradise?
6. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil
When it comes to body oils that smell good, the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil is the creme de la creme. Scented with Sol De Janeiro’s iconic Cheirosa ’62 fragrance, it leaves your skin smelling of pistachio and salted caramel whilst deeply nourishing thanks to Brazilian olive oil. It’s enriched with a guaraná caffeine+ Complex™ to visibly firm and tighten skin, as well as sustainably-sourced micro algae extract to help noticeably depuff.
Benefits of body oil
Adding a good body oil to your body care routine has a wide range of benefits, like:
– Improving the skin’s overall health and appearance
– Sealing in moisture for deep and intense nourishment thanks to vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids
– Many natural botanical oils also contain powerful antioxidants that nourish and protect the skin, boost collagen production, and tackle signs of premature ageing.
– Leaving skin softer and smoother, as well as reducing dryness, flakiness, and scaly patches.
How to use body oils
There’s no wrong or right way to use body oil, and its sure to give you radiant results whichever way you choose to incorporate it into your daily routine. There are, however, steps you can follow to get the most out of this hydrating hero:
1. Use your body oil straight after your shower or bath.
2. Pat down with a towel, making sure to leave your skin slightly damp.
3. Warm the oil by rubbing it in the palms of your hands, and then massage into the skin.
4. Give the drier areas of your body extra TLC, such as your elbows, knees, and heels, to reveal an all-over glow.
