MY BODY CARE ROUTINE | SKINCARE FOR YOUR BODY

Let’s talk about my body care routine. We often pay a lot of attention to our faces but totally neglect the skin on the rest of our bodies. The great thing is that a lot of the key principles of skincare apply from head to toe.

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For products not found locally, I order online and ship them in via Savo Store or Kentex Cargo.

My body care concerns

My body is very dry and dehydrated. It requires adequate moisturizing so that I am not looking ashy in these streets.

It is also rough and bumpy. I have diagnosed myself with keratosis pilaris (KP) which is commonly referred to as “strawberry skin” or “chicken skin”. My skin has been like this since I was a kid but I never thought about managing it until recently.

Another concern is my darkened inner thighs due to friction. Thick thighs save lives but destroy jeans. Managing this will probably take months to years but it doesn’t bother me too much.

I also have stretch marks ALL OVER my body. I have had them since primary school. I know that topical products might not do much for them. I am learning to accept them as they are.

My body care routine

The skin barrier on our face is slightly different from the rest of our bodies. However the steps are not too different.

Cleansing

I cleanse my body daily using a gentle fragrance-free body wash.

So far, I have used one from Seba Med and another from Necessaire and I liked both of them.

Moisturizing

I go for fragrance-free moisturizers that are formulated with chemical exfoliants.

I specifically go alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid or lactic acid to target the KP.

I also look out for rich moisturizing ingredients that are great for the skin barrier. These include urea, glycerin and ceramides.

So far, I have used one from Eucerin and Amlactin. The former was a richer moisturizer but the latter had a greater impact on my KP. It made my skin feel a lot of smoother over continued use.

I often go put some Cerave Healing Ointment over my moisturizers as a nice occlusive.

Protection

Since I use exfoliants in my body care routine, sunscreen in non-negotiable. The lotions make my skin more sensitive to the sun so I always apply sunscreen to exposed areas of my body before I leave the house.

I am not as picky with body sunscreen as I am with my face. If I don’t like a sunscreen for my face, I will just use it on my body instead.

Currently I alternate between a Malibu dry oil spf 50 spray and an Alba Botanica sunscreen that I used to use on my face.

My current routine

At the moment, I am experimenting with using a rinse off exfoliating scrub 1-2 times a week in addition to my glycolic acid lotion.

I am worried it might be overkill and may opt to use a moisturizer without exfoliants then use a rinse off product with exfoliating ingredients( a body wash or scrub).

Having a ” proper” body care routine doubled my skincare budget. It is not cheap but so far, it has been worthwhile.

I am playing the long game especially with the hyper pigmentation but it feels good to be taking care of my body inside and out.

What is your bodycare routine like? Let me know in the comments.

“Always remember that your hair is your crown and your body is a temple; embrace it, love it and take care of it.”