We all love it when our faces feel and look healthy. But smooth skin, an even tone, a contoured jawline, and a glowing complexion?
That doesn't just magically happen. It’s a result of your intentional, consistent skincare routine.
But wouldn’t you love it if the skin on your body felt and looked the same way? Baby-soft legs, buttery-smooth arms, and that same healthy, lit-from-within glow—it almost sounds too good to be true.
Except… it’s not! Having head-to-toe results is totally attainable. The problem? We don’t spend nearly as much time caring for our bodies as we do our faces.
So, to help you get the skin you’ve always wanted, we’re sharing our guide to the ideal everyday body care routine. Think: simple, easy, effective, and absolutely life-changing.
Body Skincare Routine: Your Face Isn’t the Only Priority
In this post, we’ll explain how the face and body should be cared for differently. Then, we’ll outline the perfect daily routine for the best results possible.
Let’s talk body care:
Is Face Skin Different from Body Skin?
Yep. The skin on our faces is thinner and more delicate than anywhere else. It’s also much more reactive—in more ways than one.
Plus, the face has smaller pores and many more oil glands than the rest of the body. Because of this, the pores clog easier, are more easily irritated, and form wrinkles faster. It’s why sensitive skin is more prominent on the face than anywhere else.
Your body skin, on the other hand, is thick, tough, and less sensitive. It can handle stronger ingredients and more intense skincare practices. That’s why your body needs a routine distinct from your usual facial skincare flow.
Can You Use Face Skincare on Your Body?
You could . . . but why? Your facial skincare products won’t hurt anything. However, they probably won’t be very effective, either.
Formulas for your face are meant to be lighter and more targeted. They’re also usually way more expensive than body care products—even though you get less in the bottle.
For an effective body care routine, you need moisturizers and exfoliants with richer textures and stronger actives. Below, we’ll get into exactly what tools and products we recommend!
What Is a Good Body Skincare Routine?
Morning Body Care Routine
Do a hot/cold therapy protocol.
Hot and cold therapy is one of the easiest ways to wake up your skin, boost circulation, and get that tight, lifted, “I-slept-eight-hours” look—even if you didn’t.
The contrast between heat and cold trains your skin to respond better, move fluid, and stay glowy throughout the day. We’re obsessed with it right now.
There are a lot of ways to do it. Our founder, Lauryn, currently likes to alternate between the sauna and a cold plunge in the morning. But you could just as easily use a hot shower and the TSC Ice Roller for the same effect!
Here are other effective cold plunge alternatives to shape and energize your body!
Use a body sculpting or lymphatic massage tool.
In the morning, you’re usually puffy all over from pooled lymph fluid. It’s really common after we lie in one spot all night, leaving us all stiff and puffy.
So, to flush out that extra fluid, reduce swelling, and tone the perfect silhouette? Follow your hot/cold therapy with a body contouring sesh.
Just apply a body oil for gliding, then sculpt your body with a tool like the TSC Le Spoon or the De la heart Lymphatic Body Tool.
Apply a lightweight body moisturizer or oil.
Next, keep your skin hydrated with a lightweight body moisturizer or oil. These non-greasy formulas absorb quickly, but won’t leave residue on your clothes.
For lightweight daily moisturizing, we recommend Agent Nateur Body Serum or Le Prunier oil. These body care products are made with the same attention to detail as your face lotion, which is why we love them!
Apply SPF to all exposed areas.
You know we’re all about SPF here at The Skinny Confidential. And our “wear sunscreen all the damn time” rule doesn’t just apply to our face.
All exposed skin needs daily SPF. We like Replenix Antioxidant Hydrating Sunscreen SPF for the body, but remember to reapply your sunscreen every couple of hours. Just take a bottle with you to work and recoat at lunchtime!
Evening Body Care Routine
Dry brush before showering.
Now here’s one of the BEST ways to care for your body skin in your daily routine. Before you get in the shower at night, sweep your skin with The Skinny Confidential Butter Brush.
Buffing your skin with this luxurious boar hair brush energizes your tissue, boosts circulation, encourages lymphatic drainage, and exfoliates dead skin cells to reveal smoother skin.
There are so many dry brushing benefits, we’re convinced this will be your favorite part of your body care routine. It’s just one tool that, even on its own, can leave your skin feeling and looking its absolute best.
Here’s how to use your dry brush in your nightly ritual.
Get in a lukewarm shower with eucalyptus.
Next, turn on your shower and set the water to a lukewarm temperature. We know how amazing a hot shower feels, but it’s honestly so bad for your skin. It can leave it super dry and even swollen.
Lukewarm water helps you get clean and promotes good skin health. To create a more luxurious, spa-like experience, hang eucalyptus in the shower, dim your lights, and warm your towel. It’s the next best thing to a hot shower!
Cleanse with a hydrating body wash.
While in the shower, of course, wash your hair and do what you normally do on your face. But, for your body, we recommend a hydrating wash.
Look for something with ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, aloe vera, shea butter, or oat extract. Personally, we love Flamingo Estate Jasmine & Damask Rose Body Wash and OSEA Undaria Algae Body Wash.
If you want to know why we’re obsessed with OSEA right now, listen to the HIm & Her Show podcast episode where Lauryn and Michael interview the founders!
Shave your legs—and anywhere else you want.
At this point in your shower, shave your legs and any other areas you want. You can shave your face, pits, arms, vulva—literally, nowhere is off limits.
No, it won’t make your hair grow back thicker and darker. Instead, you’ll get a silky smooth finish and added exfoliation benefits. So, grab a good shaving cream and remove all your body hair, if that’s your vibe!
However, if you’re not into shaving, we totally respect that too. Here, you could use a chemical exfoliant to get similar benefits or skip this step altogether.
Rinse and get out of the shower.
Whatever you do, finish up by rinsing completely off. You don’t want any body wash, hair products, or shaving cream residue to be left on your body.
Then get out and dry completely off with your warmed towel. As tempting as it may be to get into cozy clothes as quickly as possible, avoid rubbing your skin. Instead, pat dry to avoid unnecessary friction and potential irritation post-shave.
Apply a rich moisturizer or body oil.
Now it’s time to get heavy-handed with your moisturizer. To make your body skin as smooth and healthy as your face skin, you need to prioritize hydration.
Like your face skin, your body skin experiences a lot throughout the day that strips it of its natural oils and moisture. So, a rich body lotion is essential before bed to help your skin repair overnight.
Luckily, the larger pores on your body allow you to use thick, nourishing body moisturizers and oils without causing breakouts or a greasy finish.
So, lather up to address dry skin, restore the skin barrier, and get that perfect buttery skin texture. For best results, try OSEA Undaria Algae Body Butter, Nécessaire Body Lotion, or Elemis Monoi Body Oil.
Incorporate weekly body treatments.
There are other body care treatments that you don’t necessarily want to do every day, but they deserve a spot somewhere in your routine. Just like you wouldn’t use retinol or dermaplaning on your face every day, there are weekly body care needs.
What you do for your regular treatments is really up to you! But we do definitely recommend red light therapy, cupping and acupuncture, and lymphatic drainage massage.
Give your body the same skincare love as your face.
Your face isn’t the only part of you that deserves intention. When you take the time to treat your body with the same level of consistency and care, everything changes. Your skin, your look, your energy, and even your confidence totally transform.
If you’re ready to upgrade your routine with the tools and products that actually make a difference, explore The Skinny Confidential Shop. It’s full of the body care essentials we swear by to keep everything smooth, sculpted, and seriously healthy.
