4 Steps to Create the Perfect Body Skin Care Routine

It is common for people to have a solid facial skin care routine but when it comes to their full body skin care routine there is often neglect. Undoubtedly a larger task than just looking after your face, but it is well worth establishing a body skin care routine as well as identifying what body care products work best for you in order to keep your skin feeling healthy and nourished - giving you that full body glow.

What should your body skin care routine include?

Having a structured body skin care routine that keeps your skin healthy, feeling refreshed and nourished goes far beyond just showering regularly to clean up. A body skin care routine looks after your bodies first line of defense against infection and disease as well as ensuring a healthy glow about your appearance. From selecting the right body care products and body cream to shaving correctly, all will play a role in looking after your skin.

lady in the shower as part of body care routine

Body care begins in the shower

The perfect body skin care routine begins in the shower. Make sure that the water is not too hot, as comfortable and relaxing as a piping hot shower can be - it can be damaging to your skin. Although less favoured, particularly in cold winter months, showering in colder water provides more benefits to your skin.

The benefits of showering in colder water for your skin include:

Tightening of pores, making your skin feel firmer and less likely to let dirt in
Improved responsiveness to injury
The retention of natural oils, without skin drying out

It is important to consider your skin type at shower in order to know what body care products are best for you. For example, if you have sensitive or extremely dry skin, you may want to consider a less coarse body scrub and more richly moisturising creams. It will benefit you to work out the perfect shower routine for you and understand how often you should shower.

lady exfoliating legs as part of body care routine

Exfoliate your skin

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells and is the basis for beginning your body skin care routine. As well as removing dead skin cells, exfoliating also helps to stimulate circulation and prepares your skin to better absorb the benefits of body care products. It is worth taking your time to learn how to exfoliate properly in order to fully cleanse your skin and unclog your pores.

To exfoliate your body, massage an exfoliating scrub into your damp skin in a circular motion, working your way all over your body. Pay close attention to areas with particularly rough skin such as your knees and elbows. Please note that scrubs for your body should not be used on your face as they are too coarse for your faces sensitive skin - also be careful not to scrub too hard around your upper chest or neck as these are more sensitive areas (they can be exfoliated in your facial routine). To help with the exfoliation process it can help to use an exfoliating glove or brush.

Skin-friendly shaving

Part of your body skin care routine may involve hair removal such as shaving, even if not always as part of your standard routine, it helps to know the best skin-friendly way to shave.

If necessary after exfoliating, apply shaving cream, foam or gel to the areas of your body that you wish to shave - NIVEA Body Shaving Gel is one of our most popular products for shaving bodily hair. Warm water from the shower will have softened your bodily hair to make shaving easier.

Once the shaving gel is applied, make sure to shave in the right direction for the desired shave and body part. Going against the grain can give a closer shave, although when shaving more sensitive areas can lead to irritation, ingrown hairs and razor burn. For more advice on how to avoid razor rash and enjoy a more comfortable shave, read our guide on how to get rid of and avoid shaving rash.

lady shaving as part of her body skin care routine

Moisturise your skin

Skin is our bodies first and foremost protective barrier that defends us from diseases and infections. Day-to-day our skin is exposed to elements that can cause it to dry out, crack and become damaged which is why moisturising is exceptionally important to keep our skins defence in check. Both shaving and exfoliating can cause skin to dry out so it is particularly important to moisturise after either of these activities.

After you have exfoliated your skin using a deep body scrub (and possibly shaved) your body skin should be nicely cleansed of any dirt and/or dead skin cells. The next step in your body skin care routine is to moisturise. This can be done either in the shower with a moisturising shower gel or with a traditional body cream after showering (or both!), the former is generally preferred, however is by no means better - it is simply more convenient!

If moisturising in the shower, look to use a shower gel that is specifically moisturising. NIVEA has plenty of products designed specifically to moisturise your skin in the shower, one of our most loved products is NIVEA Rich Moisture Creme Caring Shower Creme, but there are plenty to choose from in a variety of scents.

Outside of the shower, traditional body creams can be used to moisturise your skin throughout the day or immediately post-shower if you have not done so within to nourish your skin. Lather a moisturising body cream over your body, working it into your pores as you go, allowing it time to absorb before getting dressed. NIVEA has a broad range of moisturising body creams available for all different types of skin, to know what should work best for you check out our article about finding the best moisturiser for your skin type.

If you suffer from particularly dry skin, read our article about how to treat dry skin to help incorporate this into your body skin care routine.

Protect your skin

The majority of your body skin care routine will most likely take place around shower time, when you will clean, exfoliate, shave and moisturise. However it is important to be aware of what can cause damage to your skin.

Things that can cause day-to-day damage to your skin include:

Harsh chemicals, including cleaning products
Overtly hot water
Overexposure to natural weather elements

Be sure to stay safe in the sun by wearing sunscreen and avoiding exposing bear skin to direct sunlight for long periods of time. If you want to achieve a bronze sun-kissed look, consider using skin friendly tanning products that will not harm your skin.