9 Skin-Loving Ingredients to Look for in Body Care Products

Your choice of body care products is as important as the ones you use for your facial skincare regimen. Knowing which ingredients to look for and the skin conditions they target is half the battle. The other half is catching up with skin concerns as unpredictable as tropical weather. Here’s a lowdown on popular ingredients in body care products and which ones to use for your specific needs.

One of the gentlest alpha-hydroxy acids, lactic acid smooths and softens rough, dry, and scaly skin anywhere on the body. It exfoliates and moisturizes scaly skin on your legs, bumps on your forearm, and other body parts prone to calluses, such as the elbows and knees.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant powerhouse that you should be looking for in body care products. The skin absorbs it quickly and offers a range of benefits, from anti-aging to brightening and UV protection. Because it helps promote collagen production, it can keep your skin taut and prevent sagging.

Another popular vitamin used in body care products is vitamin E. When used with vitamin C, it protects against oxidative stress, a prime culprit behind premature skin aging and inflammatory skin diseases. Vitamin E is the ingredient to look for if you seek relief from dry, itchy skin, especially on the arms and legs.

For years, people have been drinking tea for health. But as a skincare ingredient, your skin can reap the benefits of tea plant extracts in more ways than one. For instance, green tea is a multi-tasking ingredient that targets everything from acne to anti-aging. It also has antimicrobial properties that can help alleviate skin irritation and its symptoms.

Dove Care & Protect Bar has green tea derived from Camellia Sinensis and Anti-bac dual technology to keep your skin 99% bacteria-free. Add it to your rotation of body care products to gently cleanse your body and keep it moisturized.

Oatmeal is one of the most prescribed ingredients for skin conditions such as eczema, rashes, or chicken pox. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant chemicals called avenanthramides, which protect and nourish the skin. However, not all oatmeal is created equal. Look for finely ground colloidal oatmeal in body care products.

Shea butter, which comes from the nut of a shea tree, is a popular ingredient in moisturizers and body creams because of its high content of fatty acids. Like oatmeal, shea butter has a soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. One study showed that shea butter is suitable for the most sensitive skin as it rarely causes allergies.

Known for its intense moisturizing properties, applying coconut oil creates a barrier that protects you from symptoms of dry skin. You can use it as a spot treatment for dry spots on your hands and fingers or to seal moisture in cracked areas like your heels. Because it’s occlusive, pat it on it while your skin is damp after a shower.

You’ve probably seen argan oil listed as a hair care ingredient, but it can also do wonders for your skin. It’s suitable for all skin types and has vitamin E, ferulic acid, and carotenoids, which give it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Argan oil can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and treat minor skin conditions. It smells amazing too.

You’ll find glycerin in lip balms or face creams, but it’s also an ingredient used for cleansing and moisturizing dry or cracked skin. Since it’s a humectant, it draws moisture to deeper layers of the skin, giving you that soft, hydrated glow.

Don’t worry about drying out your hands while keeping them germ-free. Use Dove Nourishing Hand Wash Cucumber and Green Tea, which has¼ moisturizing cream that nourishes your hands up to 10 layers deep, leaving them soft and smooth even with frequent handwashing. 

Understanding your skin’s needs and knowing which ingredients to look for is crucial to building your arsenal of body care products. Your skin can be dry and itchy one day and oily the next, so keep a variety on hand to address these issues as they come.