This body care routine could actually cure your thirsty winter skin

In the depths of winter, it’s easy to neglect everything from the neck down, given we’re bundling ourselves up rather than baring all. But the body care category is full of exciting innovations, and splurging on a few treats for your forgotten limbs could be just the thing to get you in the mood for showing some skin again as spring approaches.

Body products have broadened to become so much more than gel wash and scented lotions; we’re talking active serums, hydrating mists, nourishing oils and treatments, all of which are formulated to care for your body in the same way you do your face. Here are a few we deem worthy of adding to your routine.

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EXFOLIANT

Pure Mama Bump Scrub, $42, may have been made with pregnancy in mind, but the creamy blend of coconut oil, bamboo powder and ground pumice makes this exfoliant suitable for all skin types. Exfoliators work to slough away dead skin cells and prep skin for a follow-up dose of hydration. Use a few times a week in the shower to encourage cell turnover and circulation as you massage the scrub all over your body.

SCAR TREATMENT

Every scar tells a story. Whether that’s a story of bravery and courage or an unfortunate accident, if you’ve got one that you’d like to minimise, Tronque Scar Concentrate, $160, is formulated to soften both old and new. With 26 bioactive superfruits and a cocktail of antioxidants, this treatment product promotes collagen production and cell turnover, helping to fade stretch marks and hyperpigmentation, too.

SERUM

A serum is designed to deliver more active ingredients, and you can choose those ingredients based on your skin’s needs. Because winter is a time when dead skin tends to build up, applying a body serum with alpha hydroxy acids to clean skin offers a way of gently exfoliating to promote smooth skin and a more even tone. Ren AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum, $68, contains lactic acid to do just that. This is best used in winter as it can make you more sensitive to the sun, but double up with an SPF regardless when limbs are exposed.

BODY OIL

We’ve all got a simple body lotion in our stash, but upping your game with an oil is a great way to really condition dry areas. Most oils are multi use and work wonders all over the body, especially for particularly rough areas such as cracked heels, cuticles, elbows and even the ends of your hair.

Go-To Exceptionoil, $56, contains cocoa butter, jojoba oil and florally monoi de Tahiti and is best applied to slightly damp, clean skin. Go ahead and add a squeeze of this tropical scented oil to your bath water for a true luxury soak, too.

ILLUMINATOR

This is one of those products that’s a nice to have, not a have to have, but the feel-good factor of applying a bronzing oil in the depths of winter just can’t be beat. The best thing about Emma Lewisham’s Illuminating Face and Body Oil, $92, is that it’s packed with nourishing ingredients to care for your skin in the long term, while giving you a short-term glow-up.

Containing eight high performing active ingredients, independent testing shows this oil delivers antioxidant protection to the skin for more than eight hours. Hyaluronic acid also works to boost skin hydration.

MIST

If time is of the essence, add a body mist to your beauty kit for a hit of hydration in seconds. Pure Fiji Body Mist, $33, is an unsung hero in the body category but is a true MVP thanks to its use of dilo leaf hydrosol. Alongside its conditioning properties, dilo is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal, and together with coconut oil, keeps skin hydrated for up to 24 hours. Spritz all over your body whenever your skin needs a drink and make space for it in your beach bag when the sun comes back.