Shower oil is a relatively recent trend in beauty, although there are certainly brands that have been making these products for years.
I'd seen them around before, but was always quick to skip past them, preferring to reach for a "proper" body wash.
I'd tried cleansing oils for my face before and while they're great and removing makeup, I'd never really fallen in love with them. Facial cleansing oils never left my oily complexion feeling properly clean. I figured it was likely with shower oils for body. We all like feeling fresh and clean after a hot shower, and I imagined shower oils would leave you feeling a little slimy - not for me.
How wrong I was.
I am totally and completely converted. No more shower gel or body wash for me. Shower oils have to be one of the best beauty products around, and indeed this is probably the best beauty swap I've ever made. Here's why.
Shower oils are a time saver
Growing up, both my Mother and my Nonna made me very aware of the importance of moisturising. Not just your face, but your whole body. From the age of 10, body lotions were a key part of my beauty routine. I'd use them after a shower religiously. That was until I was about 23.
The older I got, the longer my working hours became, every day I seemingly had less time to myself. And finding an extra 10 minutes in the morning when you need to be on a bus by 6:45am is sometimes impossible. Many of my beauty rituals went from daily, to every second day to eventually fading out all together. And my skin suffered, especially in winter.
Shower oils seem almost designed to combat this problem. No time to moisturise your legs? Just do it in the shower. These products are designed to nourish as they cleanse, leaving you with wonderfully moisturised skin as you leave the shower, with no need to slather yourself in body lotion. A dream come true for anyone who is time poor.
Shower oils clean without stripping
The one thing that always held me back from trying these products earlier was my suspicion that they wouldn't cleanse properly. But they do. I've been using the wonderful Hemp Hydrating & Protecting Shower Oil from The Body Shop and it's fabulous. After you pour it out of the bottle and add a little water, the oil lathers ever so slightly. It glides over your skin just like any other body wash does.
Even after an intense gym session, this shower oil does exactly what it promises to do. I leave the shower feeling fresh, with no slimy sensation. After you wash it off, you can feel your skin is definitely clean but without that tight feeling soap can gives you. Many soaps and washes can strip all your natural oils and leave your skin scaly and rough. But a shower oil will clean without stripping.
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They're kinder to your skin
Shower oils have been designed with your skin health in mind. They're a way to nourish as you cleanse - certainly a more considered approach to caring for your skin.
Unlike many soaps, many shower oils are designed to protect and preserve the skin's natural moisture barrier, rather than stripping it away. This makes them particularly useful for those with dry skin who suffer from flakiness and itching. Soap can irritate but oils will soothe.
Really, they're just a kinder choice for your skin. You don't need a harsh soap to be clean.
