(Glow For It)
The Body Care Products Every Melanated Girl Needs This Summer
Sensitive skin-approved.
Summer is supposed to be a more carefree time for skin care, but while many people’s face routines get pared back in the warmer months, the body might need more attention. In the winter, I just slap on a moisturizer or oil and call it a day. But during the summer, there are so many more considerations. Limbs are on constant display, and that involves several types of care: exfoliation for smoother texture, proper sun protection, efficient removal of said SPF, post-sun hydration, and an added glow.
For sensitive and acne-prone skin types similar to mine, the season is a fraught time. We break out with heavy sunscreens and oils, and need to be on a regular yet gentle exfoliation cycle to keep clogged pores at bay, all while coddling irritable skin which might react with redness and itching if overwhelmed by too many strong active ingredients. Many of us with more melanated skin also need to be mindful of pigmentation which could be the result of excessive sun exposure and also a response to harsh formulas.
Dr. Kenneth Mark, M.D., a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist gives two ingredients high ratings for these specific needs. “I would recommend salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid [AHA] that exfoliates to unclog pores and is anti-inflammatory to the oil glands. And the second is lactic acid, which gently exfoliates to smooth skin, and is a humectant that increases the water content of the skin,” he says. For sun protection, Mark recommends zinc oxide-based SPF products as they block the full UVA and UVB spectrum. “Don't forget to apply in-between toes, fingers and behind the ears, and make sure to reapply after sweating or water exposure, even if it says water resistant,” he adds.
Below is a roundup of products that are specifically summer-approved for girlies whose skin Venn diagram intersection shows sensitive, melanin-rich, and prone to acne, but they’re equally good on everyone else.
Effective multi-use products, especially for body care, are worth their weight in gold, because why complicate your life with multi-step routines? I love the idea of body washes formulated with chemical exfoliants, but few are effective. These actives need to be in contact with the skin to effectively slough off dead cells, so you won’t experience their benefits if they’re rinsed off too soon. Leaving it on for five minutes while I marinate in my shower stall isn’t my idea of a good time, yet I stick it out. My mistake with this Nécessaire body wash was to assume it was a garden variety rinse-off exfoliant. Its mix of 6% acids is so effective, I don’t need to let it cook like every other I’ve tried. It’s especially handy in summer to wash off sunscreen remnants.
Chemical exfoliants are my favorite product category, and I’m amazed that no one thought of this format before. This handy deodorant-like stick form makes it so easy to slather on the creamy formula with 7% glycolic and 0.5% salicylic acids. I use it on my heels before bed, on patches of keratosis pilaris (KP) on my knees, and even as an actual deodorant on less labor-intensive days when sweat-producing activities are limited. Glycolic acid has been internet-approved to kill odor-causing bacteria in the pits and also helps with the darkening and discoloration in this area. I’m pleased to report the internet was right, and instead of fooling around with cotton pads and glycolic toners, I’m just swiping this on instead.
I know from experience that body sunscreen often leads to breakouts, and as a result, I try to shower immediately after pool time and spritz on an anti-acne spray on my back. For a recent resort getaway, I was reluctant to carry a full-sized product, so I popped a few of these multi-acid pads in a Ziploc bag instead and they worked just as well. I swiped my back with them after a shower and clear skin was the result. They contain 2% salicylic acid which is the full-strength allowed in OTC acne treatments and the percentage I’ve found to be most effective on thicker areas of skin (like the back). There’s also some glycolic acid in there for additional exfoliation and calming azeleic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide is an OG acne-busting ingredient beloved by New York-based esthetician Sofie Pavitt who specializes in treating acneic skin. This clay-based mask contains 5% BP, which is a hefty dose to stop acne in its tracks. It’s too much for my sensitive face, but I love icing my body with it when breakouts threaten to pop up.
This brand, founded by an Indian dermatologist, is on a mission to get people of color to act proactively in reducing their chances of hyperpigmentation by using melanin-preserving ingredients in their skin care. The products contain varying levels of phytonutrients known to do that job, such as cacao, Indian gooseberry, and rainbow algae. The dark spot corrector has a potent dose of these actives, but is gentle enough that I can use it to spot-treat dark patches on my face as well as some on my back and even my legs.
I met beauty editor Kayla Greaves at an event recently and I couldn’t stop sniffing in her direction – I didn’t even pretend to be surreptitious. She was wearing this ambery, bergamot-laced body oil that she created with Brown Sugar Babe. It also has notes of black pepper, rose, vetiver and musk. The scent is a standout: it’s addictive, lasts all day, and is the perfect scent accessory for golden hour rooftop hangs. There’s also a perfume oil version of the same scent that is meant to be dotted on pulse points, but I personally want this covering every inch of my body.
I love everything that comes out of this buzzy self-tanning brand and this wand is no different. The ultimate two-in-one product, its immediate benefit is as a liquid bronzer, but it also leaves behind a low dose of the tanning ingredient DHA, so you wake up the next day with auto-contoured features. I use it under cheekbones and the jawline, but also to carve out a prominent clavicle, which I wasn’t blessed with naturally. I do the couture hunch pose in front of a mirror and brush the wand on either side of my natural collar bone, where the shadows should be. I blend out the edges and wait the next day for the contour to pop.
I’ve been extremely reluctant to add more steps to my body routine, because honestly who has the time, but I’m realizing that plain ol’ moisturizer isn’t quite delivering the glow-up I want and I’m seeing some crepey skin creep in. Enter this potent vitamin C serum, that just melts into the skin, leaving almost no trace behind. It starts off with the telltale hotdog water scent but that dissipates quickly, and I follow it up with my moisturizer of choice. It uses THD ascorbate, a form of vitamin C known for its potent but gentle nature, and is believed to be more adept at promoting collagen production in comparison to L-ascorbic acid, the most popular form. The formula is rounded off by tranexamic acid to regulate excess melanin as well as vitamin E and exfoliating enzymes, turning up its glow-making capacity.
It’s crazy how this body creme that comes with a built-in massager converts the typically rushed task of moisturizing my limbs to a relaxing spa situation. The nubby roller applicator makes it impossible not to take a self-care moment, but it’s still effortless on the rushed mornings. You could use it to work the cream into the skin, though I prefer to first rub in the moisturizer, infused with peptides, caffeine and probiotics, and then use the roller over it, so no leftover product builds up in the grooves. Just tissue off the excess and it’s ready for the next time you have 12 seconds for a moisturizing massage.
As a brown-skinned girl, mineral sunscreens tend to go ashy on me, so I prefer SPFs with chemical blockers, especially if it’s a body product. On the face I can mask a slightly gray-toned sunscreen with makeup, but it’s harder to camo the body. Plus, my tattoos always looks dull under mineral filters and I hate that. Coola never misses in the sunscreen game, and this SPF 40 lotion with broad spectrum protection is no different. The creamy texture lets it melt into the skin straight away, and it leaves a soft-touch, non-greasy finish. It also feels intensely hydrating, which makes it okay to skip moisturizer. I have gorgeously glowy limbs and it doesn’t flatten my ink, giving them a bit of a zhuzh instead.
A body butter that’s wholly plant-based and sold in Erewhon is catnip to a certain category of people. I don’t belong to that demographic but love this product anyway. A hefty shea and cocoa butter base is enriched with plant oils, squalane and tremella mushroom extract. It takes a bit of massaging to work it into the skin and I appreciate that moment of connection I’m forced to take with my body. It’s deeply hydrating yet light enough that I’m not uncomfortable on humid days. The scent is also addictive, it’s a citrus with green undertones and feels therapeutic.
If you bottled forest bathing, I wager this would be the result. A deep sense of calm is evoked when I slather this vegetal elixir enriched with hemp oil, functional cannabinoids and tamanu oil, a calming antioxidant. It smells as true to nature as you can get, and leaves behind a mellow glow, physical as well as metaphorical.
Kopari makes my favorite body sunscreens and now, a fragrance mist that I can’t get enough of. I skew towards predictable scents in the summer and coconut always hits home, and this hair and body mist with notes of sweet vanilla doesn’t come across sickly sweet. I also appreciate the light touch of body mists for warmer days, when the fumes from an eau de parfum would be overwhelming. I’ll even swap dry shampoo for this mist post-workout. It leaves a subtle trail, as fleeting as summer days.
There is nothing more satisfying than washing off a summer’s day with a slab of soap, and I’m prepared to sacrifice myself on that hill. It’s joyous that so many of the body’s cleansing needs can achieved by solid cleansers these days, such as all these superlative ones from Good Time. I love the citrus punch of Morning Light and the juniper-laced vert of Summer’s Here, both meant for the body. The solid shampoo and conditioner are wonderful too. The Moisturizing Shave Bar (unfortunately not part of this set) is a creamy aide when it’s time for de-fuzzing. And this magical, wall-mounted magnetic bar keeps them all dry till the next shower.
