Women's Health - UK (2019-07)

94 | JULY 2019 Women’s Health

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The desire for a flawless complexion
has meant taking care of the skin on
your body has played second fiddle
to that on your face. But no more.
Now, products designed to nourish
your dermis from neck to toes are
taking the beauty world by storm
hile Patrick Swayze’s
one-liner has guaranteed
that Baby’s never been
left to fend for herself
in a forgotten nook or
cranny, no one’s done
your epidermis that favour. Because while
you’re inclined to moisturise, peel, scrub,
massage and gua sha your face, chances are
you don’t pay the same attention to the skin
elsewhere on your body. In fact, 65% of
UK women say they don’t moisturise their
body daily and, according to online beauty
booking site Treatwell, body treatments
count for just 2% of all bookings. Market
researchers The NPD Group also report
that, in 2018, the women’s facial market was
worth 10 times that of the body care market.
Why? ‘Visibility of the face drives the belief
that skincare is more important than body
care,’ explains Millie Kendall, co-founder of
the British Beauty Council. ‘Plus, the face
experiences more exposure to the sun, which
is known to be the biggest ager. There are
also lots of steps to skincare, requiring
multiple products – such as mists, cleansers,
serums, moisturisers, SPF and eye cream

• and this impacts spend.’ Roshida Khanom,
  associate director of beauty and personal
  care at Mintel adds that, while 67% of British
  women agree that body skin is as important
  as facial skin, a lot of women just carelessly
  apply their facial moisturiser to their hands
  and body. But body care is on the rise –
  not just for skin-boosting wins, but for
  therapeutic benefits, too. Ready to move on
  from wiping remnants of facial moisturiser
  on your upper arms? We’ve got you covered.

BREAKING

NEW GROUND

Body care’s first quantum

leap is that it’s stealing the

ingredients found in results-

driven skincare. ‘For years,

Asian skincare has delivered

phenomenal results, so it was

only a matter of time before

brands harnessed the same

technology for body care,’

explains Alexia Inge, founder

of Cult Beauty. Body washes

and serums are now laden

with the acids found in skincare

for their ability to leave behind

a megawatt glow. Working

like little Pac-Men, these acid

molecules nibble at the glue

that binds dead skin cells

together, revealing radiant

and healthy skin underneath.

They go to town at resurfacing

keratosis pilaris (pesky chicken

skin), found on the backs of

arms, and allow moisturisers

to sink in rather than sit on

the surface. Pixi Glycolic Body

Peel, £24, contains (as the name

suggests) glycolic acid, while Ren

AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum,

£35, contains lactic acid – both speed up

cell turnover to even out pigmentation.

Nature’s spot-fighting ingredients are also popping

up in body care. Clay, a staple in face masks for its ability

to draw out impurities from pores, has been worked

into pre-shower body masks and cleansers, allowing

you to tackle bum and back breakouts. Magnesium,

another skincare hero, also works wonders when

applied south of your chin, as it can help to relieve body

acne and other skin disorders by reducing inflammation

levels and improving cellular processes. Elsewhere,

quince fruit activates the skin’s natural defences and,

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