4 Dermatologist-Approved Skincare Ingredients You Should Be Using on Your Body Too

If we’re all being really honest with ourselves, our body care routines are not even close to being as carefully curated as our facial skincare regimens. If you, like us, have a supple and dewy face but scaly limbs, we hear you. In fact, we are you. The great news is, it’s probably easier to look after your body skin than you think, especially if the bar is currently on the floor.

Body skin is, after all, just skin and the good news is that you can do something about your neglected body by looking out for well-formulated products that incorporate science-backed skincare ingredients. Below, we’ve rounded up a few key ingredients that will get you started on ditching dry skin and nourishing your body every single day.

Thanks to products like the Garnier Body Superfood range, which are proven to provide 48 hours of hydration and deep nutrition, you can easily pick up a tub of cream from your local Coles and be on your way to hydrated, silky feeling skin in a flash. 

Ahead, we break down some of our favourite dermatologist-approved ingredients that all feature in the range.

Ceramides

Ceramides are the quiet achievers inside products that are designed to support your skin’s moisture barrier, both on your face and body. Studies have shown that a cream formulated with ceramides — and with sensitive skin in mind — can enhance moisture barrier repair and increase the water-holding capacity of the skin. 

With the Garnier Body Superfood Cocoa & Ceramide Body Cream, ceramide is combined with cocoa extract in a thick-textured body butter that melts into the skin and helps to intensely nourish super dry skin. While it’s fast-absorbing and non-greasy, this is one for people who love the feeling of slathering on an intensely hydrating cream before bed, or adding a bit of glow to the skin during the day. 

Hyaluronic Acid

We’re fairly sure the inception of the skincare boom can be traced back to hyaluronic acid entering the mainstream conversation. Truly. And though it can’t be proven, hyaluronic acid is probably the first ingredient that many of us remember incorporating into our routines when taking a special interest in skincare. 

Known for its ability to bind to one thousand times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid is a humectant (a substance that attracts and retains moisture). In the Garnier Body Superfood Watermelon & Hyaluronic Acid Body Cream, hyaluronic acid is combined with watermelon fruit extract (an ingredient known to hydrate the skin and work as an antioxidant agent) to create a lightweight gel cream that’s ideal for summer. 

Omega 6

We’ve likely heard the many debates about omega 3 and omega 6 when it comes to how they fit on our plates, but they’re also regularly found in creams and serums. Specifically, omega 6 can be found in linoleic acid-rich ingredients like shea butter, which gives it emollient and moisture barrier-boosting properties to increase hydration in skin that really needs it. It’s recommended that products containing shea butter should be applied within a few minutes of stepping out of the shower and can help to soothe dry skin. 

In the Garnier Body Superfood Avocado & Omega 6 Body Cream, we’re getting a double hit of nourishing omega 6, with shea butter and avocado extract (plus a few other ingredients) forming a rich cream that’s ideal for normal to dry skin. 

Magnesium PCA

Magnesium PCA is an electrolyte mineral, and much like the electrolyte-rich drinks you might sip when you’re feeling dehydrated and thirsty, this mineral helps with the skin’s natural moisturising factor, to hydrate the skin. 

On its own, magnesium is demonstrated to improve the skin’s moisture barrier, boost the skin’s hydration, and reduce skin roughness, but interestingly, magnesium isn’t very efficient at penetrating the skin barrier, so combining it with PCA helps to overcome this issue. In the Garnier Body Superfood Aloe Vera & Magnesium Body Cream, magnesium is combined with a known soothing ingredient, aloe vera, to create a light cream that’s ideal for sensitive skin.

To check out the entire range of Garnier Body Superfood creams, head to the Garnier website or pick up a tub at your local Coles.