Nipples Up – Skincare For Your Body

The funny thing about skin is that we know it covers our entire body and yet, we still only apply our skincare to our face, and because of this, skincare for your body is actually a trend. It gives us a bit of a chuckle actually, because we’ve been saying “your skin is an organ from top to toe” for a while now. Nevertheless, at least now people are listening.

Although your face is the area that most people look at directly when you’re speaking with them, your neck, decolletage and hands are often considered to be the area that gives the game away, so they’re just as important to cover in your skincare routine.

Skincare for your body and our nipples up rule

We know it sounds like a clever marketing ploy, but the rest of your body needs the same ingredients that you’d say your face does. However, nobody has the money to cover every cubic centimetre of themselves in potent active ingredients… Except maybe the Kardashians, Oprah and Richard Branson.

We would tell you to prioritise from the nipples up. Our nipples up rule means that you should be applying your skincare from your nipples upwards (regardless of where they are positioned), so that you are protecting and correcting the very areas that are exposed to the sun the most. At the end of the day, UV light is by far the most potent skin-ager.

When you are applying, for example, vitamin A, antioxidants, good fats, vitamin C and SPF to your neck and decolletage (and the back of your hands), you’re treating it the way it deserves to be treated and helping to defend from and reverse the effects of UVA and UVB rays. No turkey neck, crepey cleavage or mottled pigmentation for you, nuh-uh.

Do my legs need skincare?

So long as you are applying SPF to them when they’re exposed, your legs will look after themselves for the most part… Except in the case of those with keratosis pilaris or eczema, for example.

In formulating Skingredients, we wanted to make the products as versatile as possible so some of products have a dual-purpose for use on your body. We’re cool like that.

Sally Cleanse (€25.00) is arguably the most versatile of the whole Skingredients range – don’t tell the others – in that it is fabulous for keratosis pilaris (chicken skin), pre-shaving and fake tan for a fresh, smooth canvas, post-shaving to oust those ingrown hairs, and on callused feet to smooth them.

Honestly, anything that is rough or bumpy, Sally it – unless it is obviously a tender rash, then definitely do not Sally it. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic agent, meaning that it causes the skin to soften and shed its up layers, as well as being antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Stick to the same rules for your body as your face when it comes to Sally, but if you are using it for calluses, you can leave it on those tootsies for about 5 minutes and then rinse it off, so long as you have no broken skin in the area.

Skin Good Fats (€42.00) is your friend for anything flaky, dry or irritated though. Dry patch? Good Fats. Elephant elbows? Good fats. Healing scab? Good Fats. With vitamin E, an anti-irritation avenanthramide (read: compound from oats that calms the skin), shea butter glycerides, and grape seed oil, it’s a barrier balm bandage.

What else should I be doing for my body?

A good quality body lotion, particularly one with antioxidants, used daily post-shower or post-bath will keep your skin supple and delicious. We have our personal preferences, but we’ll leave you to your own devices on that one.

We are very much on the body-brushing bandwagon, as it supports circulation and lymphatic drainage, meaning healthier-looking skin and the reduced appearance of cellulite… Which is super normal, but makes some people feel unconfident in themselves.

Like we always say, you have to feed your skin from within and eating your skin healthy will affect all of your skin, not just where you apply your products to.

Can I use all of my Skingredients products on my back, legs, toes, hands and anywhere I please?

Of course you can, so long as you avoid mucous membrane such as your nostrils, eyeballs, your mouth and *ahem* sensitive areas. If you have a cut or area of very reactive, sensitive skin, avoid it, as potent ingredients can simply irritate it.