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Beauty brains/the manual
Blissful body oil; don’t forget dads
Give your lockdown limbs a youthful glow with a perfectly quenching body oil
According to retailers, body oils are taking off as summer’s lockdown beauty hero and my dried-out skin is in full agreement. While it’s mainly a matter of preference, I find oil easier to apply than a cream or balm, which can take some elbow grease to administer. An oil, on the other hand, has more slip, making it easier to slide over dry legs, which means a little goes a long way – especially if you massage it into dewy, just-showered skin. The downside is that if you use one that is too viscous, it can take time to absorb and leave behind a sticky finish that transfers on to clothes and sheets. Good old-fashioned baby oil does the trick, but I’m less convinced by its artificially powdery scent. And so the secret lies in the sweet spot between being deeply hydrating and light enough to sink in. Squalene (with an e) is a deeply moisturising lipid produced naturally by skin cells, but like all human processes, its production slows down with age. Actually, levels peak in our teens, which is why it’s near impossible to recapture the naturally glossy limbs of your youth without some help from external moisturisers. One worth taking note of is squalane (with an a), as it mimics your skin’s natural oils. Pharmacist Shabir Daya tells me, ‘Squalane is a light oil that is quickly absorbed, and this helps to restore the lipids that give skin its elasticity and prevent dehydration.’
It is particularly well suited to dry skin types, including menopausal skin that is oestrogen-starved and lacking in lipids. Some products use squalane harvested from shark livers (erm, no thanks), but it’s also found in olives, rice bran and sugar cane. Having been recommended this ‘miracle oil’ by a few trusted experts, my legs have taken on a sleek new look thanks to Biossance 100% Squalane Oil, made with plant-based, renewable sugar cane.
Of course, squalane isn’t the only way to luminise your skin – a good natural body oil with vitamin E or jojoba will give a youthful sheen to legs, arms, and décolleté, while improving skin suppleness long term. Better still, choose one with a shot of bronze shimmer. Here are five of my favourite body glisteners.