Your Face Isn't the Only Skin That Deserves Skincare

We serum it. Moisturise it. Massage it. Protect it with SPF. Then, somewhere around the jawline, our skincare routine often just… stops.

We can spend years learning what our face needs while the skin on our arms, legs, chest, shoulders and everywhere in between gets a hurried swipe of whatever body lotion happens to be nearby.

But here is the part worth remembering: your face is not your skin. It is just one small part of it.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It forms the outer covering that helps protect you from the environment, supports temperature regulation and gives you your sense of touch. So while facial skincare gets most of the shelf space and nearly all of the conversation, the skin from your shoulders to your toes deserves care too.

Your face isn't the only skin that deserves skincare

Think about the attention we give our faces. We notice when they feel dry. We look for ingredients such as glycerin, niacinamide and nourishing lipids. We apply moisturiser after cleansing. We think about healthy-looking skin not just today, but as it changes over time.

Then we step out of the shower, dry our entire body and put our pyjamas on.

The irony is delicious.

The skin on your body faces its own daily barrage: hot showers, shaving, sun exposure, friction from clothing, air conditioning, swimming, weather and simply the natural tendency for skin to become drier over time. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends moisturising dry skin after bathing, ideally while the skin is still slightly damp, to help hold water in the skin.

Body care does not need to become another elaborate routine. It can be one good product, used consistently.

Why does the skin on your body get so dry?

Dry skin occurs when the outermost layer of skin does not hold enough water. When that happens, skin can begin to feel rough, tight, flaky or less supple.

Showers can contribute too, particularly when the water is very hot or cleansing is aggressive. That blissfully steaming shower may feel wonderful, but dermatologists generally recommend warm rather than hot water when dryness is an issue.

And just as the skin on your face changes with age, the rest of your skin does not stay frozen in time. If your arms, shins or chest suddenly seem drier than they used to, you are not imagining that change. Our guide to why skin loses lipids with age explores this in more detail.

Body moisturiser deserves face-level ingredients

This was the idea behind our Skin Longevity Whipped Tallow Body Butter.

We did not want to make a basic body lotion with a pretty scent and call it a day. We wanted to bring the same Glow Ritual philosophy we use on the face to the rest of the body: lipid-rich nourishment + thoughtfully chosen skincare ingredients + a beautifully simple ritual.

So we paired grass-fed tallow with niacinamide, jojoba oil, shea butter, urea, panthenol, allantoin, glycerin and vitamin E in a rich body butter created for dry, thirsty skin from shoulders to toes.

What's inside the Glow Ritual Body Butter?

Grass-fed tallow
The lipid-rich heart of the formula. Tallow gives the Body Butter its rich, comforting character and fits our philosophy of using nourishing fats as the foundation of modern tallow skincare.

Niacinamide
The same vitamin B3 star from our face cream, included to help improve the look of dry, uneven skin.

Jojoba oil and shea butter
Rich, conditioning emollients that soften and help leave skin feeling comfortable.

Urea
Urea is naturally present in the skin's own moisturising factor and is used in body care to help hydrate and smooth rough, dry-feeling skin.

Glycerin
A classic humectant for good reason. Glycerin helps attract and retain water in the outer layer of the skin and has a long history of use in moisturising formulations.

Panthenol and allantoin
Pro-vitamin B5 and allantoin are widely used in skincare to soothe and condition, helping the formula feel comforting on dry skin.

Vitamin E
An antioxidant that helps condition skin and protect the rich oils in the formula.

It is the body-care version of our favourite Glow Ritual equation: tallow + modern skin actives.

Why urea is such an interesting body-care ingredient

Urea does not have the glamour of a gold-capped serum, but it is a quietly brilliant ingredient for dry body skin.

It is part of the skin's own natural moisturising factor, a collection of water-binding substances that helps the outer layer of skin stay hydrated. Research reviews have found that lower-concentration urea products function as moisturisers, which is why you will often find urea in products designed for dry, rough-feeling skin.

The easiest body-care ritual? Start after your shower

You do not need a seven-step body routine. In fact, we would rather you didn't.

After showering, gently pat your skin so it is no longer dripping but still has a little moisture left on it. Then massage your Body Butter over the areas that tend to feel driest, such as legs, arms, elbows, knees, shoulders and décolletage.

Applying moisturiser after bathing is a simple habit dermatologists regularly recommend for dry skin because it helps reduce the loss of water from freshly washed skin.

For more ideas, see our simple body-care routine for dry skin.

Skin longevity shouldn't stop at your chin

For us, skin longevity is not about trying to make skin look 20 forever. It is about caring for the skin you are in, at every age, and giving it what it needs as it changes.

That philosophy makes just as much sense for your hands, arms, chest and legs as it does for your face.

Soft, comfortable, well-moisturised body skin may not have had the same marketing machine behind it as facial skincare, but it deserves a place in the ritual.

Your face gets skincare. Your body deserves skincare too.

Meet the Skin Longevity Whipped Tallow Body Butter

Our Skin Longevity Whipped Tallow Body Butter is 150ml of rich, comforting moisture formulated with grass-fed tallow, niacinamide, jojoba oil, shea butter, urea, panthenol, allantoin, glycerin and vitamin E. Ships from 29 November.

Hydrate · Replenish · Soften.

Use it after showering, before bed, or whenever your skin is asking for more. No complicated body routine. Just one generous jar designed to give the rest of your skin some of the attention your face has been getting all along.

Want the full ritual? Discover The Complete Glow Ritual Trio for tallow-powered care from cleanse to face to body.

As with any new skincare product, patch test first and stop use if irritation occurs.

Sources & further reading

Cleveland Clinic describes skin as the body's largest organ and outlines its protective, sensory and temperature-regulating roles. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying moisturiser after bathing to help relieve dry skin. Ingredient information on urea is supported by published reviews of topical urea in skincare, including its moisturising role at lower concentrations.