While facial skin care is a firm priority for many people in their self care routines, body care is often neglected. It’s important to remember that the skin on your body is worthy of as much care and love as the skin on your face for the job it does to protect you.

What’s more, many people who have ventured into the world of body self care haven’t embraced all of the possibilities of body skin care, choosing to only focus on using body cream. While a natural body cream is an essential component of your routine, it isn’t the whole routine.

A body skin care routine doesn’t have to be fancy with all the frills, it can be a handful of natural products that offer your body exactly what it needs: hydration and nourishment. Find out why taking care of your body is so important and a vegan body care routine to get you started.

Benefits of taking care of your body

Skin care is in its prime, but often focussed solely on taking care of and protecting the skin on your face and neck. While this is absolutely essential for maintaining the skin’s natural barrier, you still need to do the same for all of the skin on your body, from head to toe. 

1. Skin feels softer and firmer

A solid body skin care routine will include all the elements needed to promote softer skin that feels firmer. Exfoliation and hydration are essential for buttery soft skin that makes you feel great. 

2. Increased circulation 

Many all-natural body care products include skin-loving ingredients that help to increase your blood flow to the skin. This in turn helps to ensure your skin is receiving all the nutrients it needs for cell regrowth and to maintain the skin’s barrier. 

3. Provides some mindful moments

Getting into a consistent body care routine can provide you with a few minutes each day to unwind. These mindful moments shouldn’t be overlooked, as they are a wonderful way to practise self care. 

Complete body skin care routine

For a body skin care routine that goes beyond body cream, we’ve got you covered. Discover UpCircle’s ultimate body care routine.

1. Cleanse the day away

Frequency: Use daily to keep the skin free from impurities. 

The first step in any skin routine, whether for your face or body, is to cleanse away any impurities and debris from the skin. This helps to draw out and remove any toxins present in the pores of your skin, and prepare your skin for the goodness that’s about to come. 

Some people prefer to cleanse using a Cleansing Soap Bar. At UpCircle, our gentle cleansing bars are formulated using upcycled residual chai spices that have been used to create chai syrups. Choose the Fennel and Cardamom Chai Cleansing Bar formulated with green clay to help combat breakouts and acne, or opt for the Cinnamon and Ginger Chai Cleansing Bar to help boost circulation. 

Others prefer to use liquid soaps and cleansers in their routine. Our plastic-negative Natural Hand and Body Wash with Lemongrass is gently-fragranced and leaves skin fresh, clean and soft. Formulated with the anti-inflammatory residual water of kiwi fruit, a by-product of the juicing industry, this cleanser is suitable for those with dry skin.

2. Use a gentle body scrub

Frequency: Two to three times per week to avoid damaging the skin.

Gentle exfoliation is key when trying to maintain soft, smooth skin. Using a natural body scrub helps to buff away dry, dead skin cells to leave you feeling soft and refreshed. 

Our award-winning Coffee Body Scrub with Lemongrass is a gentle body exfoliator formulated with upcycled antioxidant-rich arabica coffee grounds. Gentle on the skin, raw shea butter and coconut oil are infused into the scrub to provide your skin with the hit of moisture it deserves post-scrub. 

Another wonderful body exfoliator option is our Vegan Body Scrub with Peppermint. Also formulated with upcycled coffee grounds, this scrub is infused with energising peppermint and eucalyptus oils to give your skin the boost it needs. 

3. Work a natural shampoo into your locks

Frequency: Two to three times per week. 

Let’s not forget about the skin on our scalps! It’s important to make sure that the shampoo you use is formulated with ingredients that will nourish your scalp and hair, not damage them. Many popular shampoos contain sulphates such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which can strip the hair and skin of its natural oils and be too harsh on sensitive skin. 

Using a Natural Shampoo Crème not only delivers up to three times the washes of a standard liquid shampoo, it is formulated without sulphates. Packed full of hair and skin-loving ingredients – such as rosemary oil, lavender oil and coconut oil – our fan-favourite shampoo will transform your body self care routine.  

Top tip: Many people do not spend a sufficient amount of time wetting their hair and scalp before applying shampoo. If you take at least a minute or two to ensure the hair is really wet then the product will spread across the hair and lather more evenly and efficiently.

4. Soak with some relaxing bath salts

Frequency: Your choice!

Add some extra love to your bath by sprinkling in some bath salts. Opt for beautifully scented and uplifting bath salts that help you to completely relax and unwind. 

Our Aromatic Bath Salts are formulated with a variety of salts and skin-loving ingredients to nourish and protect the skin: epsom salt to help relax the muscles; sea salt to help reduce acne and breakouts; and Himalayan pink salt to help draw out toxins and pollutants from the skin.

For that added touch of luxury, each jar is brimming with upcycled rose petals to inspire relaxation and to invigorate your senses.

5. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! 

Frequency: Use daily

Now it’s time to add the essential nourishment and hydration back to your skin. At UpCircle, we have a range of natural body moisturisers packed with skin-loving ingredients:

• Hand and Body Lotion with Bergamot Water – a 99% natural citrus-scented hand and body lotion that leaves your skin feeling nourished, moisturised and lightly fragranced. 
• Natural Body Cream with Date Seeds – an award-winning natural, luxurious body moisturiser that is formulated with hydrating shea butter and nourishing linseed and olive oil. 
• Hand Cream with Hibiscus Flowers – a dermatologically approved hand cream to moisturise dry, chapped hands. Formulated with upcycled hibiscus flower acids that contain 45% AHAs, this product helps to gently eliminate pollutants.

Discover our full body care range at UpCircle.