Skincare routines have long been relegated to a face-first affair—serums, moisturizers, SPFs, you know, the usual lineup complete with luxe formulas and textures. But lately, the body care category has been blowing up: body oil-wash hybrids, toners to even skin blotchiness on the legs, retinol to slow down premature aging on the arms and hands, and even high-end creams made for the chest, stomach, and everything in between. And honestly? It makes sense. Why wouldn’t we treat the other 90 percent of our skin that isn’t on our face with the same level of attention?
As the weather heats up—and my skin is more exposed to damaging UV rays, sweat, and oil—I’m doing just that. I want a complexion that looks healthy, radiant, and feels smooth from head to toe. That said, I’ve invested in a solid summer skincare routine that treats my body and face as one full system. Because no matter how good the skin on my face looks, if the rest of my body is neglected, it throws the whole thing off.
I’m not slathering on a million extra formulations, but I am choosing smart ones. The products in my summertime ritual include lightweight oils that double as a cleanser to wash away a day’s worth of grime without stripping the skin, self-tanners that give me a stunning bronze without UV damage, and a slew of moisturizers rich in emollients for that glowing, summertime sheen. Here are my beauty editor-approved, holy grail products for healthy, hydrated skin during the best months of the year.
A Soothing, Oil-Based Cleanse
Siena Gagliano applies the Avène Xeracalm A.d Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil on top of lipstick, cream eyeshadow, and waterproof liquid eyeliner.
(Image credit: Siena Gagliano)
As a makeup wearer, I’ve always been a major proponent of cleansing oils for their ability to cut through waterproof formulations, SPF, and extra sebum, resulting in clean skin sans any stripping. After a long day out in the sun, my skin craves moisture, which is why I love to use an oil-based cleanser all over.
Avène
Xeracalm A.d Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil
This French beauty icon is a favorite amongst dermatologists, beauty editors, and pretty much anyone who uses it due to its incredibly gentle formulation that’s approved for the most sensitive of skin. It’s filled with a slew of lipids to restore the skin barrier and can be used all over the body, face, and scalp.
Glossier
Body Hero Daily Oil Wash
When I have somewhere to be or just want an extra luxurious shower, I cleanse myself in the Glossier Body Hero Daily Oil Wash. It truly has to most incredible scent of Orange Blossom Neroli that makes the experience aromatic, while leaving my skin feeling buttery smooth in the process.
Exfoliate for Baby-Smooth Skin
The secret to achieving the softest, smoothest skin, in my experience, is to make sure you’re sloughing away uneven texture with an exfoliation routine. During the summer, dead skin cells can accumulate due to sunscreen, sweat, and oil building up, leading to excess bacteria and acne. An easy fix? A good cleanse and a proper exfoliation.
U Beauty
Resurfacing Compound
Expensive? Yes. The secret to poreless skin? Also yes. Picture U Beauty’s Resurfacing Compound as an exfoliator on steroids—it packs all the skin-smoothing, texture-softening functions of chemical exfoliants with a blend of elastin- and collagen-boosting ingredients for the most flawless complexion ever. I apply this baby on my face morning and night, and it gives me that glass-like glow.
Versed
Press Restart Retinol Body Lotion
Once I began to incorporate a retinol into my full body routine, my keratosis pilaris became smoother and less noticeable, my butt and legs looked firmer, and my skin had a glow it lacked before. I only wonder why I hadn’t started it sooner, especially when this affordable body retinol from Versed exists.
Lather Up the Moisture
My skin runs chronically dry, especially after a long day swimming or lounging at the beach (my favorite way to spend a summer day). By the time the sun sets, my face and body are basically begging for moisture.
Vanicream
Daily Facial Moisturizer With Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid
If you know me, I’ve probably told you to purchase this drugstore gem. While it doesn’t look like the prettiest packaging in the aisle, it contains a light moisturizer that melts right in and perfectly preps my skin for the rest of my routine. Thanks to an elegant texture and formulation of hyaluronic acid and a rich blend of ceramides, I can’t tell a difference between this and the higher-end formulas in my collection.
Buly 1803
Huile Antique Iris De Malte
A stark departure in aesthetics from the previously aforementioned moisturizer, this body oil will forever be one of my favorite beauty products in my collection. Hailing from a renowned, old-school apothecary in Paris, Buly 1803 is a brand that feels as good on your skin as it looks on your vanity. I love to slather the brand’s oils all over my body before an event when I want to feel luxe. It instantly transports me to a night out in Europe.
Protect & Prevent
The last thing I want to pair with my cute bikini and coverup duo is a gnarly sunburn. My secret to never forgetting to reapply? A sunscreen that melts into my skin and leaves behind a stunning radiance.
Ultra Violette
Future Screen SPF 50
Team Beauty here at Marie Claire is obsessed with this Australian-founded SPF brand that has the most cosmetically elegant formulation I’ve tried this year. It contains vitamin E for added antioxidant protection, alongside a serum-y formula that melts into the skin and leaves zero white cast or greasy finish.
Sol de Janeiro
Rio Radiance SPF 50
True story: My sunscreen-adverse brother loved this formula so much on our vacation last week that he ordered two bottles of his own. The spray SPF leaves a radiance that looks dewy, not glittery, and feels so lightweight on the skin. It also has the signature Brazilian summer Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa ’87 fragrance, which makes me actually look forward to when it’s time to reapply.
Bronzed to the Heavens
Siena Gagliano applies Tan-Luxe The Crème Gradual Self-Tanning Face Moisturizer over a course of four nights to her chest and face.
(Image credit: Siena Gagliano)
I am ashamed to admit that as a teenager, I spent long periods lying out in the sun trying to bronze my skin to its deepest shade possible. Now that I’m a beauty editor, I am (a) mad at myself, and (b) constantly trying to reverse said damage. In turn, I have become a self-proclaimed fake tan expert, and there are very few days out of the year you won’t see me sporting one.
Tan-Luxe
The Crème Gradual Self-Tanning Face Moisturizer
This self-tanner truly delivers. It includes DHA (the sugar derivative that reacts with skin to create brown pigments that mimic a tan) to build a natural-looking glow over a few days gradually—I just layer it depending on how deep I want to go. Bonus: It doubles as a legit face moisturizer on the nights I use it, thanks to a mix of skin-protecting antioxidants, barrier-repairing lipids, and collagen-boosting amino acids.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare
Alpha Beta Glow Pad Self-Tanner for Body
These tanning towelletes are total gamechangers. The mess-free, easy-to-use design combines chemical exfoliants to sweep away dead skin and leave me incredibly smooth and glowy. They come in both face- and body-sized options—and honestly, they’re one of my best-kept beauty secrets.
Glow, Baby, Glow
It’s summer, and I want my skin to be the most radiant, glowy version of itself from head to toe. But the real trick is finding lightweight formulas that don’t just sit on top of the skin but actually highlight what’s already there. I’m talking about products that catch the light in all the right places and make my skin look naturally bright and healthy without piling any heavy, sticky formulas on. (Because let’s be honest, no one wants that in the heat, right?!)
Lux Unfiltered
N°10 Blurring Body Glow
Think of the new N°10 Blurring Body Glow from Lux Unfiltered as your go-to tinted moisturizer—but for your body. The ultra-lightweight texture melts in instantly, leaving behind a sheer wash of coverage and a natural-looking radiance that makes my skin look straight-up airbrushed. It’s basically my secret weapon for supermodel-level legs.
DIOR
Backstage Glow Face Palette
I couldn’t drop my glow routine without paying homage to the original MVP of my makeup collection: Dior’s Backstage Glow Face Palette. It’s the one product I reach for to instantly level up any look. In the summer, I layer the highlighters over bronzer and blush for an extra dose of zhuzh, then swipe a little shimmer across my collarbones and shoulders for that full-body glow.
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