Want Glass-Like Skin On Your Body? Sounds Like You'll Need One Of These Body Glosses

For the last several years, the popular trends of my youth seem to be rearing back in fashion, which makes me feel unfathomably ancient. I certainly can't be old enough to experience the cyclical nature of trends firsthand? But apparently, I am! Hair accessories and playful clips adorn practically every single up-do. Faux tans have made an astonishing come-back (albeit, the new versions are more subtle, less orange). Pastel, Y2K makeup is frosted over eyelids, cheekbones, and lips. 

Another resurging product of my younger-years is gloss-like body products. Growing up I’d coat my skin in shimmery, shiny oils and lotions. Thankfully, what I’m seeing today is much more elevated—it’s less spackle and sparkle, more sophisticated and luminous. 

While some re-imagined trends make me want to move to the middle of nowhere and delete the internet, this one I welcome! I actually love a trend that’s all about making your skin glow head-to-toe.

It seems that the beauty industry has taken a lesson from the glass and honey skin crazes of a few years ago, and just made it more applicable to the body. Why stop at the face, when you can have luminescent skin all over, no?

What made these trends so identifiable is that the skin had a reflective quality: light would literally radiate off the skin. And the skin wasn’t shiny because of any megawatt, flashy shimmer, it almost seemed intrinsic to the skin. The complexion looked so hydrated, so smooth, so supple, that it couldn't help but radiate.

Fast forward to the summer of 2023, when my number 1 goal is to look positively gleaming. Sorry to be superficial, but sometimes I want to be vain! Sometimes I just want my skin to look like it’s candy coated in honey! Sometimes I want to go out, wearing a flowing dress, looking like a plane of glass! 

They’re also, ultimately, about the health of the skin. Just like honey or glass skin prioritized skin care first, these formulas are about nurturing the epidermis—rather than suffocating with a faux coating of shine. 

Personally, I love something with a drier, lighter texture—so I look for options made with safflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and jojoba oil. (Sometimes these are coined dry body oils.) But if you like your gloss with a bit more oomph, olive oil and coconut oil are popular ingredients. 

Tatcha’s Hinoki Body Oil not only looks great on, but it feels great to apply—the woodsy scent is shown to calm the senses. OleHenrickson’s Firmly Yours Toning Dry Body Oil improves texture with peptides, while conditioning with botanical oils. mindbodgyreen’s dry body oil uses antioxidant-rich botanicals that support the barrier and can protect the collagen layer. For those who do want a bit of shimmer, Costa Brazil Sol Sunlight Body Oil is a delightful option.

I will say, getting glass-like skin on such a large surface area requires a bit of prep work. To start, you’ll want to regularly exfoliate your skin (without going overboard!). For most folks that will be one to three times a week. Gentle exfoliation keeps the skin texture smooth, and helps the body gloss slink over the skin easier. 

You can also layer hydration, which is what I typically do. After a shower, I’ll usually apply a body lotion and let it sink in. Applying an emollient and humectant-rich lotion plumps up the skin, so it appears supple and dewy (especially important for places like the neck and decolletage). Look for options formulated with botanical butters, aloe vera, glycerin, or hyaluronic acid, which can all quench dry skin. 

Then I apply my body oil of choice. The finish is practically red-carpet ready, although I certainly don’t have any of those to visit anytime soon. Although, celebrity aesthetician Joanna Czech once told me that every day should be red carpet worthy, and I’m inclined to agree. 

For better or for worse, I’m in my vain girl era—and I really just want to look amazing this summer. Sure, yes of course I care about the health of my skin, but I also want to be Capital-G Gowy! The good news is that there are so many amazing body oils on the market that can help me achieve both. Sometimes, it pays to be vain.