A common first world problem of living in the muggy tropics: body lotions that leave a sticky feeling after application. Why? Because we already feel perpetually hot, sweaty and sticky!!! Given the fact that the tropical heath makes us shower more often, stripping our skin from essential oils, simply scrapping body lotion from our beauty routine isn't the smartest option. Luckily there are some light weight body lotions available that do the trick, giving our skin what it needs without a trace of stickiness.
I've been an over-bather for about 2,5 years now: from the moment I set foot in tropical Singapore, I amped up my habitual shower frequency to at least twice a day. The sticky heat and sweaty humidity just make me yearn for a shower so badly, that I chose to ignore the fact that too much showering is not good for the skin. Dermatologists state that taking a shower twice a week (yes you read that correctly) is more than enough.
Although lots of showering makes us feel clean, too much cleansing can strip the skin and hair of essential natural oils and disrupt the skin’s population of immune system-supporting bacteria. The latter is especially true when you use antibacterial body cleansers, so better ditch that Dettol shower gel and the likes, a category of body wash that I’ve only seen around in mysophobic Singapore anyway.
Regardless of whether you’re just dead scared of germs or, like me, simply can’t deal with the constant damp and sweaty feeling that comes with living in a tropical climate; if you shower a lot, you should really use a body lotion to maintain the right level of moisture in your skin, ideally after every shower. The picks below are my absolute favorite body lotions to use in the tropics: they give the skin what it needs but feel incredibly light and are absorbed by the skin really fast, hardly leaving a trace.
#1: Vaseline Intensive Care - Spray Moisturizer Deep Restore
This product doesn't get absorbed as fast as Vaseline's TV commercial (a girl sprays the moisturizer on her body and immediately dresses herself happily - in reverse, that is, but still) tries to make us believe. However, it's still impressively fast: if you rub the liquid white lotion into the skin immediately after spraying, it takes only about 3 minutes to get fully absorbed. Quick and effective - a highly functional spray.
The scent is the same as other Vaseline Intensive Care products from the brand's yellow range, a bit shea-buttery. Pleasant and not too heavy. The spray moisturizer contains two key ingredients to repair and hydrate skin, which are Oat Extract to deeply pull moisture into dry skin and micro-droplets of Vaseline Jelly to lock the moisture in, leaving the skin deeply nourished. A winner, if you ask me.
Vaseline Intensive Care - Deep Restore Spray Moisturizer, 190g
Price: 11,90 SGD
Available at most drugstores (a.o. Watsons, Guardian) and supermarkets (a.o. Fairprice, Cold Storage and Redmart)
#2: Aveeno - Daily Moisturizing Lotion Sheer Hydration
Like Vaseline's Spray Moisturizer, this hydrating, ultra sheer lotion is absorbed in seconds. The lotion contains Active Naturals® Oat. As a skin protectant active ingredient, oatmeal can help restore skin's normal pH and aid in the maintenance of skin's moisture barrier to help prevent and protect dry skin. The lotion goes on feather-light and leaves skin feeling velvety soft. It's unscented, which sometimes result in a stale smell, but not in this case. Great all-round body lotion.
Aveeno - Daily Moisturizing Lotion Sheer Hydration, 350ml
#3: Fresh - Fresh Life Body Lotion with Vitamins C & E
Fresh's nourishing lightweight lotion provides 24-hours of moisture, infused with a sensual citrus scent. And yes, it IS fresh, both scent and texture. According to the brand, the lotion's scent conjures the freshness of a clear blue sky, sweet morning air, a sparkling sun, and velvety water. My personal associations: crispy clean cotton, a ray of sun on a fresh summer morning. Reminds me of Narciso Rodriguez' Essence perfume. Contains vitamins C and E, shea butter and antioxidant-rich vitamins.
Fresh - Fresh Life Body Lotion with Vitamins C & E, 300ml
Price: 36 SGD
Available at Sephora (online and in store) and Fresh stores (only 2 in Singapore)
Last on this list because this product isn't absorbed as fast as above body lotions, however for an nourishing oil (which it is), it's still really fast. I love the mousse texture, which adds to the feather light sensation. It looks and feels like shaving foam, but once you rub the foamy mousse into the skin it becomes a light oil. The scent to me is a mix of sun care and baby care products, which I personally like a lot, but might be too much for some.
Containing castanha oil, it's as rich as most oils, yet it's absorbed by the skin quite fast. It nourishes and moisturizes the skin, leaving it supple, soft, and comfortable. Great product to add to your beauty routine; not for every day for me, but a great option for some extra nourishing pampering once in a while.
Available at Sephora (online and in store) and Fresh stores (only 2 in Singapore)
#4: Sephora - Nourishing Mousse Body Oil
Last on this list because this product isn't absorbed as fast as above body lotions, however for an nourishing oil (which it is), it's still really fast. I love the mousse texture, which adds to the feather light sensation. It looks and feels like shaving foam, but once you rub the foamy mousse into the skin it becomes a light oil. The scent to me is a mix of sun care and baby care products, which I personally like a lot, but might be too much for some.
Containing castanha oil, it's as rich as most oils, yet it's absorbed by the skin quite fast. It nourishes and moisturizes the skin, leaving it supple, soft, and comfortable. Great product to add to your beauty routine; not for every day for me, but a great option for some extra nourishing pampering once in a while.
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