There comes a point every summer, usually around the third night of sleeping on top of the duvet, when the body care that felt perfectly reasonable in April stops making sense. Rich creams sit on the skin. Body oil turns getting dressed into a waiting game. Even a shower only helps until you step out of it.
Body care has quietly adapted, though. Cooling gels now do the job of heavy creams, body serums have brought proper actives below the neck, whole-body deodorant has gone from gimmick to genuine category, and after-sun has migrated into the shower itself.
These are the summer body care products earning a spot on the shelf this year, from the mist worth keeping within arm’s reach during a heatwave to the SPF you’ll actually reapply.
Grown Alchemist x Tomorrowland: The Elixir Mist
Tomorrowland bottled its own fragrance long before it made skincare, and Grown Alchemist’s Elixir Mist carries it — pear, cassis and gardenia over a hydrating, adaptogen-powered formula of moss, reishi mushroom and antioxidants. Spritz it on dehydrated skin after a long day outdoors and it does double duty: recovery and atmosphere in one.
Best for: The festival washbag
Where to buy: cultbeauty.co.uk – £28 / 50ml
Naturium The Calmer Ceramide Body Wash
Summer is surprisingly hard on skin: sun, chlorine, daily SPF and more frequent shaving all take their toll. Naturium’s The Calmer is the fragrance-free antidote@ a creamy wash with ceramides, colloidal oatmeal and cocoa butter that cleanses without stripping. It doubles as a facial cleanser, making it a smart one-bottle pick for the holiday washbag.
Best for: Skin that’s had too much sun, sweat and SPF
Where to buy: spacenk.com – £19 / 500ml
Olverum Body Polish
Bare legs have a way of reminding you of every rough patch you ignored all winter. Olverum’s Body Polish pairs fermented papaya enzyme with bamboo and pumice to lift away dead skin chemically and physically at once, with a texture that cushions as you massage. The result is polished skin, minus the full-body sanding.
Best for: Smoother summer skin
Where to buy: olverum.com – £34
Joonbyrd Kaleidoscope Smoothing Body Serum
The body serum has ended the idea that skincare stops at the jawline. Joonbyrd’s Kaleidoscope is the treatment step of this edit: a smoothing formula with shikimic and azelaic acids for skin that feels rough, uneven or prone to bumps. Reach for it when moisturiser alone isn’t cutting it, particularly on the backs of arms and legs, the areas that suddenly matter once summer clothes come out.
Best for: Taking your skincare routine below the neck
Where to buy: joonbyrd.com – £78 / 100ml
MALIN+GOETZ Eucalyptus Smoothing Body Gel
When it’s hot enough outside, even a good body cream can feel like one layer too many. MALIN+GOETZ’s Eucalyptus Smoothing Body Gel has a gel-serum texture that breaks into like water droplets as you work it in, tackling hydration, texture and barrier support without any of the heaviness. It’s the cooling body gel that makes moisturising feel possible again in July.
Best for: People who hate body lotion in summer
Where to buy: malinandgoetz.co.uk – £40 / 220ml
AKT The Everyday Encore Body Oil
Body oil in a heatwave sounds like a mistake. AKT’s The Everyday Encore proves otherwise: a dry body oil that sinks in quickly, leaving shoulders, collarbones and bare legs with a sheen rather than a slick. You get the glow of a traditional oil without standing around in a towel waiting to get dressed.
Best for: Summer glow without the grease
Where to buy: aktlondon.com – £35 / 100ml
Luna Daily The Cooling All Over Deodorant
Deodorant has officially moved beyond the underarms. Luna Daily’s pH-balanced, aluminium-free formula is made for the whole body, and the Water Lily + Fresh Citrus version adds a cooling edge that earns its name on a 30-degree commute. Less glamorous than a body serum, arguably more useful.
Best for: Everywhere your usual deodorant doesn’t reach
Where to buy: luna-daily.com – £14
Rituals The Ritual of Karma After Sun Ice Shower Gel
After-sun normally comes after the shower. Rituals has moved it inside it. The Ritual of Karma After Sun Ice Shower Gel transforms from cooling gel to foam, with aloe vera, white tea and the brand’s Hydra-Boost Complex to soothe and rehydrate sun-exposed skin while you wash. After a full day outside, it borders on medicinal.
Best for: The post-sun shower
Where to buy: sephora.co.uk – £18.90 / 200ml
Aveda Scalp Solutions Refreshing Protective Mist
Body care doesn’t have to stop at the hairline. Heat, sweat and product build-up can leave the scalp feeling grim long before wash day, which is where Aveda’s Scalp Solutions Refreshing Protective Mist earns its keep. Spritzed directly onto the roots, it refreshes the one part of your hair that a dry shampoo tends to miss.
Best for: Hot weather hair that isn’t due a wash.
Where to buy: lookfantastic.com – £36 / 100ml
Ultra Violette Disco Queen™ SPF 50 Luminous Body Oil SKINSCREEN™
Disco Queen is Ultra Violette’s first dedicated body SPF, and it shows the Australian brand’s signature trick: sun protection you’d wear for pleasure. The quick-drying oil delivers broad-spectrum SPF 50 with two hours of water resistance, plus a pearlescent bronze sheen and a coconut, citrus and jasmine scent. Just don’t pair the shimmer with anything white. For the neck up, our guide to the best face sunscreens for summer has you covered. And if you’re wondering whether SPF 50 really beats SPF 30, we’ve debunked the biggest sunscreen myths too.
Best for: Glow and protection in one step
Where to buy: ultraviolette.co.uk – £38
