“Soap is to the body, what laughter is to the soul.” – Yiddish Proverb

Every day, your body is exposed to various surfaces that can be home to diseases, germs, dust, and grime. Pollution also affects your skin daily, making it wrinkly, dry, prone to breakouts, and stressed. By the end, your body needs physical rest and a rejuvenating bath to revive and refresh your skin. A bath at night also calms you, thus helping you sleep better. Caring for your body’s skin is as important as caring for your facial skin. Just like you can have various concerns about your face like dryness, oily skin, breakouts, and inflammation, your body’s skin too can have multiple issues like tanning, inflammation, bacne, cracks, scaliness, breakouts, and others. You can care for your body’s skin in various ways with the help of many products like body washes, body oils, shower gels, cleansers, soaps, body scrubs, body butter, and body lotions.

Today, we will discuss body washes and their various kinds, like shower gels, shower creams, foam-based shower gels, etc. While these different products have a similar role in cleansing and scrubbing, the significant difference is in their composition and texture.

Let’s discuss each in a bit of detail below:

Shower Gels

It is usually gel-based, has a clear consistency, has bright colours, and can be labelled as a body wash or a shower gel. Water is the main ingredient in a shower gel, and its primary purpose is cleaning the body. The conditioning agents usually keep the skin hydrated and come in varying fragrances. It is a budget-friendly product and is highly refreshing for the body. People with normal to oily skin can opt for it. It has more moisturisation potential, ensuring that even a tiny amount goes a long way. As shower gels emulsify or become foam, they are thicker than a brightening body wash and are used for extensive cleansing in the shower.

Shower Creams

With a slightly thicker buttery consistency, a cream-based brightening body wash has more conditioning agents than other body washes. It keeps your skin hydrated for a long time, even when you wash it off your body. They have a gentle formulation and do not dry out your skin. People with dry or sensitive skin should include a shower cream daily. It should be used in the winter when the skin feels parched due to hot water drying out the skin. Using it during summer or in hot and humid climates is not advisable since it might make your body feel a bit sticky.

Foam-Based Shower Gels

If you are someone who doesn’t have time for an elaborate shower, then these frothy, foam-based shower gels are your go-to. These don’t require a loofah to lather up on the body; they bubble up quickly and thoroughly cleanse your body. Even with a small quantity, this product gives a luxurious bath experience. Having moisturising properties, they are safe to use even on sensitive skin. Being mild and gentle on the body, these can be used for any skin type. You can use it during any season you like.

Benefits of Using a Body Wash

You might ask, though, why do we switch to a body wash when we have been using soap for so long? Well, a body wash is less drying, has better moisturising properties, is personalised as per your skin type, and contains milder ingredients. It gives you a profoundly nourishing and cleansing experience while making bathing a more fun experience for you.

Listed below are a few more reasons why you need to ditch that bar of soap and switch to body washes today:

1. A body wash is milder and is made to cleanse your skin, not just the topmost, superficial layer.
2. A body wash locks in the moisture in the skin cells and doesn’t strip away your skin’s natural oils.
3. A body wash comes in easy-to-use pump bottles, which translates to no mess in a shower or a bathtub, is hygienic in everyday use, and is easier to carry.
4.  A body wash generally has a good mix of essential oils, fragrances, vitamins and minerals, thus making it feel good on the skin and make you smell heavenly.
5. A body wash has hydrating ingredients that coat the skin and seal the moisture to reduce irritated, flaky, and inflamed skin after a bath.
6. A body wash, in just a tiny quantity, can be a perfect partner for a great lather experience during a shower. It is more relaxing and much more pleasing.
7. A body wash contains cleansing agents that have certain synthetic or natural ingredients that help in skin exfoliation.

8. Choosing the suitable shower gel can set the tone for your skin feels, and mood transforms. Using a shower gel is like an instant spa as the foam makes skin smooth, and its fragrance lingers, adding to that feel-good element.

How to Select the Correct Body Wash

Always select the body wash per your skin type, which helps match the skin type with its common issues, and you can choose the right option. Selecting the right option also lets you know your skin’s nutritional and moisturisation requirements and shortlist and use products carefully.

There are three major skin types – sensitive, normal, and combination. Dry and oily skin can be categorised under the sensitive skin types and require extra care during certain weather types and months. 

Here are our top recommendations for the ingredients you should choose for your skin type:

1. For Dry Skin

Dry skin needs extra moisturisation, and ingredients like Glycerin, Shea Butter, and Aloe Vera are better suited to hydrate and moisturise skin at the cellular level. Use a deep moisturiser afterwards to retain the moisture for a longer time.

2. For Oily Skin

For oily and acne-prone skin, people should go for a body wash infused with salicylic acid and tea tree oil, which help rid the skin of excess oil. After the bath, a lightweight and oil-free moisturiser help keep your skin hydrated and away from excess oil.

3. For Normal or Combination Skin

If you have normal or combination skin, opt for a body wash that sits between the extremes of oily or dry. Go for ingredients that give you a glow or if you have any other issues like hyperpigmentation, then choose a body wash basis those concerns.

How to Use Body Wash?

The after-effects of it can gauge the efficacy of a good-quality body wash on your skin, and if used correctly, it can do wonders for your skin. Below are some tips on how to get the best out of your body wash:

1. A loofah can help increase the lather produced by your body wash. It makes it easier to distribute the product on your skin evenly.
2. Make your skin damp, and apply a body wash for women all over. It helps generate the foam faster, locks in moisture, and prevents skin from drying.
3. Take your time and lather a body wash for men all over your body, especially on your feet and back, for it to sink in and give you better results.
4. Rinse off the body wash appropriately to not leave behind any traces, as it will help avoid irritation.
5. Don’t forget to use a moisturiser or body oil after cleansing; it will also help prevent seasonal dryness for people with dry skin.
6. Try and use your body wash for women within three months of opening it so that the bacteria don’t grow.

1.  Do not use products close to their expiration date, as the efficacy can go down and cause harm to your skin.
2. If you notice that a product has changed in colour or consistency, it is best to discard it, as this could indicate that bacteria has started to grow.

Avoid body washes containing harmful chemicals or ingredients that can harm your skin. Opt for body washes that do not strip your skin of natural oils and leave it dry and irritated. Use gentle body washes made with natural ingredients for yourself.

A body wash is one of the most amazing personal care products developed to leave you feeling thoroughly rejuvenated and give you smooth, supple skin, and post a bath. It has a wide range as per your skin type and moisturises your skin better than a bar of soap.

When used correctly, the body wash can give far-ranging, better effects that last a long time. This Diwali, pamper your skin with the Clensta body wash range and give your skin the best gift it can get.