If sticky body lotions aren’t your speed, we hear you.

Having a thick layer of, well, anything on your skin can feel uncomfortable.

However,body oilmight be your new go-to.

Hannah Frye

Should you use body oil before or after the shower?

The most obvious, of course, is right after you hop out of the shower.

This method only makes sense, given that showers can actually dry out your skin.

Article image

See, your body creates natural oils to keep your skin lubricated and soft.

When you shower, especially when using harshbody soaps, your body is stripped of those oils.

If you’re rinsing in hot water, that’seven more drying.

How can we avoid this?

As celebrity esthetician and dermatological nurseNatalie Aguilaronce suggested, apply body oilpriorto jumping in the shower.

It might seem counterintuitive, but the science behind oils may help explain why this works.

“This oil barrier prevents excessive water loss and helps with any irritation,” Aguilar explains.

Botanical oils (like less-sustainable alternatives such as petrolatum jelly) haveocclusive properties.

Translation: They hold moisture in the skin.

you could even add in body gua sha and work the oil into your skin that wayhere’s how.

The takeaway.

Body oil can be used before and after the shower.

Applying body oil after you step out will nourish the skin and lock in moisture.