The Skin Editorial

Expert Tips for the Best Body Care Routine (Dermatologist Guide)

By Heather D. Rogers, MD, FAAD, Double Board-Certified Dermatologist

Dermatologist-Recommended Body Care Routine Summary 

A consistent body care routine supports the skin barrier, improves texture and tone, and helps prevent premature aging and skin cancer. Use gentle cleansing, daily moisturization with barrier-supporting ingredients, chemical exfoliation when appropriate, antioxidants on exposed areas, and year-round sunscreen. Healthy habits—exercise, nutrition, sleep, and avoiding tanning—are foundational for resilient skin from the neck down.

We spend most of our time and energy caring for the skin on our face but what about the rest of our body? While body skin may not age as quickly as more exposed areas like the face, neck and hands, it still needs attention and support. This guide will help you build a body care routine that protects and nourishes your skin from the neck down, just like we do for our face.

Here’s how to take the best possible care of your body skin, year-round, according to a dermatologist. 

What is Proper Body Care?

I recommend a body care routine of gentle cleansing, daily moisturization with barrier-supporting ingredients, appropriate exfoliation with chemical exfoliants with sunscreen and antioxidant protection for exposed areas. Healthy lifestyle habits such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, and avoiding baking in the sun are also important parts of long-term skin health.

How Bathing Habits Affect Your Skin Barrier 

Over-cleansing damages the skin barrier. Many people bathe too frequently, use excessively hot water, overly drying soaps and scrub too harshly. These habits strip the skin’s natural oils leading to transepidermal water loss, dryness, irritation, eczema and increased sensitivity.

How to Cleanse Your Body Without Damaging the Skin Barrier

  • Shower once a day or less. Over-bathing strips protective oils and can disrupt the skin’s natural microbiome
  • Use lukewarm water, not hot - hot water strips the skin’s natural oils and can accelerate moisture loss
  • Cleanse with a gentle, pH-balanced body wash like Doctor Rogers Body Wash (back in stock May 2026) is  fragrance free, hypoallergenic and only uses biodegradable ingredients
    • Osea Undaria Algae Body Wash and Necessaire Body Wash typically use fragrance. Necessaire has a fragrance free option.
    • Vanicream Body Wash and Cerave Hydrating Body Wash use petrochemical based ingredients
    • The National Eczema Association website is a great resource.
  • Pat skin dry with a soft towel to avoid friction
  • Moisturize immediately afterwards to seal in hydration 

Key Ingredients to Look For in a Body Moisturizer

The best body moisturizers contain high-quality, evidence-backed ingredients that repair and replenish the skin barrier, not just sit on top of it. Barrier-supporting ingredients help reduce water loss, improve texture, and strengthen the skin over time.  

Shea Butter

Shea butter contains antioxidants and essential fatty acids that improve softness and reinforce the skin’s natural lipid barrier.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a powerful humectant that draws water into the skin, maintaining hydration, speeding healing and restoring the skin barrier.

Ceramides

Ceramides are lipids naturally found in the skin barrier. They help restore and maintain the skin’s natural protective barrier to improve moisture retention and reduce sensitivity.

Squalane

Squalane is a bioidentical moisturizer and skin conditioner that mimics the skin’s natural oils. It restores essential fatty acids and antioxidants to the skin to enhance barrier function without clogging pores.

A well-formulated moisturizer works with your skin’s biology—supporting repair, resilience, and lasting hydration rather than providing only temporary softness.

Skip the Scrubs: Why Physical Exfoliants Damage the Skin Barrier

Physical scrubs on the body create microtears in the skin leading to transepidermal water loss, damaged skin barrier, dryness, irritation, and uneven texture.

Physical Scrubs Can Damage the Skin Barrier

Physical scrubs like sugar, salt or coffee are too abrasive for body skin and we as humans scrub too hard. This literally causes scratches and tears to the skin that must be repaired.  The injury leads to increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL), increased sensitivity and inflammation.

A Better Alternative: Chemical Exfoliation

Instead of a harsh scrub, use a chemical exfoliant serum that can gently dissolve dead skin cells to reveal smoother, firmer skin underneath while supporting collagen production. Look for ingredients like glycolic acid that is able to dissolve dead skin cells without causing physical trauma to the barrier. 

When to Avoid Chemical Exfoliation

Avoid chemical exfoliants immediately after shaving. Freshly shaved skin is already exfoliated and more sensitive. On days you shave, just stick to moisturizing. 

Recommended Dermatologist-Formulated Treatments

Alternating a chemical exfoliant with a barrier-repair moisturizer every other day is an effective approach for improving skin tone and texture. Doctor Rogers Body Repair Treatment is a dermatologist formulated option that gently exfoliates while supporting collagen production. A 28-day consumer study of using it alongside Doctor Rogers Body Cream produced results outstanding enough to earn the nickname “Laser in a Bottle” 

28-Day Consumer Perception Study Results

  • 100% agree skin looks tighter
  • 100% agree skin feels firmer
  • 100% agree skin feels softer
  • 100% agree skin looks less bumpy
  • 92% agree skin looks less crepey
  • 100% agree skin looks more uniform in color
  • 100% agree these are the best results they have seen from body products

Consumer perception study of 15 participants over 28 days using Doctor Rogers Body Cream and Body Repair Treatment.

Other Body Exfoliating Products I Recommend

For those looking for alternative chemical exfoliants, I recommend 

  • Nécessaire | Body Retinol
  • Skinbetter | Body Alpharet
  • Paula’s Choice | Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA
  • AmLactin | Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion

Antioxidants Are Not Just for the Face

Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals generated by ultraviolet (UV) exposure and environmental stress. Applying them to exposed body areas can help reduce collagen breakdown and premature aging.

Where to Apply Antioxidants on the Body 

Antioxidants aren’t just for your face, they are for any skin that sees more sun. Apply antioxidants to areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as neck, chest and hands. These areas often show early signs of collagen loss and pigmentation.  

Supporting Skin After Sun Exposure

After excessive sun exposure, apply Doctor Rogers Day Preventive Treatment to help limit damage done to the skin. This powerful antioxidant serum contains therapeutic dosing of Acetyl zingerone a next-generation antioxidant that helps repair the damage that continues after sun exposure. After too much sun, your skin keeps generating inflammation and DNA injury for hours. Acetyl zingerone helps neutralize those processes, reducing redness, oxidative stress, and long-term photoaging. Apply it to the skin and follow with the Body Cream to prevent transepidermal water loss and support the skin barrier as it heals. 

Why Dermatologists Recommend Daily Sunscreen Year-Round

We are creatures of habit, regardless of the season, keep applying daily sunscreen to areas with daily sun exposure like the face, neck, chest and hands.  Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher prevents premature aging, hyperpigmentation, and skin cancer. A full list of dermatologist-recommended sunscreens can be found here.

How Lifestyle Affects Skin Health 

Skin health is influenced not only by products but also by lifestyle factors such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, and UV avoidance.

Lifestyle Factors That Support Healthy Body Skin

  • Regular exercise improves circulation, supports collagen maintenance and helps skin function at its best.
  • A balanced diet provides protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants that the skin needs to repair itself.
  • Consistent sleep allows for overnight barrier recovery and helps regulate inflammation and hormones that influence the skin.
  • Avoiding intentional tanning - UV exposure from the sun or tanning beds is the leading cause of premature skin aging, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer. 

For healthier, more resilient skin, the fundamentals matter: exercise regularly, eat nutrient-dense food , sleep consistently and protect your skin from UV every day.

My Daily Body Care Routine as a Dermatologist (Step-by-Step)

  1. Shower with Doctor Rogers Body Wash using lukewarm (not hot) water
  2. Gently pat skin dry with a towel
  3. Apply Body Cream and Body Repair Treatment on alternating days
  4. During winter or periods of dryness, mix Healing Balm into Body Cream and apply nightly until skin stabilizes, then resume alternating

Followed consistently, this routine supports skin barrier health, improves tone and texture and maintains hydration year around.

Key Takeaways: Building a Dermatologist-Approved Body Care Routine

Healthy skin isn’t just about appearance - it’s about comfort, confidence and feeling good in your body. Whether you’re looking to prevent aging, manage dryness or simplify your routine, these practices can make a meaningful difference. Your body skin deserves to look as good as your face skin. Good skin responds to consistency, not intensity.

Why Ingredient Safety Matters in Body Care

What we put on our bodies matters. Ingredients from personal care products are increasingly found in our blood, urine, breast milk and even surface water. While the long-term implications aren't fully understood, this raises important health and environmental concerns.

Safety and Dermatologist Standards

Body moisturizers and cleansers are applied over large surface areas daily, making ingredient safety especially important. They should be held to the highest safety standards. Look for products that are fragrance-free, free of known irritants and accepted by organizations like the National Eczema Association for sensitive skin use.

All Doctor Rogers Skin Care products receive excellent safety scores in the Yuka app, are accepted by the National Eczema Association, and are reviewed by Sorette as appropriate for use during pregnancy. I believe body products should be effective, safe for long-term use, and suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

Award Winning Body Care

References

  • Chaudhuri, R. K., et al. “Acetyl Zingerone: An Efficacious Multifunctional Ingredient for Continued Protection against Ongoing DNA Damage in Melanocytes after Sun Exposure Ends.” International Journal of Cosmetic Science, vol. 42, no. 1, Feb. 2020, pp. 36–45. Wiley, doi:10.1111/ics.12582
  • Hughes, Maria Celia B., et al. “Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial.” Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 158, no. 11, 4 June 2013, pp. 781–790, doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002. 

About the Author: Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD

Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD is a double board-certified procedural dermatologist and Mohs surgeon and the co-founder of Modern Dermatology in Seattle, where she sees patients full-time. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in skin health, aging, and skin cancer prevention, and for her clear, evidence-based skincare guidance. Dr. Rogers serves on the American Academy of Dermatology Media Team, the Credo Beauty Council, the Sorette for Motherhood Scientific Advisory Board, and the NewBeauty Brain Trust.

She is the founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare, a dermatologist-developed line reflecting her less-is-more, science-backed approach to healthy skin. Dr. Rogers is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and completed her dermatology training at Columbia University Medical Center.

Instagram: @drheatherrogers
Practice: mdinseattle.com
Skincare: doctorrogers.com

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