This Shower Oil Cured My Dry, Itchy Skin in a Week — and It's 20% Off

Don't tell my lotion-obsessed sisters, but I skipped way too many days of moisturizing my body over the summer. I find the routine of lathering on body oil, cream, or body butter on my skin post-shower to be tedious — an added step that takes time away from something else I could be doing. As you probably guessed, a season full of skin-baring outfits without hydration has left me with parched, itchy skin. I've been looking for a solution to minimize the itchiness and dry appearance that doesn't require weeks of applying lotion.

The L'Occitane Cleansing & Softening Almond Shower Oil ($23, originally $29) has garnered the nod of approval from many beauty editors and has five beauty awards from various magazines at time of posting, so I decided to test it out. Spoiler alert: I was instantly hooked.

Keep reading for more details about the shower oil and why it's become my new favorite multitasking hydration product. Plus, right now it's on sale for Amazon's October Prime Day, so make sure you snag it at a discount while it's still in stock — the sale ends Oct. 9.

The brand claims one bottle of this product sells every 10 seconds worldwide. It's packed with sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil, and after using it for less than a week, I can truly tell why it's so popular. Unlike traditional body washes, this shower oil foams to clean off the day, producing a sweet (and not super overpowering) fragrance that leaves my skin the smoothest it's ever been from a shower wash. Before I even step out of the shower I notice that my skin looks and feels more hydrated. The brand attributes this to the almond oil that is known to moisturize skin, protect it from sun damage, and improve texture; and grapeseed oil that is high in linoleic acid which increases the skin's moisture and softness.

Being able to use the two-in-one product in lieu of a post-cleansing lotion has completely streamlined my body-care routine. I no longer have to set aside time to spritz on body oil, wait for it to dry, and then follow up with a lotion. The L'Occitane Cleansing & Softening Almond Shower Oil takes care of all these steps for me with its deeply moisturizing ingredients. Plus, the freshly baked Parisian-almond croissant aroma pleasantly lingers on my skin for up to an hour.

Testing products is a huge part of my job as a beauty editor. And while so many hydrating body products claim to keep the skin moisturized all day long, few actually do. But with this shower oil, I've found myself caressing my arms (my biggest dry skin problem area) throughout the day, in awe of their softness.

The luxurious formula emulsifies into a hydrating, velvety milky foam that easily lathers onto any cleansing tool of choice. It's meant to be used on wet skin while in the shower. In testing it over the course of four days, I've tried applying it with a loofah, washcloth, and mini exfoliating gloves. Each time it's produced a really beautiful scent that lathers perfectly when it comes into contact with water.

Even though it's an oil, this formula is non-greasy and won't leave a sticky residue. Word to the wise though, a little bit goes a long way. I tend to add just two to three dollops to my loofah and scrub away the dirt from head to toe for consistent, silky-smooth results.

The almond shower oil has a beautifully subtle scent to it. However, if you are sensitive to fragrance, this might not be the product for you. Purchasing it repeatedly also may be an expensive habit to pick up, given that it's priced at $29 for just 8.4 fluid ounces. But it's important to note that if you use just a couple of drops per wash, the oil should last for a few weeks.

You can get the L'Occitane Cleansing & Softening Almond Shower Oil at Amazon, L'Occitane, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, and Anthropologie.

Rating:

★★★★★

Natasha Marsh is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Prior to freelancing, she held styling staff positions at The Wall Street Journal, Burberry, Cosmopolitan, British GQ, and Harper's Bazaar.