Short-shorts, sundresses, beachwear… hot girl summer is here. The regimens we adopt to make sure our bodies are bikini-ready typically involve countless reps of squats, lunges, and planks. The largest organ – our skin – needs just as much TLC and planning to banish rashes, ingrown hair, bacne, and dry knees. For a soft girl summer, here’s a curation of next-level body cleansers, lotions, and oils from female clean beauty entrepreneurs who want to give you a radiant complexion all over.
A complete body skin health routine – one that nourishes and balances the skin microbiome like a gut-friendly, high-fiber smoothie – was what Monique Meneses, a chemist and recent mother, had in mind when she founded iota. With a bevy of ingredients similar to a system of expertly researched facial skin care, Meneses created an actives-driven line that consists of cleanser, serum, and high-achieving moisturizer. With proprietary formulations that feed the top dermal layer pre and postbiotics for skin immune health and botanicals proven to boost skin hydration, firmness, and radiance, iota is ground-breaking as nutritional body care.
The multiple award-winning Super Greens Set drenches the skin in aloe, matcha, cica, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamins, peptides, and probiotics for maximum firmness, moisture retention, brightness, and elasticity from head-to-toe. The Supervitamin Body Wash+ Brightening blends pineapple and yuzu fruit extracts, vitamin D, and niacinamide with microbiome balancers to deliver results in just a few weeks. The Supervitamin Body Wash+ Soothing and Supervitamin Body Wash+ in Clarifying balance acne flare-ups and sensitivity with seaweed and Reishi mushroom extracts. Step 2 in the iota regime, the Supercloud Body Serum+, rich in seaweed, vitamin C, mandelic Acid, and niacinamide, exfoliates gently and strengthens the skin barrier.
The 3rd and most buzzed-about product in the regime, Supermatcha Body Lotion+ is easily one of the most unique body care products on the market – the holy grail of clean beauty formulations. Blended from turmeric, rambutan, ginseng, schisandra berry and life-enhancing jade matcha powder, it’s akin to a slippery, whipped matcha pudding that melts into skin like no other for a dewyness and hydration so profound skin cells will sigh with relief and delight.
For serious skincare ailments in need of a serious dose of antibacterial, anti-fungal properties, Ayssa Di Pietro, a marine scientist, birthed Miami Beach Bum after a recurring tango with folliculitis. After an at-home DIY mix of oregano oil and aloe cleared up the infection in a matter of days, the line launched with the Bum and Body Cream Mint. The potent, medicinal concoction is particularly effective for bacne, as well as other body blemishes and Keratosis Pilaris.
As a beach bum, Di Pietra also incorporates sun care in her line. Miami Beach Bum’s Blocked SPF50 BOV Spray offers full body coverage that’s sweat and water-resistant for 80 minutes. Safe for kids and adults, free of petroleum and chemical sunscreens, the nano-milled, non-propellant Zinc Oxide spray also delivers watermelon extract, algae and aloe extracts to lock in moisture and nutrients for a protected skin barrier.
For areas prone to sun exposure and the most wear and tear – decollete, hands, knees, and elbows, formulations that pack a punch with the ultra-nourishing, omega-rich oils, and antioxidants are on tall order. Mundi Gattis, a breast cancer survivor and mom of three, brainstormed Clean Mundi during the Covid Pandemic. The Invigorating Body Oil features age-disrupting powerhouse ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) in a base of super emollient, exotic oils: broccoli seed oil, oleic acid, shea butter, vitamin camelina sativa seed oil, macadamia, watermelon seed oil, as well as squalene, calendula and plum flower extracts.
Lightly-scented with sweet acacia oil, it absorbs immediately into dry crevices with a clean, floral bouquet. For those serious about deeply nourished skin, Clean Mundi also offers a collection of shea butter-based body butters for body and hair. With ultra-rich macadamia oil, cupuaçu butter, sesame oil, cocoa butter, hemp oil, and amla fruit, the whipped, buttery blend was designed for body and hair. In coconut cream, sweet dreams, and unscented, the butters are available as a monthly subscription to keep ends and knees super shiny.
Created after a chance encounter on a surfing trip, the Cosmo 2024 Holy Grail Award Winner Oshin Oil is a multi-tasker rich in one of the most coveted ingredients in clean beauty and wellness: Moringa. Native to the tropics and semi-arid regions, seeds from the moringa tree yield an oil rich in Vitamin C, palmitic and linoleic acids. Female-Founder Marilyn Schlossbach, a chef by training, adds rice bran, bergamot, tea tree, geranium, and eucalyptus essentials for an uplifting fragrance that benefits all skin types, head-to-toe, even oiler complexions.
Guided by a belief that skin and body care are the ultimate expressions of self-care, Charla Jones founded Eu2be to harness the healing properties of the rarest most prized carrier oils on the market.
For the body oil Jones sources exotic, tropical oils of avocado, macadamia, brazil nut, moringa, tamanu, maracuja, buriti, babassu, and nanga seed oils for EU2Be Trove Replenishing Oil. Free of coconut oil, and lightly fragranced, the biomimetic, hypoallergenic elixir is tailor-made for hair and body, and especially effective on dry cuticles.
Frustrated by the lack of chemical-free sunscreens for darker complexions, Katonya Breaux founded UnSun in 2016 to offer residue-free protection that would flatter all skin tones. With a range of targeted face and body lotions and creams, UnSun has branched out into tinted formulations that complement dark complexions.
If morning runs and shopping at afternoon green markets are routine, the hands might need additional protection from the sun, plus a megadose of moisture. UnSun’s Hand Cream SPF15 delivers a physical sunscreen – finely milled zinc oxide and titanium oxide – in a base of shea butter, Abyssinian, and safflower oils that blends seamlessly into hands for sun protection that’s water-resistant for 40 minutes, without a white cast. The botanical extracts in the ultra-rich hand cream – aloe, chamomile, lavender, and citrus extracts – provide another level of antioxidant protection and hydration.
For full body post-sun care and moisture, and bug bite soothing, Face + Body Healing Butter features a trio of linoleic-rich, organic cold-pressed African oils – touloucouna, bissap, and baobab oils – with shea butter and honey for a luxurious healing salve.
For in-depth interviews with female founders in clean beauty, check out this ongoing Q&A series:
Read Part 1 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Glow Bar CEO HERE.
Read Part 2 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Uzima CEO HERE.
Read Part 3 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Kinship CEO HERE.
Read Part 4 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Raw Sugar Living CEO HERE.
Read Part 5 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Alchimie Forever CEO HERE.
Read Part 6 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Kindness Powered Skincaee CEO HERE.
Read Part 7 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Iles Formula CEO HERE.
Read Part 8 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Blessed Bananas CEO HERE.
Read Part 9 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Exoceuticals CEOs HERE.
Read Par 10 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Nekko CEOs HERE.
