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Even legacy fragrance brands are prioritizing new body-care offerings, like Diptyque, which recently released its best-selling Fleur de Peau in a hand and body gel, hand and body lotion, and hair mist. And esteemed perfumers have their noses in the business, too. After 17 years, Josie Maran has taken her most popular Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter and Sugar and Argan Oil Body Scrub, and given them all new scents (like refreshing Topless Tangerine and sweet Bohemian Fig), created with perfumer Jerome Epinette from Robertet Group (who was also behind Victoria Beckham’s new collection of fragrances).
Body mists — though they have no actual benefit for your skin beyond making it smell fresh or sweet or whatever you fancy — are also looking for a comeback in 2024, with fragrance brands like Ellis Brooklyn (which launched the new Peaches Body Mist in early January) and body care-specific brands like MAËLYS (which added the new GET-WILD Body Mist to its lineup at the end of January) hopping on the trend.
Given the popularity of TikTok’s fragrance community, and our collective interest in Y2K nostalgia (admit it, you once had a bottle of Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon body mist in your bathroom) it’s not surprising to see the pendulum swing in favor of body care scents.
The Benefits of Total Body Relaxation
Ask anyone who has ever sunk into a hot bath complete with salts, bubbles, or essential oils and they’ll acknowledge that it’s about so much more than simply getting clean. Still, the US has never had a rich bathing culture, like Japan, Finland, Turkey, and Bali. But a few brands are trying to change that by taking inspiration from bathing rituals.
“There’s a disconnect with bathing, body care, and overall wellness here in the US in particular,” explains Shannon Davenport, founder of Esker Beauty, which offers bathing and shower upgrades like the Aromatic Shower Steamer Set and Sparkling Bath Salts. “I love that body care has that feeling of connection with the self, slowing down, and quieting down.”
With bathing culture’s tangible benefits (a 2018 study found that full body immersion bathing improved fatigue, stress, pain, and skin condition over the course of two weeks), it’s likely we’ll see even more brands embracing the mind-body connection when developing new body-care products. Just look to established brands like Tatcha, which now offers a three-piece Hinoki Body Care Ritual inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku (or forest bathing), or new releases like NERRĀ, which recently launched a four-piece Body Cleansing Ritual inspired by ancient bath house practices.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a head-to-toe exfoliating regimen or just hoping to transform your bathroom into more of a spa-like experience with a few Eucalyptus-scented lotions it appears that the body care boom is here for the long haul. That’s great news for your epidermis — slightly less so for your wallet.