I have been hooked on Neutrogena Body Oil for close to twenty years now. It has become an essential part of my daily bathing routine. Now, before you start thinking that I walk around looking like an oil slick, I assure you that this is not even close to being the case. I will also go on record saying that I get absolutely no benefit from praising this product. The folks at Neutrogena don’t even know who I am, much less incentivize me to talk about any of the products in their extensive line.

Why do I love this oil so much? It is incredibly light, soaks in quickly, and hydrates skin beautifully. The version which has fragrance simply has a lovely, light sesame fragrance which is aromatic (trust me, I have never been accused of smelling like oil heatin up in a wok). I typically purchase the 16 ounce or 32 ounce sizes since I use the oil daily.

Here is how I use the oil. Once I am done showering, I lightly towel off so that my skin is slightly damp. While still in the shower, I apply a thin layer of oil to the skin on my body, then allow that layer to penetrate into my skin for a few minutes. After that, I always apply body lotion or cream on top of the oil to create a nice moisture barrier. When I REALLY want a nice sheen to my skin, I will apply THREE layers of product: Neutrogena Body Oil, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, then a body lotion or body butter. You could say I am a bit obsessed about taking care of my skin!

There is the very rare instance when I am in a major rush, and don’t have the time to layer products. Also, I never pack the oil when I am traveling because I don’t want to risk having the oil spill in my luggage. Whenever I am without my precious oil, there is a big difference in the appearance and texture of my skin. Because of this, I am always relieved when I return home and can get back into my routine. There have been a couple of times when I got absolutely desperate while traveling, and bought a bottle of Neutrogena Body Oil (or another skin oil if I can’t find the Neutrogena brand). That’s how much I love to layer oil under lotion.

I honestly think that Neutrogena Body Oil has been a big factor in the quality of the skin on my body, and I have no intention of omitting it from my regular ritual!

If you have very dry skin, you might want to try this layering technique. If you have sesame allergy, however, you will need to find another alternative, perhaps almond oil or monoi oil. I actually love monoi oil, but Neutrogena wins out for consistency and convenience. If you want a more luxe experience, I suggest using the Monoi Tiare Tahiti Oil with gold shimmer alone for a beautiful golden glow to the skin.