Your skin doesn’t start and end with your face—neither should your skincare. It’s estimated that our face and neck account for around 5% of our skin’s surface area, while our body accounts for 91%. And while your body’s skin shares a lot in common with your facial skin, there are some important differences too.

• Your skin’s barrier tends to be stronger on your body skin, while your face tends to have higher hydration levels
• Levels of sebum are higher in areas like the face and neck
• Skin is thickest on palms and feet, and thinnest on eyelids

Knowing these distinctions can help devise the proper formulations for body skin. Our new Body Care collection features ingredients you may recognize from our facial formulations, like:

• Niacinamide
• Salicylic Acid
• Natural Moisturizing Factors

As part of our research process, these well-known ingredients have been tested specifically for use on body skin. Everyone deserves access to quality, and now every body can.

Science is at the center of everything we do at The Ordinary. Our skincare is backed by thorough research conducted by our in-house clinical teams and independent third-party labs to help ensure statistically significant results. This helps us create reliable formulations—we know how they will work on the skin and why.

For our Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum, we undertook penetration testing to ensure effective delivery of salicylic acid to the skin, particularly given the formulation's lower 0.5% concentration of salicylic acid. For Natural Moisturizing Factors + Inulin, we investigated the role of inulin in helping to support the skin's moisture barrier.

These ingredients have been used in some of our most well-loved facial formulations. Now, we’re bringing them to the body.

Niacinamide is an essential nutrient for our skin and offers a multitude of benefits. Within the skin, Niacinamide is converted into two types of molecules—NADH or NADPH—that are vital to supporting multiple elements of the skin like the synthesis of ceramides and structural components. These molecules tend to decrease with age.

Topical use of Niacinamide helps support the natural processes of the skin, providing benefits such as:

• Even tone. Niacinamide is a renowned brightening agent that helps improve the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tone.
• Enhanced barrier. Niacinamide contributes to an improved skin barrier through the support of components like ceramides and fatty acids, reducing water loss.

Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion is formulated to work on both face and body skin. After cleansing, use 1-2 pumps for the face and/or use a thin layer on the body; repeat morning and night. This formulation is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Salicylic acid is a well-known exfoliator with a variety of uses on the face and body. It’s a beta-hydroxy acid that breaks up the bonds between dead skin, helping the natural shedding process.

Salicylic acid is also lipophilic (oil-loving), meaning it can penetrate directly into pores. This means it can help exfoliate within the pore lining, removing excess oil, debris and skin cells that can build up and lead to pore congestion and blemishes.

Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum has been formulated for use on the body. Its lower concentration allows for application to a larger area of skin. Salicylic acid can be used on all skin types, including oily skin.

Natural moisturizing factors, found in the top layer of the skin, play a key role in hydration. 80% of the composition of natural moisturizing factors found within the skin is free amino acids, minerals, PCA, and lactates, such as sodium lactate. These molecules help attract and hold onto water to keep skin hydrated. Adding natural moisturizing factors to your regimen can help boost skin moisture and support the skin barrier to help retain moisture.

Natural Moisturizing Factors + Inulin is The Ordinary’s first body lotion, and it provides both immediate and long-term hydration. It keeps skin hydrated, even after washing. This lotion is suitable for all skin types, including those with dry skin.

Our skin is the first layer of defense. It’s an organ—the largest one—which covers our whole body. Skincare, then, should encompass the whole body—not just the face.

While body skin and face skin share similar functions, there are some key differences:

• Skin Barrier and Hydration. In general, the skin’s barrier is stronger across the body than it is on the face; conversely, facial skin tends to stay more hydrated than other areas. Keep this in mind when building a regimen.


• Sebum Levels. Sebum is a naturally occurring oily substance produced by skin glands, which can clog pores alongside debris and dead skin. Areas like the face and neck have higher levels of sebum, while the legs and back have lower levels.


• Epidermal Thickness. Some of the thinnest skin can be found on our eyelids, whereas the palms and feet have thicker epidermal layers.

These factors play a part in choosing the right treatments for face and body skin. You can use the same ingredients at different concentrations in your regimen for targeted treatments. For example, Salicylic Acid 2% Solution has a higher concentration to treat concerns on the face, while Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum has a lower concentration since it’s made for a larger area of your body.

By treating our body’s skin like we do our face, we can help give body its face time. A skincare regimen that incorporates both face and body care formulations helps to support healthy-looking skin. To use these Body Care products together in a regimen, after washing, apply serums depending on your individual concerns: Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum to target blemish-prone skin, and Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion to target the look of dark spots and uneven skin tone. Follow these with Natural Moisturizing Factors + Inulin Body Lotion to seal in hydration and provide all-day continuous moisture.

As with facial regimens, consistency can help achieve desired results. Start with lighter formulations, such as serums, before finishing with something a bit heavier, like Natural Moisturizing Factors + Inulin lotion. Be sure to use sunscreen on any areas that may be exposed to UV rays, not just your face.

Explore our Body Care collection today.