My Secret to Low-Effort Supple Skin Is This Luxe Shower Oil

New York Times

14-04-2025

They say it's always darkest before the dawn. That was exactly the case when I found myself (and my bathroom) covered in body oil, trapped in my own personal episode of Naked and Afraid.
What led me to end up in such a humbling position? Dry skin, of course.
I hit the genetic lottery of having both dry and sensitive skin, so for me, a skin-care routine has always been essential. But I had never paid much attention to the skin below my neck. Partially because I dreaded the trial-and-error phase of trying new products, and partially because I absolutely hated the way moisturizer felt as it sunk into my skin.
But eventually, after years of ignoring the flurry of dead skin cells that came flying off of me at the end of each winter day, the state of my skin—or, should I say, husk—became unavoidable.
And so I went on a quest in search of the perfect product that would moisturize my thirsty skin without leaving me feeling greasy. I came out the other side with what would become my skin's hydration hero—L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil.
L'Occitane's Almond Shower Oil was among the plethora of solutions that popped up in my original search. I was intrigued by the fact that for about $45, I could buy a 16.9-ounce 100% recycled plastic bottle for refills, which would help me cut back on plastic waste. That factor, along with the French having a reputation for seemingly effortless, radiant beauty, had me quite tempted. But L'Occitane's 8.4-ounce bottle was nearly triple the price and about a third the size of similar drugstore products, so I figured cheaper alternatives had to be at least similarly effective.
I figured wrong.
Beauty influencers and magazines lauded the efficacy of various moisturizing body washes and oils. Yet with each one I tried, the results were mixed at best and left my entire bathroom covered in sticky oil at worst.
That moment of skidding around my bathroom was the final straw. I concluded that moisturized skin was not worth a slip and fall, so I quit my months-long search, figuring I'd just stay ashy forever.
And, as everyone who's ever seen a rom-com knows, the moment you stop looking is usually when you find exactly what you're looking for.
Serendipitously, while I was stocking up on my beauty essentials during a Sephora sale, I stumbled across a discount on the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil and figured it was worth a shot. Cut to a year later, and this bottle of literal liquid gold is now one of my must-haves year-round, but especially during brutal winter weather.