My Body Care Routine Is Now 100% Summer-Scented—My Out-of-Office Starts in the Shower
And I'm not even sorry about it.
When it comes to seasonally scented body care, I’m jumping in there headfirst. The moment June arrives, every product in my routine gets a warm-weather upgrade. And I mean all—shower gel, body lotion, body mist and even my deodorant. If it doesn't smell like summer, it's off the shelf.
Switching my scents with the seasons is one of the easiest ways to feel more connected to the time of year, whatever the weather is doing (January, I'm looking at you). And summer body care is particularly transportive: fresh citrus, creamy coconut, juicy fruits and salty sea air can make an ordinary morning routine feel like the start of a holiday, even if you're staying firmly at home.
The best part is that summer-inspired body care has become far more sophisticated in recent years. Gone are the days of sickly-sweet tropical scents; today's launches are fresher, more nuanced and undeniably elevated. Whether you gravitate towards sun-warmed citrus, creamy coconut or breezy coastal notes, these are my favourites.
Summer-Scented Body Washes
Notes: coconut, guava, water-lily
This shower gel foams up nicely and leaves skin so soft. For such an elevated scent, it’s great value, and you get a lot of product for your money. Smelling this is like taking in a deep breath of fresh air on a Maldivian coast.
Notes: pistachio, jasmine, salted caramel
This body wash is so moisturising and nourishing, thanks to its mix of cupuaçu butter and coconut oil. It has the brand’s original, viral Cheriosa ’62 scent and it lingers long after you’ve dried yourself.
Summer-Scented Body Scrubs
Notes: orange blossom, ocean breeze, dragonfruit, tuberose, musk, amber
Who doesn’t love a two-in-one product? This sugar scrub exfoliates the scalp and the body, and even contains probiotics to support the skin’s microbiome. Its coconut oil makes it so moisturising too. The scent is tropical, creamy and warm.
Notes: coconut, pineapple, coconut milk
I’ve been such a fan of this brand’s body scrubs for many years. Not only do they smell incredible, but they are also extremely moisturising. The scrub is sugar, and it also contains skin-softening shea butter, as well as being packed full of 7 different natural oils. When you rinse this off, it leaves a layer of nourishing oil on the skin that gets rubbed in and absorbed as you towel off.
Summer-Scented Body Oils
Notes: bergamot, salted tiare flower, coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, musk
This shimmering oil leaves the skin with a gorgeous glow, making it look hydrated and healthy. It has a creamy, salted floral scent, with tropical and citrus notes. Like the ocean breeze and sun-kissed skin after a day at the beach.
Notes: coconut, cocoa butter and vanilla
You really can’t get better value than this, and the fact it’s a spray means it’s less messy and easier to travel with. It smells good enough to eat, but not in an overpowering way. It’s a subtle enough scent that you can wear it all year round. Formulated for sensitive skin, it gives long-lasting hydration and supports the skin barrier.
Summer-Scented Body Moisturisers
Notes: pistachio, jasmine, salted caramel
Complete with the brand’s original summer-in-a-bottle Cheriosa ’62 scent, this rich body lotion contains delicate shimmering particles that make skin look so glowy and light-reflecting. You’ll never have seen your skin look better!
Notes: monoi (coconut and white florals), bergamot
This is such a powerful moisturiser, yet it still has an almost airy quality thanks to its whipped texture. It leaves skin so soft and promises 24-hour hydration. It smells of a tropical beach vacation, with zesty citrus in there too.
Summer-Scented Deodorants
Notes: coconut, guava, water-lily
This deodorant provides 48 hours of clinically tested odour control and contains 5% AHAs to exfoliate the underarms, brightening and smoothing. There’s also a host of other odour-neutralising ingredients, leaving you smelling like a summer paradise.
Notes: coconut, vanilla
Wild is an all-natural deodorant that really works. This cream stick has a subtle scent and comes with a refillable case. Its ultra-moisturising formula contains a blend of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter.
Summer-Scented Body Mists
Notes: blackcurrant, mandarin, tuberose, jasmine, lotus flower, cashmeran
This fruity floral scent is also sweet and creamy. It is reminiscent of a coastal garden in the sun. Soft florals mix with juicy fruits and a coastal breeze. Layers so well with many different fragrance notes.
Notes: juicy mango, coconut
Boy, was I glad when this viral Australian body care brand landed in the UK. This scent is utterly delicious, like ripe, freshly cut mango. It feels hydrating and refreshing to spray and contains mango and coconut extracts for their hydrating, skin-softening properties, as well as skin-tone-refining niacinamide. So much more than just a scent.
Fragrances
Notes: maracuja passionfruit accord, frangipani accord, vanilla absolute
I first smelt this when I had a lab sample back in January, and I was not in the summer spirit. But this instantly uplifting, tropical-fruit scent made me forget, for a second, that I was in the frozen UK. The tropical fruit hits you first, then you get an exotic, creamy, floral breeze, and a sweet vanilla undertone.
Notes: coconut, bergamot, jasmine, freesia, monoi, vanilla, praline
This subtly scented option is a good finisher for a summer body care routine, enhancing those coconut notes. It’s sweet, milky, warm and floral.
