What Is Body Gloss?

Body gloss is very similar to lip gloss, but is meant for use over the entire body, not just on the lips. It comes in the form of a silky lotion, as a spray or as a thicker formula, similar to body butter. Most body glosses are formulated to hydrate the skin, keep it healthy, and make it glow. Unlike lotion, this gloss actually gives skin a light sheen. Some formulas even contain a little bit of mica powder or body glitter. Commercial companies sell many varieties of body gloss, but those interested in entirely natural products can try making some at home.

Most kinds of body gloss contain jojoba oil and several different kinds of seaweed extracts. These formulas are supposed to be non-greasy and soak into the skin quickly. Other formulas may contain avocado oil, cassia, or small amounts of shea butter. Spray body gloss usually contains a small portion of fatty alcohol and distilled water to keep it from crystallizing. Thicker, lotion-style body glosses often contain less alcohol than the sprays.

Those that want to make their own gloss at home have a very wide array of options. The base for these glosses is usually some kind of nourishing oil, like jojoba or olive oil. Jojoba is scentless and less greasy than olive oil, but olive oil is usually cheaper. Those using olive oil for body gloss should typically choose a light-colored oil. These varieties usually have less olive scent than the darker kinds.

When making spray body gloss, the maker simply needs to add the oil base to a spray bottle and add a few drops of each of his or her favorite essential oils. This mixture should typically be made just a little at a time and kept in the refrigerator when not in use. Thicker mixtures can be made by melting vegetable butter and the desired oils in a double boiler and mixing them together with a hand mixer as they cool. This should result in a thick-yet-soft mixture.

One of the nice things about body gloss is that users typically don’t need as much of it as they do lotion or cream. The gloss is super-saturated with hydrating products, so one very thin application per day should be sufficient for most people. This is especially true for commercial formulas since manufacturers manage to combine very high amounts of soothing ingredients in their products. This means that batches of body gloss typically last longer than equal amounts of lotion or cream.