I’ve always taken the idea of moisturizing my skin very seriously. After all, our skin is our largest organ, and taking care of it is important. I have a combination skin type, which means that I struggle to find a moisturizing lotion that really works for me.

I often find that lotion is a bit too thick and creamy for my liking, which means that it tends to leave a lasting residue. So, I decided to give Nivea’s new In Shower Body Lotion a try.

This is the first moisturizer of its kind. Like I said, in most cases you’ll find that moisturizers take a long time to absorb. Or they leave your skin feeling sticky and greasy. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it can wreak havoc on your skin. This is especially true if you have a sensitive skin type or wear makeup on top of the moisturizer, as this can prevent your skin from being able to breathe. It also leads to a faster build up of impurities, causing breakouts and blackheads.

I’ve often had to rinse my moisturizer off midday, simply because of how sticky and irritated my skin felt. But this would make my skin dry and vulnerable to heat damage. Thankfully, the Nivea In Shower Body Lotion has totally changed the way we use moisturizers, incorporating the moisturizing process into our daily shower routine.

This allows you to have the benefit of a thicker, creamier and longer-lasting moisturizer while reducing the occurrence of a greasy layer on the surface of your skin and enabling your skin to breathe more freely. It also makes it easier for you to wear makeup on top of your moisturizer without experiencing stickiness or irritations. I was really pleased with this product, and I think you will be too!

Nivea In Shower Body Lotion Ingredients Breakdown

I’m quite picky when it comes to the ingredients in my skin care products. More often than not, it’s somewhat of a hit and miss saga. I usually find products which have a few ingredients that I really like and a lot that I don’t.

It’s rare to find a skin care product that doesn’t have something in it that raises my eyebrows. Unfortunately, this product is no exception. Some of  Nivea’s In Shower Body Lotion ingredients are really great, but some simply aren’t. However, because the product allows for in-shower application, many of the potentially harmful effects of these ingredients are lessened substantially.

Here’s a complete list of the ingredients in the lotion:

Aqua, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Maris Sal, Sodium Carbomer, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Parfum

Nivea In Shower Body Lotion Ingredients Explained

Rinsing off the lotion in the shower will help limit the effects of the lotion’s chemicals.

I like that Nivea’s In Shower Body Lotion ingredients include linalool, geraniol and limonene. They are tremendously helpful for moisturizing and nurturing your skin while actively reducing inflammation. But the list also contains some ingredients which are really a cause for concern. Most notably, paraffinum liquidum, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, phenoxyethanol, parfum, butylphenyl methylpropional and methylisothiazolinone. These chemicals are as difficult to pronounce as they are to understand. So I’ll try to keep this simple: they’re bad for you.

First of all, most of these chemicals are actively banned in Europe because they have such a long list of harmful side effects. Most of them fall under the paraben list, which means that they’re used as artificial preservatives. However, the problem with these chemicals is that they mimic oestrogen in the body. And while that may not sound like a problem for women out there, the truth is that having a large amount of this in your system can throw your hormonal balance out of whack. This can lead to some pretty serious long-term health issues and even the development of cancer.

Thankfully, though, being able to wash off the majority of the lotion while in the shower means that you limit your exposure to these chemical. Which means that you limit the adverse health effects as well. However, it’s important to know these things so that you’re careful with the products you choose and how you use them. Better to be safe than sorry!

Do You Need To Moisturize?

You’ll be so happy with all the benefits of an in-shower body lotion.

Moisturizing is always one of those things that seems to be simple but is actually really complicated when you get down to it. Do you shower, then get dry, then apply the moisturizer? Or shower, then apply the moisturizer and then dry off? Or, do you simply wait until later in the day? I’ve tried all three approaches because my skin is so complicated – it literally seems to change from week to week! But don’t underestimate the importance of moisturizing. 

Over time, I’ve learned to just wait until my skin feels dry and in need of moisturizing before applying the lotion. But this means having to carry moisturizer around all day. And that isn’t always possible. It’s even wound up causing countless spillages in my car or on my clothes in the middle of the day. Nothing more annoying than that!

So I was really grateful when I came across the Nivea In Shower Body Lotion. It’s designed to minimize the length of the moisturizing process. Making it part of your shower routine saves time and stress. (Plus, it gives you an excuse to enjoy a little extra shower time!). It also ensures that you have healthy, moisturized and silky-smooth skin over the course of the day without that horrible sticky, greasy feeling that most conventional moisturizers leave you with.

This is especially true if you live in an area with high humidity and tend to sweat a lot. Or, if you spend all day in an air-conditioned office and find that your skin dries out quite quickly, you can rest assured that your skin will stay soft and hydrated throughout the day without becoming irritable or flaky.

Nivea In Shower Body Lotion Review

The Nivea In Shower Body Lotion is a little expensive, but I found that a little goes a long way. The bottle comes with quite a large amount, so each should last you around a month or more, depending on how frequently you require a moisturizer (but this is with me using it daily, sometimes even twice a day).

The moisturizer also comes in 3 great formulas, namely Sea Minerals, Shea Butter and Almond Oil. I used the Almond Oil one at first and had a really great experience with it. The scent is pleasant and light. It’s not overpowering, so you get a nice, fresh-smelling perfume effect as well. While I haven’t used the other two just yet, I really can’t wait to try them out – Sea Minerals is next on my list.

Personally, I really love everything about this lotion (other than a few of the ingredients contained within) and would definitely recommend at least trying it out. Especially if you have trouble with moisturizers like I do. However, one thing that I should state now (and it’s important) is that this moisturizer only really works in the shower.

I tried applying some outside of the shower and found it to be too thick. It immediately left that greasy layer on the surface of my skin. So if you plan on buying this, be sure to use it only when showering. Or at least carry some wet wipes around with you to give yourself a wipe down after applying it. 

DIY Shower Body Lotion Recipe

Natural ingredients like essential oils are great for making your own moisturizer.

I love trying out commercial products, but there’s nothing more exciting than crafting your own at home. I personally love experimenting and saving all that cash. And I like comparing my homemade products to store-bought ones, in order to see how close I can get to replicating the effects. 

Crafting a product that is carefully designed to meet your own personal tastes and needs is really rewarding. Not to mention the perk of saving all that money – it adds up over time!

That being said, my personal reason for experimenting with this recipe was simply that I didn’t like some of the products in this moisturizer and figured it was time to try and create my own. While I have made simple DIY moisturizers in the past, I wanted this one to have the same creamy-smooth feeling on my skin after showering. Plus, it had to be in-shower only. Mimicking a revolutionary new product was going to be difficult, right?

Surprisingly enough, getting results that were similar to that of Nivea’s In Shower lotion was a lot easier than I expected it to be. I had to experiment with two different recipes before I got what I was looking for, and I’m so excited to share this discovery with you. But I’d definitely still recommend that you go out and buy the Nivea version, so that you can compare the two. If you’re really sensitive to chemicals, though, it might be better for you to try a DIY, natural version first and see what the results do for you. So, check out this DIY shower body lotion recipe and guide! 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of shea butter
• 2 tablespoons either avocado, jojoba or almond oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops rosemary essential oil
• 3 drops tea tree essential oil

Steps

Follow these easy steps for a natural approach to moisturizing your skin.

First, fill a pot with boiling water and allow it to simmer at a low heat. As you turn the heat on, though, place a heatproof glass or metal bowl on top of the pot. This will create a slow double cooker of sorts.

Now add the shea butter to the bowl and allow it to melt. Stir regularly to ensure that the liquid doesn’t stick or stay clumpy in any way. While stirring the shea butter, add the oil to the mixture as well (i.e. the avocado, jojoba or almond oil). Continue to stir for a short while.

After about 5 minutes of stirring, pour in the essential oils individually while continuing to stir the mixture. This helps the essential oils to really blend in. It gives the finished product a stronger nourishing and hydrating effect for your skin while improving the aromatic quality of the moisturizer.

Once you’ve done this, take the pot off the heat and remove the glass or metal bowl. Then place the bowl in the freezer and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes. The mixture should be solid – but not hard. Once you remove this from the freezer, gently scoop it into a glass or plastic container with a seal-able lid. Be sure to store in a cool, dry place at room temperature, and never store it in the fridge.

Things To Consider With Your DIY Shower Body Lotion

There are two things to consider with your DIY shower body lotion. First of all, it’s really more like a body butter. I adapted the recipe to ensure that it’s extra thick and creamy. So be sure to only use it in the shower. And rinse it off while you’re in the shower or you’ll wind up with greasy skin over the course of the day.

Secondly, it’s loaded with organic ingredients – which can and will go off if you don’t use them in at least a month or two. So be sure to store it carefully. And avoid using the fridge, as this will make the body butter lose its texture. Once a day for a month should be enough to keep you from wasting any product.

However, if you want to, you can also add 4 teaspoons of large sea salt crystals and crush them lightly to the recipe while stirring in the almond, avocado or jojoba oil. This will increase the shelf life of the product for a while longer and add a wonderfully natural exfoliating quality to the moisturizer – a two-for-one special!

Conclusion

With the Nivea In Shower Body lotion, I think I really managed to find that missing ingredient from my everyday skin care routine. And my skin has been grateful for it ever since I started using the product in my morning showers. I feel fresher and more protected over the course of the day. It’s a great feeling, as I don’t have to worry about ashy skin halfway through the day or a breakout in the middle of the week from excessive layering and greasy skin.

However, I would personally recommend trying the DIY recipe I provided as well. It’s cheaper, healthier and (in my opinion) quite similar! So if you’re worried about the high costs of commercial products like this every month, or you find that your skin is too sensitive for the chemical ingredients – be sure to give that a try. Otherwise, I’ve had no problems using the In Shower Lotion and would definitely recommend it to anyone –  I already have to so many of my friends.