Besides my skincare, there isn’t much about my beauty routine that I’m diligent with. I rarely have my nails done, always skip my brow appointments and am proud of myself if I visit the hairdressers for a trim even twice a year. Yet there’s one beauty habit that I rarely skip, and that’s applying body cream. In the winter months I’m militant about it, slathering on rich body butters and luxurious body oils to rescue my dry legs once they’re released from beneath thick tights and woolly socks at the end of the day. During summer, however, it definitely feels like more of a chore. When the air is thick with humidity, the last thing I want to do when I climb out of the shower is to apply another layer to my already warm skin.

This year, though, I’ve been reminded that it’s almost more crucial to look after summer skin. After weeks of heatwaves, long afternoons spent outdoors, the odd brush with too much sun (despite rigorous sunscreen application) and more mosquito bites than I’d care to count, my skin has been feeling decidedly more reactive than radiant. Even something as simple as sitting on dry grass with the kids or spending a few hours in the garden can leave it feeling itchy, sensitive and in need of a little extra care.

Which is where soothing body creams come into their own. Rather than simply replenishing moisture, the best formulas are designed to calm stressed skin with ingredients like cooling aloe vera, comforting oat and hyaluronic acid to replenish moisture. The result is skin that feels softer, calmer and far more comfortable, without the heaviness that can put you off reaching for body cream in the first place.