Fig. 1, which launched last year, did so with the mission of creating science-backed skin care that felt super luxurious without the luxury price tag. The brand’s $34 serums (which rival some of the best pricy formulas on the market) have become staples in the Well+Good beauty team’s routines, and now, Fig. 1 has introduced a body-care line that perfectly aligns with its ethos of giving you more for less. Together, the three new products make caring for the skin below your neck a ritual you’ll genuinely look forward to every day.
“We’ve been excited to introduce body care for a really long time,” says Courtney Rubin, MD, board-certified dermatologist and Fig. 1 co-founder. “I see so many patients in my office who have body-related concerns and they were directly the inspiration for these products. I see about a hundred patients a week and I really try to let what I see myself in the clinic inform the decisions that we make about products and ingredients.”
The body-care line comprises three products that make for a full-fledged routine. “It follows our already existing cleanse, treat, and moisturized parameters,” says Dr. Rubin. “So we have our Exfoliating Body Polish, which you would use in the shower as sort of your cleanse step. Um, the second step treat would be our Retinol Renewal Body Serum. And then the last treat step, moisturize, would be our All Over Oil.” Get them each individually or get the full trio for $88.
The only place where these products differ from the usual Fig. 1 lineup is in their packaging. Fig. 1 uses glass refillable bottles with airless pump inserts for all of its facial care products, but those didn’t work for the size and formulations of its body care. The packaging for these products is a bit more varied, but still 100 percent recyclable. The body scrub comes in a thin plastic pouch and the serum and oil come in aluminum containers.
Learn about each product in the Fig. 1 Body Care line
The Exfoliating Body Polish is hands-down the best body exfoliator I’ve ever used. It’s made with a super-fine exfoliating polish that feels ridiculously good on your skin.
“Over-exfoliation, or exfoliating with the wrong particles, if they’re too rough, can lead to damaging the skin barrier and micro-tears in the skin,” says Dr. Rubin. “So instead of choosing an exfoliating particle that was like a salt scrub or sugar scrub, which are crystals that have really sharp, 90-degree edges, or plastic microbeads or anything that was going to accumulate in the environment once it rinses down the drain, we decided to go with this really finely ground, French volcanic pumice that almost feels like very, very finely ground sand that you would find on a white sand beach.”
Dr. Rubin says this scrub was formulated for everyone to use, but was made specifically with keratosis pilaris in mind. “Keratosis pilaris, so those sort of rough bumpy spots on the backs of the arms and on the legs, those patients have basically a genetic alteration in the way that their skin cells exfoliate,” she says. “So instead of exfoliating normally, they sort of clumped together and stick around hair follicles. Those patients tend to benefit the most from two things: gentle exfoliation and moisturization. So we tried to really get at that with this lineup.”
It’s also the brand’s first product with fragrance. Originally, Dr. Rubin says they didn’t want to add any fragrance so the line was suitable even for those with fragrance allergies or sensitivities. “But when we were thinking about the experience that we wanted people to have in the shower, we really wanted there to be a ritual aspect to it, a real relaxation moment that involved multiple sensorial experiences,” says Dr. Rubin. “So we decided to include fragrance, especially knowing that the risk of contact dermatitis from fragrance in a wash-off product is incredibly low. The skin is not having that much contact with this product before it’s rinsed off.” The fragrance is called Catalyst and is a blend of sandalwood, eucalyptus, blood orange, and mandarin. “It is a very botanical, spa-like fragrance,” says Dr. Rubin. “It’s actually quite sophisticated, which we’re really excited to offer people, especially at this price point.”
The Retinol Renewal Body Serum feels like a lightweight, fast-drying lotion and is packed with skin-loving ingredients to brighten, exfoliate, and firm the skin. “I’m obsessed with the retinol body serum,” says Dr. Rubin. “I tell people that I wanna bathe in it. I have not ever seen anything on the market that has that high quality of formulation, that level of actives.”
It’s got encapsulated retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, and vitamin E.
“We’ve got a lot of antioxidant support. We’ve got an evening of the skin tone from the retinol and the niacinamide,” says Dr. Rubin. “We have collagen support from the retinol and the vitamin C. And the goal here was to create a cocktail of actives that was really going to address, hyperpigmentation and creepy skin, which are the biggest concerns that I see when people come in asking body questions.”
The serum also includes all of the signature Fig. 1 oils—grapeseed, meadowfoam, borage, and evening primrose. “These oils are the bases of the emulsions for all of our other Fig products,” says Dr. Rubin. “We never formulate with mineral oil or silicons or mineral oil derivatives.”
The All Over Oil is incredibly rich and silky. I love to add it to my bath water so my skin is soft and moisturized instead of pruny after a long soak.
“We love to layer this on top of the retinol body serum if we want an extra layer of moisture and to lock in moisture,” says Dr. Rubin. “But we also use this in our hair, on our cuticles, on rough patches. If I am feeling lazy and I don’t wanna rinse my whole face off from the day, I’ll just tap a little oil on and then do my night makeup right on top. I also use this as a last step in my nighttime skin care, almost like slugging light to seal in the moisture without having to use a really thick layer like petrolatum or something.”
It’s got retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, and all those great oils. “It’s just a really beautiful, really high-quality product.”
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