“Tracee Ellis Ross adores this bodycare brand – and I won’t go into winter without it”

With a decadent golden oil, supmtuous balm and a hand cream to beat them all, 79 Lux is changing the game in intentional body care. Eczema and dry skin sufferers, look no further…

Body care can be one of the most overlooked sectors in beauty (along with scalp care), but that’s not exactly the case for certain demographics. Growing up in a West African household, moisturising every section of my body post-shower was almost as essential as brushing my teeth, as well as sloughing off dead skin and grime with a natural loofah or exfoliating net. My choices used to be as simple as what I grew up with: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter in all its forms, whatever aromatherapy body oil I had to hand, and a homemade sugar and coffee scrub. But I’ve come to learn the importance of choosing body products with as much discernment as I use for my skincare and haircare, and it’s largely down to one brand in particular.

I first came across 79 Lux right when the first UK lockdown hit us. After speaking online to its founder, integrative nutrition and beauty expert Karen Cummings-Palmer, I was kindly sent the (at the time) minimal range of a golden body oil and body balm to try. Something about using them was so comforting –yes, a lot of us found solace in extended beauty routines at the time, but this was different. Everything from the sleek, weighty black glass bottles to the sumptuous formulas made me feel like every use was full of intention, and required my full attention. Despite using both quite a lot, it took me most of a year before I ran out, thanks to the formulas that really go the extra mile in just a 10p-sized serving.

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“When it came to creating each product, I wanted to use exceptional ingredients usually reserved for the face,” founder Karen tells me. “From hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to frankincense and copper peptide, and in quantities that count. We use natural and largely organic botanicals and skincare actives in luxurious formulations, housed in black valet biophotonics glass or aluminium to make sure we’re respecting our environment.” 96% of the range is derived from organic ingredients grown in the wild, with precious additions like rose quartz and a touch of shimmering gold.

As an occasional eczema sufferer (which flares up in times of stress and poor sleep), I noticed that the body balm in particular helped to soothe the telltale pink, itchy patches that were starting to flare up during lockdown – surprising, as my eczema usually hates anything that isn’t a plain, unscented pharmacy cream. “My skin below my neck is so dry and sometimes sensitive, and still shows signs of my childhood eczema,” agrees Karen. One of her reasons for creating 79 Lux was her search for a treatment that would help with eczema. She also wanted to make women feel comfortable in their skin once they reach a certain age, and that it’s not too late to nurture it. “So many women are going into their 40s, 50s, and beyond in great shape and with great style, but they feel the need to cover their arms as their mothers also did due to forgetting the skin below their neck,” Karen explains. 

79 Lux has since won multiple beauty awards and carved out its own space on the shelves of retailers like Cult Beauty, Harvey Nichols, Liberty and the Conservatory NYC. Last year, everyone’s favourite auntie, Tracee Ellis Ross, posted on Instagram that she was “in love with 79 Lux,” and our own June Sarpong described the body balm as “the most hydrating body product I have ever used.” Customer reviews claim it’s cured their psoriasis. I’ve flipped pages and scrolled through articles, spotting something from 79 Lux in the midst with rave reviews from fellow beauty editors. 

One thing to note is the price range – between £30 and £70 puts it as a luxury buy, but it’s worth every penny in my opinion. Since the original line-up, two more additions have proved that the brand truly exceeds in every category. I gave the rose and geranium-scented hand cream to my geranium-loving mum, and instantly regretted handing it over once she dabbed some on both our palms. I have yet to try the newest body polish, packed with Himalayan pink salt, squalene and rose, but I’m about to order it in an attempt to ward off the incoming winter blues. 

• 79 Lux Deeply Rejuvenating Firming Golden Body Oil

  Cold-pressed marula, frankincense, rose and helichrysum oils form a sumptuous base of this golden oil, which is far from glittery. I apply it to the ends of my hair too for a head-to-toe lit-from-within glow. 

  Shop 79 Lux Deeply Rejuvenating Firming Golden Body Oil for £70 at Cult Beauty

  buy now

• 79 Lux Ultra Nourishing Body Balm

  Once you try this for the first time, don’t get put off by the tiny hole in the pump applicator – trust me, it’s depositing just the right amount. A few small pumps is enough for your whole body. With shea butter, rose quartz, lactic and hyaluronic acids and zinc, it works to resurface and nourish skin over time. 

  Shop 79 Lux Ultra Nourishing Body Balm for £45 at Liberty

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• 79 Lux Ultra Smoothing Detoxifying Body Polish

  Himalayan pink salt is packed with minerals, and it’s what gives this scrub its soft rose gold hue. Glycolic sugar physically and chemically breaks down dead skin cells, while squalene, jasmine, and grape seed feed new skin. 

  Shop 79 Lux Ultra Smoothing Detoxifying Body Polish for £50 at Harvey Nichols

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• 79 Lux Intensely Restorative Protective Hand Cream

  This is not your average hand cream. Microbial properties make it the perfect partner to hand sanitiser, it contains zinc for sun protection plus it’s deeply hydrating and repairing powers set it apart from everything else I’ve tried. 

  Shop 79 Lux Intensely Restorative Protective Hand Cream for £30 at Cult Beauty

  buy now

Images: courtesy of brand

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