I have a confession to make. Despite working as a beauty writer, having access to incredible products and constantly waxing lyrical about the importance of moisturising, I… do not. Don’t get me wrong, I take the time to moisturise my face - but my body? There’s just something so tedious about slathering lotion on and waiting around for it to sink into your skin.

So, what’s the solution? Well, I do what any responsible adult would do and avoid it altogether.

At least, that’s what I used to do, until one unsuspecting product landed on my desk and - not to sound dramatic - radically and utterly transformed my life.

Sanctuary Spa’s Wet Skin Moisture Miracle, £8, might look like a shower gel, but nestled inside the packaging is actually an in-shower moisturiser. Yep, a body moisturiser you use in the shower.

The premise is pretty simple. After you’ve showered and turned off the water, apply the body lotion all over while your skin is still wet. After a couple of minutes, gently pat yourself dry and you’re moisturised. At first, I was slightly sceptical as to how this product could solve an issue I had been avoiding for my entire life. But here we are one year later and it remains a staple in my shower.

Even better? There are five versions: the OG Wet Skin Moisture Miracle, White Lily & Damask Rose Wet Skin Moisture Miracle, Ultra Rich Wet Skin Moisture Miracle, Wet Skin Radiance Jelly (watermelon) and Green Lemon & Orange Blossom Wet Skin Moisture Miracle.

Naturally, as the weather has gone from freezing to absolutely arctic, I’ve been hearing more people around me discussing the ways in which the low temperature is making their skin drier than ever. So, I sent an email around the Stylist office, simply titled “Do you find moisturising your body a hassle?”. The response was a resounding “YES” as my inbox filled up with responses from team members.

“Yes! It takes too long and I now do it as a treat on Sundays (sometimes), which explains why under my clothes I’m covered in scales,” wrote one.

“Massive hassle – I always do it because I have super dry skin, but MAN it’s boring,” added another.

So, I asked five members of the Stylist team to give moisturiser a go. Here’s what they had to say…

Susan Riley, Editor

“I. Love. It. Super easy. I have to confess – despite having loads of lovely body oils and creams - I rarely moisturise my body because there just isn’t enough drying time for the products in the week before I put my clothes on. It means that I only do it on special occasions when I’m getting ready to go out somewhere. Which is a massive shame. This is really quick, great texture, nice and thin so spreads evenly and you don’t have to use too much. Converted.”

Amy Davies-Adams, Production Editor

“There were several hurdles I needed to overcome, mentally, to fully embrace Sanctuary Spa’s Wet Skin Moisture Miracle. The first was applying it when soaking wet. How does it work? Why does it not slide off the skin immediately? The second was actually remembering to do this – so often I’d be out of the shower, towel dried and ready to moisturise only to realise I’d missed the ‘peak hydration’ moment. 

“Then there’s the towel drying yourself having just applied moisturiser, which feels counter-intuitive – like any lotion that managed to stick to my wet skin is now being rubbed off onto the towel.

“Despite my doubts though, it must work, because my dry skin feels softer and less parched (at least on my arms – I haven’t seen my legs since October). Plus, it’s super quick to apply and absorb – not greasy at all – and you feel like you’re cheating a stage of your skin routine, in a good way.”

Kayleigh Dray, Digital Editor

“Confession time: I rarely moisturise below the neck, because it’s a major faff. So, when the beauty team told me this miracle product would moisturise the entirety of my severely neglected bod during my morning shower, I leapt at the chance to give it a go.

“I took the watermelon-flavoured version – mainly because I was intrigued to find out what watermelons smell like (old fashioned sweets, if you’re wondering) – and wasn’t disappointed. All you have to do is pat it into your skin while you’re soaking wet, give it a moment to settle, and then dry off as normal. Done.

“I don’t want to throw the phrase ‘life-changing’ around without cause, but… well, but my skin feels so much happier. The only issue is that the bottle is running out quite quickly, as I’ve been pretty liberal with my application (and I’m pretty sure my boyfriend has been stealing a squirt or two, too). Love it. Would buy again.”

Megan Murray, Digital Writer

“Moisturising is one of those things that I know I should do, but I really can’t be bothered. Especially in winter. I have enough trouble dashing from my bedroom to the shower and back again, I’m not standing around with no clothes on any longer than I have to. Which is, I suppose, why an in-shower moisturiser is so useful.

“As soon as you’ve turned off the water, while you’re still basking in the humidity, slather it on as haphazardly as you like. Within a few seconds it’s become tacky on your skin, before eventually soaking in and drying completely within about a minute.

“Be careful not to leap out of the bathroom and start towelling down immediately, though, or you’ll scrub it all off. I would say after about three minutes you’ll be ready to dry off completely and get dressed, smelling sweetly of white lily and damask rose as you do.”

Jenny Tregoning, Deputy Production Editor and Food Editor

“I rarely moisturise my body. Face, yes; that’s a given. But somehow finding time to slather on a body lotion and giving it five minutes to sink in just doesn’t fit into my routine, save for the odd Sunday night self-care. And in fairness, my skin never feels dry, so I figured the benefits were minimal. But the idea of a lotion you apply while still in the shower is intriguing. The texture is very watery – you barely need to squeeze the tube as it practically runs out on its own – and it spreads easily.

“You can apply it all over in less than 30 seconds (win), but I still found it worked best if I wrapped myself in a towel and left it to sink in for a minute or two while I brushed my teeth. It’s speedier to use than regular moisturiser and by the end of the day my skin still felt soft, so it’s obviously doing something.”

Main image: Getty