Do you have “chicken skin”? In other words, Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a common skin condition causing small, rough bumps resembling the skin of a chicken. To help you achieve smooth, hydrated, and even toned skin, Topicals’s latest product, the Slather Bar, is finally here.
“With summer here, people are prioritizing total body care and want to feel confident in their skin from head to toe,” Topicals founder Olamide Olowe tells ESSENCE. Building off of what they learned from their award-winning Faded Body Bar, she says the Slather Bar, which was one of the most requested from the Black community, fills the gap for an effective, targeted solution for KP and rough skin textures.
From African net sponges to tattered wash cloths, body care culture for Black women is synonymous with intense exfoliation (followed by moisture slugging). But, while exfoliation is important, “melanin-rich skin tends to be more prone to hyperpigmentation and can be sensitive to harsh treatments,” Olowe says. Instead, “gentle exfoliation is crucial because it removes dead skin cells and improves texture without causing irritation.”
While the Slather Exfoliating Body Serum is rich with chemical exfoliators like retinol and AHAs to target strawberry skin, the Slather Bar adds onto those ingredients with physical exfoliation. “Our approach with biodegradable microbeads and urea provides effective exfoliation while being kind to Black skin, helping prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation,” she says. “This combination exfoliates, moisturizes, and softens all in one easy step.”
Unlike the Teyana Taylor-approved serum, the bar should be applied in circular motions on damp skin, focusing on areas with KP and rough textures like your arms, thighs, and legs, then rinsed off. For even softer skin, you can layer on the serum or a moisturizer and to prevent drying, use a gentle body cleanser on the nights you aren’t using your Slather Bar.
With an ever-expanding range you can cocktail your routine with, Topicals has been all the rage and for good reason. “We’re continuing to innovate in the body care space, focusing on solutions for underserved skin concerns,” Olowe says, developing products catered to Black women’s needs. “Our mission remains making clinically effective skincare accessible and inclusive, always with that same science-backed approach that makes skincare both effective and enjoyable to use.”
Topicals’s new Slather Bar is available now at topicals.com.