The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Hydrating Body Wash
Body Care Cult Favorite
Pros & cons.
- +Glycerin-first formula at 50% concentration provides genuinely superior hydration for a rinse-off product
- +Four complementary plant oils deposit a conditioning film that persists after rinsing
- +Sulfate-free surfactant system cleanses effectively without stripping the skin barrier
- +Excellent value at under $17 for a bottle that lasts 3-4 months of daily use
- +Cruelty-free certified by both Leaping Bunny and PETA with vegan formulation
- +Versatile enough to double as a smooth, effective shaving medium
- +Silicone-free and paraben-free without compromising on texture or performance
- −Botanical fragrance extracts including clove may irritate very sensitive or reactive skin
- −Minimal lather can feel unfamiliar and underwhelming to traditional body wash users
- −No active treatment ingredients for body acne, KP, or other skin conditions
- −Scent is polarizing — a minority of users detect unexpected salty or savory notes
- −Pump dispenser sold separately, requiring an additional purchase for convenient use
- −Some recent reviews raise concerns about possible formula thinning post-acquisition
The full review.
Most body washes follow a predictable script: water first, surfactants second, a tokenistic splash of glycerin or aloe somewhere down the ingredient list, and a prayer that the consumer won’t notice their skin feels like parchment by the time they towel off. Naturium’s Glow Getter tears up that script. Glycerin sits at position one on the INCI list — before water — at a claimed fifty percent concentration. That is not a marketing flourish. It is a fundamentally different approach to what a body wash can be, and it’s the reason this product crossed one million bottles sold in under three years and became the brand’s top-performing SKU at Target.
The formula reads more like a body oil that happens to cleanse than a cleanser that happens to moisturize. Behind the glycerin sits a quartet of plant oils — sea buckthorn, rosehip, jojoba, and squalane — each contributing different fatty acid profiles. Sea buckthorn brings omega-7 palmitoleic acid, a relatively uncommon fatty acid with documented anti-inflammatory properties. Rosehip provides linoleic acid for barrier support. Jojoba mimics human sebum with its unique liquid wax ester structure. And squalane, a hydrogenated form of the squalene our skin already produces, rounds out the blend as a lightweight occlusive. The surfactant system is deliberately minimal: cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate, both gentle amphoterics that cleanse without the stripping harshness of sulfates.
In the shower, the texture is immediately distinctive. The product dispenses as a slick, almost oily liquid that bears little resemblance to the sudsy gels most people expect from a body wash. Add water, and it transforms into a thin milky emulsion — not a rich foam, not a dense lather, but something altogether more subtle. Your hands glide over skin with almost zero friction. Several users have discovered that this makes it an unexpectedly good shaving medium, and they’re not wrong — the slip is remarkable.
The scent is where opinions diverge. Naturium uses botanical extracts rather than synthetic fragrance — vanilla, coconut, gardenia, clove, apricot, and peach — and most noses register a soft, warm vanilla-coconut profile. But a persistent minority of reviewers detect something they describe as buttered popcorn, salt, or a vaguely savory note. It is the kind of scent where expectations shape perception: if you’re anticipating tropical sweetness, the slightly earthy undertones from the clove and sea buckthorn can read as strange. Those expecting a subtle, barely-there wash scent tend to be perfectly happy.
Rinsing off reveals the payoff. Skin feels genuinely conditioned — not coated or greasy, but noticeably softer and smoother than it did before you stepped in. There’s a subtle luminosity that’s hard to describe without sounding like marketing copy, but it’s real. In warmer months or on normal-to-dry skin, many users find they can skip the post-shower moisturizer entirely. In winter or on very dry skin, you’ll still want to follow up with a body cream, but you’ll need less of it, and it’ll absorb faster into the pre-conditioned skin.
The honest limitations are worth addressing directly. This is not a treatment product. If you’re dealing with keratosis pilaris, body acne, or any condition that requires active ingredients like salicylic acid or urea, the Glow Getter is not your answer. The botanical fragrance extracts, while derived from natural sources, are still potential sensitizers — clove extract in particular can be irritating for very reactive skin. And the low-foam experience, while a feature for those who understand it, continues to confuse consumers who equate bubbles with cleanliness.
There’s also the elephant in the room: some recent reviews suggest the formula may have changed since e.l.f. Beauty’s 2023 acquisition. Reports of a thinner consistency have surfaced, though it’s difficult to confirm whether this represents an actual reformulation or batch variation. It’s worth monitoring, because the glycerin-first approach is this product’s entire identity — dilute that, and you dilute the reason people buy it.
At sixteen ninety-nine for half a liter, the value proposition is strong. The concentrated formula means you genuinely use less per wash than a conventional body wash, stretching each bottle to three or four months of daily use. That puts the effective cost per wash at pennies, which is impressive for a product that delivers this level of skin conditioning. The mini size at around seven to eight dollars offers a low-risk way to test the scent and texture before committing.
Naturium built its reputation on ingredient transparency and accessible pricing, and the Glow Getter body wash is perhaps the purest expression of that philosophy. It asks a simple question — what if we made the moisturizing ingredient the main ingredient, instead of an afterthought? — and delivers a convincing answer. Not every body wash needs to be this, but for dry, dehydrated, or winter-battered skin, it’s a quietly revolutionary daily luxury.
Ingredient analysis.
Full INCI list
Glycerin, Aqua, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rose Hips) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Maltodextrin, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Skin match.
The science.
The Science
The main claim in this formula — glycerin listed before water at 50% concentration — needs scrutiny, especially since this is a rinse-off product with limited skin contact time. A review by Fluhr et al. in the British Journal of Dermatology (2008) shows that glycerol improves stratum corneum hydration in several ways: it acts as a humectant that draws water from the dermis and environment, it modulates aquaporin-3 channels in keratinocytes, and it improves desmosome degradation for smoother desquamation. Most published studies examine glycerin at 5-20% in leave-on formulations. Whether a 50% glycerin wash-off product delivers similar benefits depends on deposition — how much glycerin stays on the skin surface after rinsing.
The supporting oil blend is scientifically interesting. Sea buckthorn oil contains high levels of palmitoleic acid (omega-7), a fatty acid that makes up roughly 30-40% of the seed oil. Zielinska and Nowak in Lipids in Health and Disease (2017) detailed the anti-inflammatory and skin-regenerative properties of sea buckthorn oil, noting it promotes wound healing and reduces transepidermal water loss. Rosehip oil provides linoleic acid, a fatty acid often lacking in compromised skin barriers — Lin et al. in Planta Medica (2018) showed that rosehip oil promoted wound healing by modulating macrophage phenotype, accelerating the shift from inflammatory to reparative states.
The gentle surfactant system — cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate — minimizes barrier disruption. Both are amphoteric surfactants with much lower irritation potential than sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. Using no anionic surfactants means less lipid stripping during washing, which should preserve more of the deposited glycerin and oil film. The sorbitan oleate decylglucoside crosspolymer works as a mild emulsifier to distribute the oils evenly without needing aggressive surfactant concentrations.
References
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions — British Journal of Dermatology (2008)
- Abundance of active ingredients in sea-buckthorn oil — Lipids in Health and Disease (2017)
- Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils — International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018)
Dermatologist Perspective
Dermatologists recognize glycerin as a highly effective and well-tolerated humectant. A body wash with glycerin as the primary ingredient is an interesting way to maintain hydration during cleansing. Board-certified dermatologists often tell patients with dry skin and eczema to swap sulfate-based body washes for gentler options; this formula's amphoteric surfactant system follows that advice. The multiple plant oils add emollient benefits. However, dermatologists would note that the botanical fragrance extracts — especially clove — increase sensitization risk in an otherwise gentle formulation. For patients with atopic dermatitis or contact dermatitis, a fragrance-free body wash is the safer recommendation.
Where it fits in your routine.
Dispense a small amount onto hands or a washcloth; you use less than expected. Apply to wet skin and massage gently; the oil turns into a light milky lather with water. Rinse thoroughly. For maximum hydration, apply body moisturizer or oil to damp skin immediately after toweling off. The exceptional slip also makes it a shaving medium. Store upright; the gel consistency flows easily from the bottle.
At $16.99 for 16.9 fl oz, this body wash is affordable prestige—costing more than drugstore options but less than luxury body care. The value changes with the concentrated formula: most users use less product per wash than with a conventional body wash, making one bottle last three to four months of daily use. A mini size at roughly $7-8 allows for a low-commitment trial. The 50% glycerin concentration and four-oil blend justify the price premium over basic body washes. For users who use less body moisturizer, the net savings can make this cheaper than a basic body wash plus lotion routine.
This works for dry, dehydrated, or eczema-prone skin that feels tight and stripped after showering. It also simplifies body care routines; on lighter days, this replaces both your body wash and your body lotion in one step.
Those who need a treatment body wash for acne, KP, or fungal concerns — this contains no active treatment ingredients. Also skip if you're sensitive to botanical fragrance extracts or if you strongly prefer a rich, foamy lather from your body wash.
Product details.
Lightweight gel-oil glides over skin with high slip and turns into a gentle, milky lather when it hits water. It does not create a heavy foam, but produces soft, non-stripping bubbles.
Botanical extracts like vanilla, coconut, gardenia, clove, apricot, and peach create a subtle vanilla-coconut scent. Most users find the scent light and clean, but a minority detect salty or nutty undertones.
500 mL squeeze bottle uses Naturium's signature minimalist aesthetic. A pump dispenser is an available add-on. The label design is clean white and neutral-toned.
The product dispenses like an oil instead of a traditional body wash, then turns into a thin milky lather with water. Skin feels softer and shows a noticeable glow immediately after rinsing. No adjustment period is needed. Users used to rich foam may think the product isn't cleansing effectively at first, but that sensation fades within a few uses.
Use daily for full-body application for 3-4 months. The concentrated formula uses less product per wash than traditional body washes.
12 months
All Year
The backstory.
Naturium's Glow Getter body wash became the brand's top-selling SKU at Target and crossed one million bottles sold in under three years. It was part of Naturium's push into body care with the same ingredient-transparency philosophy that built its facial skincare line, and it helped demonstrate the market demand that led to e.l.f. Beauty's $355 million acquisition of the brand in 2023.
About Naturium
Emerging Brand (2–5 years)Naturium launched in 2019, with co-founder Susan Yara joining in 2020. e.l.f. Beauty acquired the brand in 2023 for $355 million. Dermatologists test the products. Leaping Bunny and PETA certify them as cruelty-free, but independent clinical validation of specific formulations is limited.
Common myths.
Body wash cannot hydrate skin because it rinses off too fast.
Rinse-off products have less contact time than leave-on moisturizers, but the 50% glycerin concentration in this formula deposits a hydrating film that stays on skin after rinsing. Multiple studies show glycerin-rich wash-off products measurably improve stratum corneum hydration.
If a body wash doesn't foam, it isn't cleaning properly.
Surfactants produce foam, but foam level does not dictate cleansing efficacy. This body wash uses cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate at lower concentrations to prevent stripping skin oils. The gentle lather removes dirt and sweat without disrupting the lipid barrier.
What the community says.
"Exceptional hydration that makes skin feel soft and nourished, not stripped"
"Luxurious oil-to-lather texture feels far more expensive than the price"
"Works well for eczema-prone and chronically dry skin"
"Doubles as a smooth, effective shaving gel"
"A little product goes a long way — bottle lasts months"
"Leaves a healthy, subtle glow without greasy residue"
"Scent can be polarizing — some detect odd buttered popcorn or salty notes"
"Recent reviews suggest formula may have been reformulated or diluted"
"Can leave shower floor noticeably slippery"
"Minimal lather may disappoint those expecting traditional foam"
"No active treatment ingredients for conditions like KP or body acne"