It's not often that one brand comes in and changes your entire routine, but Cyklar has done that for me. The body care label has been on my radar since its very first launch and now takes up precious real estate across my weekly in-shower and scent routine. So, what's a girl to do besides put every product in the range to the test?
For the unfamiliar, Cyklar is the skincare brand founded by content creator Claudia Sulewski in 2023. In the few years since it hit the scene, its selection has expanded from affordable yet luxurious body washes and lotions to include a wide range of bodycare heroes. There are perfume oils, body oils, in-shower body balms that promise hydration that lasts long after you towel off, and a range of exfoliating picks that will buff away dry winter skin. Each comes in a range of scents that somehow master the art of perfuming your entire bathroom without lingering long enough to cause a headache.
I don't want to spoil the fun, but here's a hint about what's to come: the range is great. Keep scrolling to read my reviews (with some help from fellow Cyklar obsessee and associate commerce editor Brooke Knappenberger). Your bodycare routine is about to get a major upgrade.
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I was never really a body lotion person (I hate feeling sticky right out of the shower, sue me), but that changed after I tried this version from Cyklar. The formula, which is enriched with niacinimide, sinks in quickly while locking in moisture. The scent isn't overpowering at all; instead, it lingers in the air and on the skin. But don't worry—the second-skin nature of Sacred Santal's blend of vanilla, wood, and bergamot won't compete with your go-to perfume.
Knappenberger has been obsessed with this in-shower body balm since it launched. "I’m incredibly lazy when it comes to a bodycare routine, so it’s safe to say this in-shower balm changed the game for me," she says. "You don’t even have to step out of the shower or dry yourself off to use it—you apply it directly to wet skin, rub it in a little, then towel dry like normal. Like magic, skin is left feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated."
Another one of Knappenberger's top Cyklar picks? This body oil. "I’m not typically a body oil fan, but it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that Cyklar was the brand to convert me into one," she says. Cyklar’s formula is silky smooth and absorbs quickly without leaving any dreaded stickiness or tackiness behind. What’s more, the warm, comforting scent lingers for hours after I apply it—I’ve even been complimented on my perfume before, when all I was wearing was this body oil.
Marie Claire's shopping team owns probably close to 200 perfumes, but I come back to this perfume oil from Cyklar. The tiny bottle makes it a travel beauty staple, and the transfer-proof and lightweight formula makes it a godsend for someone as mess-prone as myself. My three favorites are Sacred Santal and Cedar Supreme, plus one of the newly-launched scents, Core Vetiver. I mix the first two together on most days, and the latter is the clean-feeling scent I've been wearing over the last few days.
I don't want to out my husband here, but he keeps asking me about when I can get more of this body wash—that's how good it is. I own it in two scents—Sacred Santal Vanilla Verve—and I go back and forth about which is my favorite. Both are formulated with the most luscious lather and a texture that feels almost oily (in a good way!). It doesn't leave me feeling dry or stripped, either, so it's my go-to for winter.
This body spray takes the hard work out of exfoliating, often my least-favorite part of my bodycare routine. All you have to do is spray it all over your body—that's it! It's formulated with 10 percent glycolic acid (a powerful exfoliator) and glycerin, which holds moisture in the skin.
If you do want a traditional body scrub, Cyklar has you covered. This one picks lactic acid to do the heavy lifting, which is a little gentler than glycolic but just as powerful. I struggle with discoloration and uneven tone, so this has been a godsend.
Let it be known that I love a milky essence or toner on my face, so I fully expected to love it on my body, too—and I was right. This is my solution to the issue of needing moisture but not wanting to apply a ton of heavy cream. I'm tucking it away for the rest of the winter, but this will be a favorite come springtime.
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