Necessaire The Body Lotion: Pretty, Pricey, Slightly Cheesy
A lightweight, fast-absorbing body lotion with actives — lovely texture, but the retinol version has a nose issue and the price stings.
What real owners actually say
The user chatter around Necessaire's body products is less about the lotion specifically and more about the brand's body retinol — and the talk is spicy. One user flat-out warns that the retinol version 'smells like cheese' and rarely reaches for it because the scent is so off-putting, though it apparently dissipates once dry. Another user celebrated being talked out of a purchase, saying 'You saved me $60,' which tells you the price point is a real consideration for people. There's a meaningful thread about whether the retinol concentration is adequate — one user notes it contains 'a very low percentage of retinol and a high AHA concentration,' questioning whether using AHA daily is excessive and pointing out that AHAs and retinol supposedly work at different pH levels. On the positive side, some users vouch for the brand's ingredient quality and price-to-performance ratio for what's in the bottle, with one person noting 'the ingredients are good and the price is good.' Someone with formulation knowledge pointed out that the product leans heavily on oils and plant extracts — which are emollient but not particularly occlusive — meaning it 'may not be enough as a body lotion or facial lotion alone' and you might need a cream layered on top. There's also general consensus that using facial retinol on the body works but gets expensive fast, which is exactly the gap Necessaire is trying to fill.
What Glow loved
- Lightweight texture absorbs quickly with no sticky or heavy residue
- Truly fragrance-free option has no chemical off-smell
- Scented versions (peptide, fig leaf) are genuinely beautiful and luxurious
- Contains real actives — 0.1% retinol, AHA, peptides, glycerin
- Works well as a multi-use product including hand cream
What Glow didn't
- Retinol variant reportedly smells like cheese before it dries
- Oil-heavy formula may not be moisturizing enough alone for very dry skin
- Price point gives buyers pause — $20+ for body lotion feels steep to many
- Fragrance versions can be overpowering for sensitive users
- Low retinol concentration with high AHA raises questions about daily-use formulation logic
The YouTube reviewers who actually tried it
The YouTube reviewers paint a fairly consistent picture. WTI's reviewer loved the lightweight texture, saying it absorbs quickly and is truly fragrance-free — no weird chemical smell, which they appreciated after trying other 'fragrance-free' products that weren't. SimplyShaughnessy reviewed the full Body Ritual kit and positioned it as a self-care experience rather than just functional skincare. Shop with Theresa has been using the peptide body lotion since December and still loves it months later, keeping it on her nightstand as a go-to hand cream; she raved about the sandalwood/woodsy scent calling it 'a cabin kind of feeling' and noted it's not sticky and very hydrating. Amanda Rose reviewed the fragrance version (warm vanilla fig leaf) and while she found it beautifully scented, she cautioned it's quite strong and actually mixes it with an unscented lotion to tone it down. Jenn, who bought the retinol body serum and lotion for wrinkles on elbows and knees, confirmed it contains 0.1% retinol with AHA, peptides, vitamins, and glycerin, and reported no sticky residue. KeikoBeauty openly admitted skepticism about spending $20+ on body wash and products, falling for the hype before becoming a brand ambassador — a journey many viewers relate to. Meanwhile, dermatologists Dr. Dray and Dr. Jenny Liu strongly advocate for body retinol in general, noting the skin below the neck ages just as fast and deserves the same active-ingredient attention.
The caveats nobody puts on the bottle
When user voice and video reviewers contradict each other, that's usually where the truth lives. Here's the disagreement.
- USER comment warns the retinol version 'smells like cheese,' while VIDEO reviewers (Shop with Theresa) praise the scented versions as luxurious and beautiful — the fragrance experience varies wildly by variant.
- VIDEO reviewers call it hydrating and non-sticky, but one USER with formulation knowledge says the oil-heavy, non-occlusive formula 'may not be enough as a body lotion alone' and may need a cream over it.
- USER comment questions the formulation logic of combining low retinol with high AHA for daily use, while VIDEO dermatologists endorse body retinol broadly without addressing this specific pH/concentration tension.
- Multiple VIDEO reviewers mention the $20+ price point as a hurdle (KeikoBeauty explicitly questioned spending that much), and one USER celebrated avoiding a $60 purchase — price is a recurring friction point across layers.
- BRAND claims data is entirely absent, so there's no way to cross-reference marketing promises against the mixed user and reviewer experiences — the product is being judged purely on word of mouth.
The 9 videos that informed this verdict
Top YouTube reviews ranked by views. Tap a card to watch on YouTube — no autoplay, no creep tracking, no “you might also like.”