Using This Shower Oil Is the Only ‘Adulting’ I’ll Do

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In a year of cringe-worthy additions to our pop-culture vocabulary, “adulting” is by far my least favorite. It speaks to this condescending (and vaguely depressing) idea that life after childhood is just an endless checklist of mundane tasks, like making doctors appointments and keeping up a vigorous flossing schedule.

And yet, the first time I used Neutrogena’s Light Sesame Body Oil, the clearest of declarations came to me: “I am adulting right now and doing a very good job of it.”

Why? Because using this very specific product makes my least favorite part of the day — those few post-shower minutes when you have to stand around shivering and toweling off — more bearable. I’ve never been able to stand the clammy waiting period between getting out of the shower, drying off, and slapping cold lotion all over myself.

More often than not, I’d just skip the second two steps and lie around naked, letting evaporation do its slow work. Now, a more pragmatic version of me applies this oil in the warmth of my still-steamy shower stall without having to dry off first.

It absorbs better than any lotion I’ve used and leaves my skin feeling silky and ever so slightly glistening, like a female celebrity on a talk show. It also smells like a comforting cup of warm, honeyed tea. Once, I had to cut it out of my budget when I was extra broke, and I actually cried at the familiar scent when I finally had the funds to buy it again. To me, it says: I am an adult woman, and I deserve this delightful oil that makes my life warmer, cozier, and a lot shinier.