Nécessaire Review
Nécessaire took the personal care product world by storm a few years ago. Their high-quality skin and hair care products are clean and good for your skin as well as your body as whole. The products also look luxurious thanks to their focus on simple and recyclable packaging. They’re akin to products you’d find on the shelf in a high-end hotel (as I can imagine, since I don’t spend a lot of time in high-end hotels myself ha). And even though they seem like other expensive beauty brands, their price point is still attainable and on par with other favorite brands of mine.
I purchased my first Nécessaire body care products in the 2022 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale after years of being intrigued after reading about the brand on other blogs I follow and have not looked back! Below, I shared my honest review of Nécessaire and the six products I’ve tried and whether I think they are worth the hype or not.
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Nécessaire Review
Nécessaire was founded by Nick Axelrod-Welk and Randi Christensen in 2018, and they launched their first products in 2019. Both founders had prior experience in the beauty industry and leaned into the idea of “less, but better” with a line of edited, “necessary” vegan and cruelty-free body care items. (Read an interview with Randi Christensen in Grazia for more about the history!)
The brand is B Corp Certified, Climate Neutral Certified (meaning they offset their carbon emissions), Plastic Neutral Certified (they offset their plastic footprint), and Vegan Certified. All of their products are made right here in the USA and shipped from two locations to minimize their carbon footprint.
Nécessaire quickly became a favorite of many bloggers I follow and read, which is how I first heard about the brand. Everyone raved about the products they tried, and they intrigued me because of the product presentation. The bottles are simple, clean, and neutral. As far as body care products go, they look luxurious! As I mentioned earlier, this brand looks like one you’d find stocked in a high-end hotel.
I was curious if they really were worth the hype, and a couple of years ago, I purchased my first Nécessaire products in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. They offered a duo of The Body Lotion and The Body Wash, which were two of their most popular products. I was pleasantly surprised by them! I’ve since added The Body Serum to my rotation.
Since I first published this post in June 2024, I’ve tried three more products (and even purchased one for Korri!). I’m hoping to try even more of their products in the future.
Best Nécessaire Products
After reading blog posts about Nécessaire products for years now and finally jumping into the Nécessaire world myself, it really seems like the “best” products are highly subjective, but overall they are beloved by clean beauty enthusiasts. They offer a variety of personal care products ranging from body care to hair care, so there’s something for everyone.
I tried and currently use six of Nécessaire’s most popular products, including The Body Lotion, The Body Wash, and The Body Serum. The Body Essentials set includes all three full-size products in any The Body Wash scent you like! I recently also started using The Body Exfoliator, Rosemary Shampoo, and Rosemary Conditioner, and I purchased The Body Cleanse Bar for Korri (and I may need to try it myself, too!).
Nécessaire The Body Lotion
Shop via Nécessaire, Nordstrom, or Sephora.
Out of the three Nécessaire products I’ve tried so far, I think I like The Body Lotion the best! That might be slightly controversial to say because so many people seem to prefer The Body Wash out of the two products. It’s a firming body lotion that contains 5 Signal Peptides; 2.5% Niacinamide; Vitamins A, C, and E; Omega-6; and Omega-9.
One thing I really love about Nécessaire’s body lotion is that it truly is fragrance-free. I don’t mind fragrances, but I really don’t like fragrance-free products that end up having a weird scent. Do you know what I mean? Lol. This lotion doesn’t have that weird, sort of clinical scent.
I use this lotion before bed on my hands, and I also use it occasionally on my elbows, knees, and feet after the body serum. Basically, I focus on the driest parts of my body. It’s doesn’t have the most luxurious feeling when you apply it (it’s not thick and doesn’t take a while to fully set in), but it does the job. I do not like the twist cap; it’s heavy and I’ve dropped it too many times to count trying to twist it on!
Nécessaire The Body Wash (Eucalyptus and Hinoki)
Shop via Nécessaire, Nordstrom, or Sephora.
The Body Wash, specifically in the eucalyptus scent, is a bit of a cult favorite. (It’s also offered in santal, olibanum/vanille, hinoki, and fragrance-free.) If you want to feel like you’re bathing in a spa, eucalyptus is your scent. (The barre studio Korri and I work out at douses damp washcloths in eucalyptus essential oils to use after class, and it’s a highlight!)
Since I first published this post, I’ve also used The Body Wash in hinoki, and it’s another lovely, spa-worthy scent that will make you feel like you’re bathing in the clearest water of a creek in a beautiful, lush forest (minus all the bugs and other creepy crawlies, of course).
The main ingredients in The Body Wash are Niacinamide; Vitamins A, C, and E, Omega-6; and Omega-9. It is made without parabens, PEGs, silicones, and sulfates. The texture is oil-in-gel, so it soothes and moisturizes dry skin, and it’s gentle enough to use on sensitive skin.
I found The Body Wash to be lovely! I did feel like I had to use more body wash than usual to get a good lather, and the twist cap is a bit tricky to figure out at first. (Twist it clockwise to lock it in place, then twist it counterclockwise to see the hole on top pop open.)
Nécessaire The Body Serum
Shop via Nécessaire, Nordstrom, or Sephora.
The Body Serum is the newest addition to my post-shower lineup. It’s a hydrating serum-in-gel that contains five molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide. Like the body lotion, the serum is fragrance-free and doesn’t have a weird clinical smell.
I’ve been using this serum primarily on my arms, focusing on the KP on the back of my arms, though I read a few reviews and it looks like it works on strawberry legs…so I’m going to try that, too! Since I started using it last year (and since I first published this post), I actually HAVE noticed that it improves my skin’s hydration. I use it (and the lotion) before bed and by morning it’s fully soaked in.
I will say that I think I was expecting this serum to work sort of like an anti-aging serum (turns out that’s The Body Retinol), which is my own fault for not paying attention to the ingredients, lol. I’d like to try that product next to see how they compare. Either way, I’m going to keep using the serum! It has a nice texture and seems to be the perfect base to the body lotion.
Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator
Shop via Nécessaire or Nordstrom.
The Body Exfoliator is one of the most recent products I’ve tried. This product contains a combination of physical (volcanic pumice) and chemical exfoliants (AHA/BHA/PHA) to exfoliate and soften skin. I haven’t used a product with a physical exfoliant in a while, and this one isn’t as harsh as some of the ones we millennial kids used to use as face wash!
I use this product in the shower 1-2 times a week (which is what is recommended). It really does soften skin. I’m not sure that I’ve used it enough to notice improvements in KP or ingrown hairs, but I’m going to keep at it! The one thing I don’t like is the plastic bottle; it gets VERY slippery in water and the cap feels almost impossible to get on.
Nécessaire The Body Cleanse Bar
Shop via Nécessaire. (The Body Exfoliant Bar is available at Nécessaire and Sephora.)
Nécessaire offers two solid soap bars, The Body Cleanse Bar (which used to be called The Body Bar) and The Body Exfoliant Bar. If you have both, the brand suggests using the exfoliant bar first and following up with the cleanse bar. The cleanse bar contains Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide for a gentle body cleanse.
Korri only uses bar soap (not body wash)—and, in typical man fashion, he uses it EVERYWHERE—so I ordered him The Body Cleanse Bar as a Christmas gift last year. It’s a luxurious treat for him! I might need to try it myself since I bought the pack of three.
Nécessaire Rosemary Shampoo
Shop via Nécessaire, Nordstrom, or Sephora.
I’ve had some thinning in my hair, I think mostly related to stress and age, so I ordered the Rosemary Shampoo and Conditioner to see if my hair would like it. The shampoo contains pure rosemary, plant proteins, and essential Ceramides to strengthen hair and prevent hair thinning.
I love the rosemary scent, but I’m not super crazy about the shampoo. It feels like I need a lot of it to clean my hair. (I’ve used way more of the shampoo than the conditioner!) It’s not the most sudsy shampoo; I prefer using sudsy products. I’m also not sure if it’s working in the anti-thinning department. Even though it smells nice, I probably wouldn’t purchase this one again.
Nécessaire Rosemary Conditioner
Shop via Nécessaire, Nordstrom, or Sephora.
Like the shampoo, the Rosemary Conditioner also contains pure rosemary, plant proteins, and essential Ceramides. I’m also not sure that it’s doing anything to help in the anti-thinning department, but I like the texture of the conditioner more than the shampoo (I don’t need as much product!). I actually would probably buy the conditioner again and just use a different shampoo with it. The rosemary scent is so good!
Here are other popular Nécessaire products, including some I’m interested in trying:
The Body Retinol (on my list)
The Neck Serum (on my list)
Is Nécessaire Worth It?
I personally liked the Nécessaire products I tried enough to repurchase them! I was surprised by how much I liked the lotion whereas it seems most people prefer the body wash to the lotion. When it comes to this brand, you really have to try the products for yourself, because it seems to come down to personal preference more than usual.
I will say that I didn’t notice any changes in my skin since using the products. I’m not the best judge of that because, as someone who is decidedly not a beauty blogger, I’m not paying super close attention to that. If I do see a change, it’s because it was really obvious, and I didn’t have any super obvious changes after using these Nécessaire products. My skin feels great!
I’m interested in trying some of the other products, including The Body Retinol, to see how those compare.
Where to Buy Nécessaire Products
Looking to try Nécessaire personal care products? Here’s where you can find their skincare and hair products! I recommend purchasing from a retailer that offers a generous return policy if you’re trying them for the first time.
Nécessaire products are often included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (that’s when I purchased two of mine), and the brand itself runs 20% off sitewide sales twice a year.
Nécessaire (free U.S. shipping if you spend $50+ and free returns)