Have you ever looked at Rihanna’s skin and thought—how does her body look as good as her face? Like most of the time on regular people you can tell the difference between face-skin and, say arm-skin. But Rihanna has this gorgeous skin all over her body that looks as creamy and smooth as her face-skin. “How?!” I wonder, mournfully.

But then I look at my bathroom cache and there are literal pounds of ointments and lotions and oils strictly devoted to my face—altogether too much for one face to absorb. Aside from my tub of Vanicream (which really only gets used on my legs post-shave), there are almost no products devoted to beautifying my body. Sure, I’ve got agents to scrub with, but only in a purely efficient capacity. A vast expanse of skin gets totally neglected.

I mean, especially when I think of certain areas. Some only receive punishment, never affection. Elbows. The only time I can recall touching my elbows was to pretend I was stretching in a yoga class, or for a vigorous and punitive scratching. Like, not the kind of investigative scratching where you look at the itching area and feel it for some kind of bite or wart or some source of this feeling. Not the caring or therapeutic kind of scratching you might enact on your scalp or neck. No. I’m talking about that dermal-plunging scrape of your nails against this dry, bumpy elbow-skin that’s automatic, rough, and a little sadistic—you don’t examine the area; you feel an itch and scrape away the entire epidermis. This is how I treat my body. This from a person who will do the effleurage technique while washing her face. Let’s face it—the body is a wasteland of neglect; the face this oasis of attention. Your face is Vegas and your body’s the entire Mojave.

You may think that the Clarisonic is just another relic in my facially-devoted shrine. Or you may have read that I've moved on—I have, in a sense. But instead of completely shelving it, I've relegated it downward, for the body. Snap on a new set of bristles and that face brush you once loved is now the Clarisonic Body Brush.

I’m trying especially to take better care of my neck and décolletage these days. At least trying to give half the attention I give my face, because most of the time it’s just as visible (what can I say? I love a deep-v). The Body Brush is really a storm-force, so often I’ll just use the Normal Head (for face) on my neck and clavicle. The Body Brush I use everywhere else. You could try the professional scrub technique if you've got the necessary scrub—the fun part of the Clarisonic is that it turns any body wash into a scrub. Now, you have to have the patience to actually move over all that vast flyover country of skin. I know—you're used to a few quick swipes up and down the arm with a loofah and it’s over. Nah. This isn’t like that. This goes everywhere, but it can’t really be rushed. It’s so worth it—everything it touches turns to beautiful, soft Rihanna skin. Those alligator elbows I’ve neglected for years. The armpits! You guys—use the Clarisonic on your armpits and you will start raising your arms when a camera comes out. They’re milky and usually I don’t like edible metaphors. Like, creamy. If you’ve got bumps, discolorations, and generally razor-mauled skin that looks permanently jaundiced, consider the body brush. It will sandblast-off everything but the hair. My armpits, personally, have never looked better.

I’ve buffed my soaped-up nails with the Body Brush, as well as my toes. No better way to start off a home mani/pedicure. I’ve done that reachable high part of the back that can get kind of oily, especially if you switch conditioner. And, yes, it helps eradicate those body-blemishes: neckne, backne, all those unfortunate portmanteaus.

And, the real kicker: it improves an ass as much as a set of deep squats. After a few Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj videos, I couldn’t help but realize my butt wasn’t so photogenic. Run over it with a Clarisonic, and the whole thing feels tauter, smoother, and generally more video-worthy.

So consider the body. Sort of like the old mangy cat at the adoption agency, it can be overlooked. But the body needs love too. If you’ve got a Clarisonic, consider the body brush. I know somewhere Rihanna’s using hers as we speak. Maybe.

—Trace Barnhill

Photographed by Tom Newton.