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Body lotion benefits your legs, knees, arms, butt, and torso in much the same way that a daily moisturizer benefits the skin on your face. According to dermatologist Dr. Heidi Waldorf, an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine, “It keeps skin smooth and supple, and maintains a healthy skin barrier.” Contrary to popular belief, applying lotion is more about protecting your skin against dryness than treating it. “A lot of people think moisturizers bring moisture into the skin, but their main function is actually to prevent water loss,” explains Doctorly’s Dr. Muneeb Shah. Keeping your skin hydrated in this way is also essential to maintaining youthful-looking skin and protecting against signs of aging. “Think about your favorite leather shoes — if you leave them in the sun or elements and never treat them with leather conditioner, they will begin to crack and look much older,” says Karen Fernandez, lead aesthetician at SkinSpirit spas. “But when treated properly, your leather can look healthy, soft and ‘younger’ for much longer. Skin is very similar, so using body lotion really helps preserve our youthful skin.”
Much like the serums, creams, and moisturizers you use on your face, body lotions come in a wide variety of formulations meant to target specific issues like dryness, loss of elasticity, acne, eczema, and keratosis pilaris. With that in mind, we asked 14 dermatologists and skin-care experts for their body-lotion recommendations for a variety of skin types. No matter your skin concern, though, dermatologist Dr. Hadley King says, “For all skin types, moisturizers ideally contain three components: humectants, emollients, and occlusives.” Humectants (like hyaluronic acid and glycerin) retain water to hydrate the skin, emollients (like squalane and ceramides) improve skin texture and appearance, and occlusives (like oils and waxes) seal in the moisture. The good news is that, according to Shah, drugstore brands will do the trick: “I exclusively use stuff that’s pretty inexpensive.” Below, are 18 lotions packed with these ingredients that will help you get your skin as close to baby smooth as possible. Most are relatively affordable, but our experts also recommended some higher-end options that will make your daily routine feel a little more luxurious.
On that note, remember it’s ideal to apply body lotion when wet — i.e., when you’re hanging out in your towel — to better seal in the moisture. “The best time is as soon as you get out of the shower, while skin is still damp and best able to absorb your moisturizer,” says Shah. “That’s when you’re going to lose the most water to the environment: within three minutes of getting out of the shower.”
To combat even the most extreme cases of dry skin, like eczema, experts tell us you should seek out formulations rich in ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Melanie Palm — the medical director at Art of Skin MD — explains that ceramides (or, cholesterol-derived fat) help seal the skin barrier to keep in moisture, while hyaluronic acid is known to carry 1,000 times its weight in water, so your skin stays extra hydrated. Seven of our experts pointed us to this CeraVe lotion, which contains both. It’s fragrance-free so it’s well-suited for sensitive skin types, and it doesn’t feel sticky or heavy on skin. As cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Michele Green sums it up: “CeraVe is the best overall body lotion. It is safe for all skin types and packed with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and humectants to keep the most sensitive skin hydrated.”
For a less expensive option, dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp likes Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, which is hydrating and lightweight. Like other Aveeno products, it contains soothing oat along with glycerin and petrolatum, the same stuff that’s in Vaseline. I’ve been using this lotion for the past few weeks and it’s quickly become my daily go-to. It’s especially nice in the humid summer months, when heavier, thicker formulas can feel a little too rich for my very dry skin. It’s also fragrance-free and noncomedogenic, so it should be well tolerated by most people, including sensitive-skin types.
Dermatologist Dr. Karan Lal says his patients love Naturium Bio-Lipid Restoring Moisturizer, which I’ve previously said is the best lotion for dry skin. “It’s affordable and has a rich, luxurious texture,” he says. It’s packed with moisturizing ingredients like shea moisture and glycerin, and enriched with fatty acids that help to seal in moisture. What I like about this one is that it locks in moisture for hours on end, and despite the ultrarich feel, it isn’t greasy at all. I’m someone with generally dry skin, and I am always shocked by its staying power. Another benefit: It’s fragrance-free, making it a safe option for anyone sensitive to scent.
For ease of application, Shah recommends this spray-on lotion from Aquaphor, which will help you moisturize hard-to-reach areas like the middle of your back. “It’s a pretty unique method of delivery and pretty nice to apply to the skin as well,” he says. Hypoallergenic and free of any irritating fragrances, the spray is intensive and designed to especially help dry and rough skin. For those who find themselves in need of even more relief, Shah recommends using this spray as part of a multistep moisturizing routine: “You could use a cream-based lotion like CeraVe and follow it with an ointment spray like this for double the effect.”
When it comes to dry skin, “lotions” actually aren’t recommended because they’re usually not thick enough to cure your cracked, flaky skin. Instead, “look more for creams and ointments,” recommends Shah. This CeraVe cream — which is much thicker than the lotion we mentioned above — came recommended to us by five dermatologists when we asked them about the best body lotions for dry skin. Because it’s fragrance-free and chock-full of hydrating ingredients, like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, it’ll work for even the most sensitive of skin. As Dr. Sapna Palep, founder of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City, puts it, “It’s just a good staple; what’s not to love?” If you have dry and acne-prone skin, this is a good option for you as well. King explains, “It’s noncomedogenic so it won’t clog pores and contribute to acne, and its skin-barrier-nourishing ingredients help to protect the skin from the potentially irritating effects of anti-acne medications.”
“People with eczema have very allergenic skin, so they tend to react to a lot of ingredients,” explains Shah. “They should avoid fragrances, and instead of using lotions and gels, go for more creams and ointments.” He adds that people with eczema have “abnormally low ceramide levels,” so they should look for moisturizers that contain ceramides for a bit of a boost. Dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, pointed us to this Aveeno tub that relies on a combination of ceramide and colloidal oatmeal for curbing eczema-related itchiness, but it’ll also work for people who are itchy from regular old dry skin. Aveeno reviewers say this soothing balm is a godsend, with one noting that it got her off “steroid-based sprays and creams,” and another praising the fact that “this doesn’t leave a slime trail in my husband’s wake. Plus he’s not waking me up multiple times during the night scratching his feet and hands. This balm kept me from a divorce.” And if in, say, the summer months, you don’t need something quite as heavy-duty, then try the cream version instead, which came recommended to us by three different dermatologists for eczema.
Dermatological nurse and celebrity aesthetician Natalie Aguilar says she’s always suffered from eczema, which is why she loves Avéne’s Lipid-Replenishing cream. “It nourishes, soothes, and calms dry, itchy skin prone to atopic dermatitis and eczema,” she says. “It rebalances our microbiome while supporting skin’s defense system for a healthy skin. It’s also safe and amazing for the entire family, whether they have eczema or not.”
Sometimes intensely dry skin can cause inflammation, which, for obvious reasons, can be very uncomfortable. To soothe any irritation, three dermatologists recommend this EltaMD cream. “It has dimethicone, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, but it also has squalane oil and mango-seed butter as well as niacinamide — all of which focus on inflammation,” explains Dr. Melissa K. Levin, the founder of Entière Dermatology. While it’s a bit pricey, she says it’s completely worth it.
And because you want your body lotion to be hydrating but not exacerbate any body acne, two experts — Jaliman and Waldorf — recommend CeraVe’s SA lotion because it contains salicylic acid, an exfoliant that’s been clinically proven to help with acne. It’s also fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and noncomedogenic, which means that it won’t irritate the skin and is specifically formulated not to clog pores. Some reviewers say they’ve seen noticeable improvements and smoother skin in just a few days.
For conditions like keratosis pilaris — which consist of “plugs” of cells in hair follicles, often on the upper arms and thighs — exfoliation is key. Fromowitz says you should look for creams that include exfoliants like lactic, salicylic, or glycolic acid, and prescription-grade products for more severe cases. This AmLactin lotion that Waldorf suggests contains lactic acid (which you might recognize if you’re a Sunday Riley fan). Incidentally, the Eucerin on this list also contains lactic as well as glycolic acid, so you could start there and try this if you want something stronger.
This is the body lotion sidekick to the body scrub derms recommended in our keratosis pilaris story. Similar to the above lotions, this one contains acids (like lactic acid and AHAs) to help exfoliate and smooth the skin, but it’s free from salicylic acid if your skin is sensitive to that ingredient. Additionally, it’s packed with colloidal oatmeal and ceramides, which King says support the skin barrier.
Many people have year-round sensitivities to certain ingredients. But in the winter months, blasting radiators and hot showers can sap the moisture out of anybody’s skin, making it more sensitive and extra thirsty. Green, King, and Engelman recommend this Cetaphil lotion for irritated and sensitive skin, which can manifest as redness, breakouts, and hives. It has sweet almond oil in it, which is “an emollient that softens and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may help to rejuvenate damaged skin,” says King. It also contains ceramides and essential fatty acids, which Green says “create a barrier that protects skin from environmental stressors, while replenishing lost moisture.” Engelman likes that it’s a gentle, fragrance-free, and noncomedogenic moisturizer from a brand with a great reputation. As the seasons change, you might want to swap your lightweight body lotion for this richer, more nourishing formula.
Also for sensitive skin, Vanicream came recommended by Downes, Engelman, and Dr. Morgan Rabach, dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical. Downes told us that she recommends Vanicream because it’s hypoallergenic for those with sensitivities to fragrances and preservatives. “It’s also inexpensive,” says Downes, who stocks it in her office because she recommends it to patients so often. Rabach calls it “truly an amazing product,” saying that “it’s extremely thick and moisturizing, and one of the best creams for people with very sensitive skin or eczema because its formulation is free of dyes, lanolin, fragrance, parabens, and formaldehyde.”
If you want something lightweight but deeply hydrating, this gel-cream from Neutrogena’s popular Hydroboost line is a nice option. Shah specifically recommends the brand’s fragrance-free version, as does celebrity aesthetician Kristin Gunn, the owner of Halcyon Skincare and Beaux Medspa. Because it’s a gel-cream rather than an ointment, Shah describes Hydro Boost as a “really good option” for those who don’t suffer from particularly dry skin but still want to stay moisturized on a daily basis. In general, he adds, fragrance-free body lotions like this one are ideal for all skin types because there’s far less risk of allergic reactions or general irritation.
Though it’s pricey (at least $100 more than the other products on this list), Engelman swears by this body lotion from West Coast beauty brand Augustinus Bader . Like the Augustinus Bader face creams, which have a significant cult following of aestheticians and celebs, this newly released cream also uses stem-cell technology, amino acids, and high-grade vitamins to jump-start the skin’s natural renewal and repair process. In addition it contains shea butter to deliver intense moisture and protect your skin’s natural barrier, while vitamins A and E combined with anti-inflammatory Brazilian candeia oil help firm skin and reduce the appearance of stretch marks and fine lines.
Body retinols have become increasingly popular and a way to even out the body’s skin tone. The vitamin-A derivative works the same on the body as it does on the face, so the same rules apply: Incorporate it into your routine slowly and use sunscreen daily, as retinol weakens skin’s ability to protect from UV rays. Camp likes this one from Paula’s Choice, which he says improves hydration and also helps with uneven skin tone. It contains 0.1 percent retinol, a mid-range level concentration that will offer significant results but should be generally well tolerated, especially if it’s properly introduced. The star of the show here is the retinol, but it also contains hydrating butters and plant oils that nourish the skin without being greasy.
Though he’s mostly loyal to the drugstore shelves, Shah admits that clean-skin-care brand Necessaire “makes some pretty cool body products,” such as this cult-favorite lotion with added vitamins B3, A, C, and E, as well as a blend of nourishing oils. The formula is fragrance-free to prevent irritation and contains a bunch of lipids and ceramides that he says “are really good for the skin.” Plus, we have to admit, it’ll look nice if you leave it out on the bathroom sink.
Body butters tend to be richer lotions and are especially good if you have very dry skin or want an additional hit of moisture. Gunn says she’s been “gatekeeping” Trader Joes’ coconut body butter, which the grocery store has been selling since 2012 and has amassed a bit of a cult following since then. “It’s made with pure coconut oil and other skin-soothing ingredients, including aloe vera, shea butter and vitamin E,” she says. Despite its thick texture it sinks into the skin fairly quickly and doesn’t feel greasy when it dries down.
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