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Many of us can spend fortunes on face creams in a bid to keep our skin looking hydrated, but it's easy to forget that the skin on our bodies needs TLC too.
A good body moisturizer will rehydrate, replenish, and protect your skin without making you feel greasy.
Our top body moisturizer is Kiehl's Crème de Corp, a rich cream that will give you soft, smooth, and hydrated skin in an instant.
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Many of us neglect our skin from the neck down, but the skin on your body is just as important as the skin on your face. In summer, the sun and high heat can dry out the skin on your body, and in winter, the cold weather can make it itchy and flaky too.
A good body moisturizer is designed to lock in water, so it feels healthy and looks smooth. So, just like with your face, if you use a moisturizer on your body every day, you'll have softer, smoother, and more radiant skin.
The best time to apply body moisturizer is after a shower while your skin is still damp because the moisture will help the lotion absorb deeper, focusing on knees, elbows, and any dry patches you might have.
There are all sorts of body moisturizers out there from balms to creams to lotions, and the one you choose depends on your skin type and preference. To save you time and effort finding the right one for you, we've researched countless consumer and expert reviews, and tried and tested the best one to come up with literally the best of the best.
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Kiehl's Crème de Corps is our top body moisturizer overall because it gives you soft, smooth, and healthy-looking skin with immediate results.
Kiehl's Crème de Corps is a lifesaver as it targets dryness, dullness, and uneven skin texture, giving you brighter looking skin.
This top-rated body moisturizer is designed to nourish your skin, lock in moisture to hydrate your skin, and leave it feeling soft and smooth. The rich body lotion is packed with a powerful blend of ingredients including antioxidant-packed beta-carotene, skin-softening cocoa butter, and moisture-replenishing olive-derived squalane. The beta-carotene is also what gives the lotion its slightly orange tint.
In testing, I found Kiehl's Crème de Corps had a whipped butter-like texture and a pleasant, subtle fragrance that stems from the ingredients. The body lotion absorbed quickly leaving it looking instantly smoother. However, despite claiming to be non-greasy, it did feel a little greasy on my skin, possibly due to the cocoa butter and oils like olive and avocado.
Kiehl's Crème de Corps is a cult favorite and is highly rated by beauty shoppers and experts alike. It appears on both Town & Country's and Allure's "best body moisturizers" lists and gets 4.3 out of 5 stars on Sephora with one happy customer reporting, "This body lotion makes my skin feel like silk! It is the perfect moisturizer. It's rich and hydrating but sinks in and isn't heavy. It's amazing and a must have."
Pros: Good for normal, dry, or sensitive skin, no added synthetic fragrance
Cons: Some might find it a little greasy
The best budget
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is an award-winning drugstore moisturizer that hydrates without leaving behind a greasy feeling — and without the big price tag too.
Designed to absorb quickly and last 24 hours, this no-frills body moisturizer promises to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, and looking healthy.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion works wonders for dry skin and is ideal for daily use. The gentle formula contains natural ingredients like oatmeal to relieve dry, itchy skin while emollients soften dry skin.
Aveeno even claims that it'll moisturize for a full 24 hours, help improve your skin's health in one day with significant improvement in two weeks.
In testing, Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion was the perfect consistency — not too thick or too thin. It didn't irritate my sensitive skin and made my skin look smoother, but it did leave a slight residue. I liked that it comes in a pump dispenser for convenience, and doesn't have much of a fragrance.
One delighted customer commented, "Upon my first application of this lotion I noticed that the dryness was gone. My skin is moist, fully hydrated and looks silky clean. This lotion works better than the previous ones I purchased for more than $30. If you are not using this lotion you are not doing justice for your skin."
Pros: Very affordable, fragrance-free, non-greasy, non-comedogenic, soothing oatmeal is good for eczema and itchy skin, great for all skin types including sensitive, oily, and dry skin
Cons: Left behind some residue on skin
The best splurge
If you're looking for a rich and indulgent body moisturizer that smells absolutely divine, Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crème is a winner.
This body cream is rich in antioxidants and hydrating ingredients, including honey, grapeseed oil, and vitamins A, C, B5, and E.
Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crème in Crème Brûlée is one of my all-time favorite body creams. The creamy, lightly whipped formula feels rich and decadent, but isn't greasy or heavy. It has a lingering aroma of caramel, sugar, and vanilla bean. It goes on easily, absorbs quickly, and smells delicious, leaving my skin soft, smooth, and scented all day long.
I'm not the only one who loves this body moisturizer. It's highly rated by Town and Country and Byrdie, and gets great reviews on Macy's with one happy customer commenting, 'Makes me feel special every day.'
Pros: Delicious fragrances, suitable for all skin types, soft whipped texture
Cons: Expensive, contains parabens and synthetic fragrance
The best with antioxidants
For instant hydration and long-term protection, Nécessaire Body Lotion is well, necessary.
Like we said before, we spend a ton of time and money focusing on the skin on our faces but not enough on our bodies.
This minimalist tube is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, and omega fatty acids 3, 6, and 9 to hydrate, smooth skin, and protect with antioxidants. There's even niacinamide — an ingredient more commonly found in serums — to help soothe irritated skin and smooth out fine lines. The formula still manages to absorb quickly and doesn't leave much greasy residue, though that might depend on how much you pile on.
$25 is more expensive than some of the other body moisturizers here, but considering the long-term benefits, it seems like a reasonable investment. In fact, we love the body lotion so much that we've written two reviews about it here and here, along with the rest of Necessaire's body-care lineup. — Jada Wong
Pros: Made with quality skin-care ingredients, absorbs quickly, formulated without paraben, synthetic fragrance, and more
This multipurpose moisturizer is formulated with vitamin E, collagen, elastin, and ginseng help hydrate, firm, tighten, and improve the elasticity of your skin, while a color-enhancing complex subtly but gradually deepens your skin tone — you don't need to worry about looking like an Oompa Loompa.
It comes in two shades (fair to medium, and medium to dark) and leaves behind uniform color with a streak-free finish. For best results, exfoliate first before applying all over your body, but do so sparingly on knees, elbows and ankles. Wait a few minutes for the lotion to dry before dressing and be sure to wash your hands — unless you want them to be extra tan.
This is my go-to body moisturizer for parties, weddings, or whenever I want to get my paler-than-pale legs out. I love the natural, subtle color it gives me in less than a day, and my skin also looks smoother too. Unlike many self-tanning products, the smell is bearable thanks to odor-reducing technology.