When caring for our skin, moisturizing is one of the most important steps. A good body lotion can help keep our skin healthy and hydrated while providing other benefits like improving skin texture and preventing dryness and flakiness. With so many options on the market, knowing where to start when finding the best body lotion for your skin can be hard. That’s why we turned to the experts to find out which creams are the most effective and hydrating for your skin.
Body lotion may not be something you think to choose carefully. Maybe the scent draws you in or the packaging. But, the ingredients are something you may want to pay attention to. A study recommends looking for body lotions or creams that contain 12 to 15 percent lactic acid when choosing something to soften and improve dry skin. It also says the average woman tries four different body lotions before finally liking one — likely from trial and error (36%). Respondents prefer products that help with moisturizing (65%), hydrating (53%), and have anti-aging properties (45%).
Keeping your skin hydrated can help you look and feel your best. In fact, a recent poll finds 59 percent of people aren’t comfortable in their own skin. The biggest confidence killers are body image (68%), skin problems (67%), poor-fitting clothes (64%), and social media (58%). If your skin has you feeling down on yourself, investing in the best products to take care of it might turn things around.
Ready to pamper yourself? StudyFinds has put together this list of the five best body lotions after reviewing 10 expert websites featuring products that are consistently recommended by beauty experts and enthusiasts alike. Let us know in the comments below if we missed one that you love!
The List: Best Body Lotions, According to Experts
1. Nécessaire The Body Lotion
Byrdie says this product is hard to beat: “Packed with a nourishing medley of shea butter, plus the luxurious formula works hard for your skin. This fragrance-free, fast-absorbing moisturizer is suitable for all skin types and promises to strengthen your skin’s barrier, improve tone, smooth texture, and restore firmness. It’s no wonder Byrdie editorial director Faith Xue and senior editor Hallie Gould agree it’s the crème de la crème of body creams.”
“For instant hydration and long-term protection, Nécessaire Body Lotion is, well, necessary. It’s packed with omega fatty acids 3, 6, and 9 for an antioxidant-filled boost,” writes Insider. “There’s even an ingredient more commonly found in serums — to help soothe irritated skin and smooth fine lines.”
“The Nécessaire’s fragrance-free, vegan and pH-balanced body lotion feels a bit more luxe than other sensitive-skin-safe options on the market. Formulated with moisturizing niacinamide (vitamin B3) — along with vitamins A, C and E — this lotion helps support the skin barrier from the shoulders to the feet,” mentions CNN.
2. CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Pure Wow says this product checks all of the boxes “from its hydrating ingredients right down to the value. With humectant hyaluronic acid and ceramides to help restore your skin’s natural moisture, it’s also fragrance-free, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic, and non-greasy. Plus, it holds a seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association.”
“With over 8,000 reviews on Amazon, reviewers cannot get enough of this hypoallergenic body lotion. The lightweight formula in Lab tests, improved skin’s moisturization by 37%,” adds Good Housekeeping. “Testers ranked it tops, and most said they’d continue using it. For extra dry skin during the winter, it also comes in a rich body cream form.”
“Not only is the product providing moisturization, it’s also working to strengthen your skin’s overall health. Plus, it’s oil-free, rendering it lightweight while still giving skin necessary nourishment. Smooth it over your body and watch it quickly sink into your skin — you’ll be left feeling silky smooth in seconds,” writes InStyle.
3. AmLactin Daily Moisturizing Lotion
The Strategist mentions a doctor’s perspective: “She says that because it contains lactic acid (which gently breaks down rough skin), this … is ‘really good for when you have a condition that needs a little exfoliation.’ The nongreasy formula sinks in immediately, she adds, and works to improve skin’s overall texture in the long run, too.”
“If you’re looking for an exfoliator and a nourishing lotion, this one from AmLactin should be on your radar. The formula features an AHA that’s been proven to remove dead skin cells, brighten dark spots and improve the overall appearance of the skin,” says Pure Wow.
“The AmLactin Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion has garnered praise from dermatologists around the world, including both Dr. Wang and New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. Both say that this gentle-yet-effective formula utilizes lactic acid, which acts as both an exfoliating acid and a humectant to plump and soften the outer layer of your skin,” adds Allure.
4. Summer Fridays Summer Silk Nourishing Body Lotion
A Byrdie reviewer describes her experience with the product: “While I have become obsessed with tending to my face with the most hydrating products, I’m equally adamant about moisturizing the skin below my neck as well. My bathroom is filled to the brim with body lotions, creams, butters, and oils that are all put to use regularly. Though I have my tried and true favorites, I’m always willing to add a new body care product to the mix to see if it can coat my skin with the moisture it needs. Enter: Summer Fridays Summer Skin Nourishing Body Lotion, a product that marks the brand’s debut into the body category.”
“Summer Fridays Summer Silk Nourishing Body Lotion is a hydrating body lotion that gives you all the benefits of a rich cream, but in a non-greasy formula that melts right into your skin,” adds The Skincare Edit. “That’s because it combines skin-softening oils and butters with water-attracting humectants that give it a lighter texture. Bonus: it also has multiple ceramides to lock in moisture and strengthen your skin barrier. It dries down fast, with an almost powdery-smooth feel, and has a beachy scent with notes of coconut, vanilla and almond.”
“If your goal is to have skin that feels as soft as a baby’s bum, Summer Fridays’ Skin Nourishing Body Lotion has you covered — quite literally. Slather skin in the indulgent formula packed with cocoa and shea butters, and enough oils (including grapeseed, argan, and rosehip) to keep your glow visible from outer space,” writes Allure.
5. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
While it sounds similar to our number two pick, this is a whole different formula from the daily lotion. The Strategist writes, “This lotion comes recommended by almost every dermatologist we talked to as an effective, all-around hydrating treatment for dry skin. It’s a dependable staple for dermatologists and one of my longtime favorites. It’s such a workhorse that I use it everywhere, face included. The formula has both ceramides and hyaluronic acid, notes dermatologist Dr. Shari Marchbein. New York–based dermatologist Dr. Melissa K. Levin, the founder of Entière Dermatology, calls hyaluronic acid ‘an incredibly effective humectant.’ The CeraVe cream’s thick texture feels cool to the touch, immediately soothing irritated skin upon application, according to Levin.”
“MacGregor loves this moisturizer so much that she keeps it in most rooms of her house, while Garshick likes how the texture is oil-free and never leaves behind a greasy consistency,” adds Today. “‘It is non-comedogenic and oil-free, making it okay to use on the face and body without leaving the skin feeling greasy,’ Garshick says. ‘It also uses a patented MVE Delivery technology to help deliver moisturizing ingredients all day and night.'”
“CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream claims to provide a day’s worth of moisture. The no-frills formula is gentle enough to use on sensitive skin. Its adaptability explains why it’s a dermatologist-approved Best of Beauty Award winner and Readers’ Choice Award 2022 winner,” notes Allure.
You might also be interested in:
- Best Hand Creams for Dry Hands
- Best Anti-Wrinkle Creams
- Best Skin Tightening Cream
- Best Face Moisturizers
- Best Self-Tanning Lotion
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.
Omitting pricing is extremely unhelpful, leading to the conclusion that other studyfinds.org articles will be similarly unhelpful. What a colossal waste of time.