The 15 Best Body Lotions of 2022

Body lotion is a must-have to moisturize dry limbs and to keep your skin soft, smooth and flake-free. Unlike body creams and butters, it sinks in fast, with no greasy residue, so you can get dressed right away. No wonder most of us use it daily, after showering (which is the best time to lock in hydration).

But with so many lotions out there, does it really matter which one you go for?

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Yes. Since body lotion covers a large surface area, you’re absorbing a lot of it. That’s why it’s so important to know what it contains. There’s no point investing in the latest luxe product if it’s loaded with harmful or irritating ingredients.

Fortunately, you don’t need to choose between a pampering experience and a product that’s good for your skin. Keep reading for my top body lotion picks, and why I chose each one.

What to Look for in a Body Lotion

Here’s what I scan for when reading body lotion labels:

Has humectants: Ingredients like aloe and hyaluronic acid are humectants, which help to attract and bind water.^[1]
Has occlusives: Barrier-forming ingredients known as occlusives can be helpful because they seal in moisture so that it doesn’t evaporate. Examples include shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil.^[2][3]
Has barrier-repairing ingredients: To treat the underlying cause of dry skin, you need ingredients that repair the skin barrier. Look for lotions with fatty acids (such as stearic acid, found in shea butter), ceramides and/or cholesterol.^[4]
Low in PUFAs: Oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) will rapidly oxidize (go rancid), which can generate aging free radicals and lead to cellular damage.^[5][6] Applying PUFAs topically may also change your body’s fatty acid composition,^[7] which could affect your health.^[8] For these reasons, I recommend avoiding lotions that contain PUFAs in the first five ingredients.
Low in mineral oil: While mineral oil is highly effective at trapping moisture, with prolonged use it may accumulate in fat tissue, and cannot be metabolized.^[9]
Low in squalane: Despite having a much lighter texture than mineral oil, squalane is chemically similar. Therefore, it has the same ability to collect in the body.^[10] (I think it’s best used in small quantities on the face instead.)
Low in silicones: As film-formers, silicones only create the illusion of hydration—they don’t moisturize your skin.^[11] They can trap acne-causing debris, so be careful with them on breakout-prone areas like the chest and back. Over time, they may even interfere with cellular renewal.
Low in fragrance: Overly fragrant body lotions (whether natural or synthetic) may irritate if you have sensitive skin.^[12]
Has a preservative system: Any product that contains water, such as body lotion, requires a preservative to inhibit bacterial growth.

The Best Body Lotions of 2022

As an editor, I’ve tested and evaluated body lotions from a range of brands. These are my top picks for every preference:

Best Hydrating

Summer Fridays Summer Silk Nourishing Body Lotion

Summer Fridays Summer Silk Nourishing Body Lotion is a non-greasy body lotion that gives you all the benefits of a rich cream, but in a lighter formula that sinks in fast. That’s because it combines skin-softening oils and butters with water-attracting humectants that give it a lighter texture. Bonus: it also has 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.

Verso Body Lotion

Verso Body Lotion is a nourishing body lotion made for dry and sensitive skin. It restores moisture and suppleness with emollients like glycerin, shea butter and fatty alcohols, and is high in niacinamide for added brightening and barrier-boosting benefits. There’s also hydrolyzed yeast extract, which stimulates hyaluronic acid synthesis, plus allantoin and vitamin E to soothe. The pump container makes it easy to apply, and it has a light, citrusy scent.

Best Soothing

Alchimie Forever Soothing Body Lotion

Alchimie Forever Soothing Body Lotion is a calming body lotion that is ideal for daily use and after laser treatments, hair removal, sunburn and windburn. Thanks to the menthol, it produces a slight cooling sensation on your skin, which feels ultra-soothing in combination with its mild herbal scent. It lightly hydrates with glycerin, provitamin B5 and fatty alcohol, and has lavender, green tea and rosemary, which have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant properties.

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Soothing Body Lotion

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Soothing Body Lotion is a thick, creamy body lotion inspired by African black soap, an all-natural soap that is prized for its ability to calm and clear problem skin. While this product doesn’t cleanse, it features some of the same ingredients (like shea butter and ash), along with oats and aloe, to soothe dry and sensitive skin.

Megababe Soothing & Hydrating Repair Care 24-Hour Sensitive Skin Lotion

Megababe Soothing & Hydrating Repair Care 24-Hour Sensitive Skin Lotion is a gentle, dermatologist-tested body lotion that helps to repair dry, sensitive and irritated skin. It’s enriched with barrier-repairing ceramides and soothing colloidal oatmeal and aloe, and is also fragrance-free. Despite its light, non-greasy consistency, it keeps your skin moisturized for a full 24 hours.

Best Exfoliating

Frank Body Smoothing AHA Body Lotion

Frank Body Smoothing AHA Body Lotion is a lightweight body lotion that chemically exfoliates dead skin while it hydrates. If scrubs aren’t your thing, but you’re dealing with dry, scaly skin on your body, then this is just the ticket. Besides hydrating ingredients, it contains a 5% concentration of lactic acid and glycolic acid. Not only will they remove surface dead skin cells, they’ll also help the other ingredients to penetrate for even better results. Since AHAs make you more sun-sensitive, apply this at nighttime only, and follow with a good sunscreen during the day.

Best Firming

Versed Firm Ground Retinol Body Lotion

Versed Firm Ground Retinol Body Lotion is a fragrance-free body lotion that helps to firm your skin, smooth texture and brighten dullness while repairing dry skin. Retinol is the gold standard for anti-aging, and there’s a 0.1% concentration here—just enough to give you modest benefits without causing irritation or dryness. It’s ideal for treating crepey areas like the decolletage, loss of firmness (such as around the knees) or rough patches on the elbows.

First Aid Beauty Sculpting Body Lotion

First Aid Beauty Sculpting Body Lotion is a firming body lotion that targets skin texture for a smoother, more toned and lifted look. Although the firming results are only temporary, it can definitely give you a boost of body confidence. The formula contains caffeine (a well-known ingredient for eliminating excess water) and peptides (which can help to increase skin elasticity). You’re also getting soothing, long-lasting moisture from the emollients, humectants, ceramides and colloidal oatmeal. Like all the brand’s products, it’s also fragrance-free and safe for sensitive skin.

Best Lightweight

Caudalie Vinotherapist Hyaluronic Nourishing Body Lotion

Caudalie Vinotherapist Hyaluronic Nourishing Body Lotion is a featherlight body lotion that feels refreshing on your skin and absorbs instantly. It was recently reformulated, and now features a shorter, more stable and 98% natural-origin ingredients list. Besides the usual hydrators like glycerin and shea butter, it also has antioxidants from grape polyphenols to counteract free radical damage. It also scents your skin with a subtle orange blossom note.

Best Fragrance-Free

Nécessaire The Body Lotion

Nécessaire The Body Lotion is a fragrance-free body lotion that treats dry and crepey skin while repairing your skin barrier. The brand compares it to a daily multivitamin for your skin, as its key ingredients are rich in vitamins B, C and E. Niacinamide (B3) is the main one, working to strengthen the skin barrier and improve texture and tone. There’s also shea butter, jojoba oil, and skin-conditioning peptides. It has a light, non-greasy feel, absorbs beautifully, and won’t clash with your perfume since it has no scent.

Best Scented

Pirette Hydrating Body Lotion

Pirette Hydrating Body Lotion is a fast-absorbing body lotion with a beachy scent. If you like your body moisturizer to double as perfume, then you’ll love how this lotion evokes the feeling of a summer vacation. It has notes of coconut, surf wax and sunscreen, infused into a blend of all-natural oils, butters, fatty acids and humectants. The fragrance is also non-toxic and phthalate-free.

Best Clean Beauty

Odacité Perfect Nutrients Body Lotion

Odacite Perfect Nutrients Body Lotion — Odacité

Odacité Perfect Nutrients Body Lotion is a moisture-boosting body lotion crafted from clean, botanical ingredients. As part of the brand’s Fresh Collection, it’s made fresh upon order for optimal efficacy and purity. (If you buy it in-store, it’s kept in a fridge.) Rather than feeling thick, it has a fluid texture that spreads easily and sinks in without leaving surface residue. The ingredients (like aloe vera and coconut oil) couldn’t be cleaner, and give it a comforting herbal scent. The pump packaging also makes it convenient to dispense.

Best Clinical

iS Clinical Body Complex

iS Clinical Body Complex is a multitasking body lotion that hydrates, gently exfoliates, and helps to repair and rejuvenate aging and comprised skin. This formula—from one of the most beloved clinical skincare lines—contains the same vitamins, antioxidants and botanical extracts that are found in the brand’s highly effective face serums. (Think: hyaluronic acid, bilberry, willow bark and sugarcane.) So it’s more than just a hydrator; it’s a full body treatment to protect, soothe and promote cellular regeneration. It’s fragrance-free, with a creamy but non-greasy texture, and is safe to use on both acne-prone areas and sensitive skin.

Best Splurge

Augustinus Bader The Body Lotion

Augustinus Bader The Body Lotion is a luxurious, fragrance-free body lotion that locks in moisture, deeply hydrates, strengthens the skin barrier, and gives your skin a smoother, firmer, more even appearance. Not only does it have a similar texture to The Cream (the brand’s cult-favourite face moisturizer), it also treats your body to the same TFC8 anti-aging complex that stimulates skin renewal. So, it could be a remedy for concerns like crepey skin, scarring, hyperpigmentation, redness, stretch marks and even cellulite. Meanwhile, an array of emollients, vitamins and ceramides condition your skin.

Best Budget

Alaffia EveryDay Coconut Body Lotion

Alaffia EveryDay Coconut Body Lotion is a budget-friendly body lotion that provides gentle daily hydration support. It combines the brand’s signature fair-trade shea butter with virgin coconut oil and antioxidant-rich coffee berries (so the scent is more coffee than coconut). You might think that it would feel heavy or greasy, but that’s not the case—it’s light and fast-absorbing, with long-lasting results. Best of all, it’s made with only a handful of natural ingredients.

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