Soft and smooth skin is a year-round goal for most of us, but as the weather changes, so do our skin's needs. The cooler temperatures can leave skin feeling cracked and dry in the fall and winter, but if you practice careful skin care and use the right body lotion, you can help your body maintain the perfect level of moisture.
Unsurprisingly, helping your skin stay hydrated starts in the shower. One of the main culprits that causes raw and cracked skin is scrubbing in the bath or sitting for a long time in hot, soapy water, says Dr. Rebecca Baxt, a board-certified dermatologist in New Jersey.
"Soap strips any natural oils out of the skin and makes the dryness worse. It is not necessary to scrub the skin on a regular basis with soap," she explains. "I usually recommend soap in the areas that need it and not scrubbing the arms and legs unless they are actually dirty."
But on top of proper bathing, there are also countless body lotions to choose from, not to mention thicker solutions like moisturizing creams and ointments. To help you choose, Shop TODAY spoke with dermatologists to get some expert tips to care for your skin. We also asked them for the best body lotions they recommend for dry skin of all types.
Good for sensitive skin$18.96$20.49
What ingredients should I look for in a body lotion?
For the best results, board-certified dermatologists Dr. Ife Rodney and Dr. Lian Mack suggest looking for lotions that contain hydrating ingredients that help repair and improve skin, such as colloidal oatmeal, glycerin, ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
"Ceramides are fats that help to hold the skin cells together and form a protective layer that seals in moisture, and keeps pollutants out of your skin," explains Rodney. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid, a sugar that can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water, "draws moisture into the skin and holds it there, [preventing] evaporation of moisture from our skin into cold dry air," she adds.
Other hydrating ingredients to look for include petrolatum, squalane, coconut oil and niacinamide, according to Mack. She recommends looking for lotions with retinol combined with moisturizing ingredients like those mentioned above if you have mature skin and are looking for a body lotion with anti-aging capabilities.
Here are some of the experts' favorite body lotions, plus a few more we rounded up based on their tips.
The best expert-recommended body lotion for dry skin
Gmyrek recommends this lotion because it contains a good dose of lactic acid (12%, in fact). The lactic acid will help exfoliate dead skin, allowing better penetration for moisturizing ingredients like glycerin.
For those days when your skin is feeling bumpy and itchy, this lotion can help soothe and relieve discomfort. According to Garshick, this formula will moisturize and gently exfoliate at the same time.
Fragrances can leave skin feeling irritated or dry, especially for sensitive skin. This is why New York-based dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick recommends using this formula from Vanicream, which is free of dyes and fragrances. It also features a pump to help make application easier and more convenient.
This is a personal favorite of New York-based dermatologist Dr. Jennifer MacGregor. She recommends that people who tend to have drier skin should consider using lotions marketed towards babies and toddlers.
“I have mild eczema and I use this on my face!” MacGregor tells us. “If you are really dry, some of the best are those marketed to babies.”
“For my patients who suffer from eczema, I recommend Gold Bond’s Ultimate Eczema Relief [the product’s former name], which combines 2% colloidal oatmeal with seven moisturizers and three vitamins to hydrate and protect the skin the skin barrier,” Mack explains.
Not only is this body lotion formulated to target the top symptoms of eczema, including dryness, itching and scaling, but it’s also fragrance-free, which Mack recommends for those with dry skin because they tend to be more reactive to products that have fragrance.
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.
“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.”
This is another pick for those with eczema, but “you do not have to have eczema to use this cream!” says Dr. Robyn Gmyrek, a dermatologist based in New York.
If you have eczema-prone skin, Gmyrek and Chwalek recommend using this because of the glycerin, colloidal oatmeal and ceramides in the formula.
“It is one of the few moisturizers I’ve used that is more long-lasting,” Chwalek says. “It has good occlusive properties [creates a protective barrier on top of the skin to keep moisture in], but can feel a little tacky in my opinion, which I don’t mind because I have dry skin.”
Upgrade your skin care routine with this lotion that’s designed to soothe and smooth sensitive skin. Rodney recommends this brand because of the amino acids and ceramides that help restore the skin’s barrier.
“It is ideal for even the most sensitive skin, as it contains no fragrances or parabens,” Rodney tells us.
Using the power of glycerin, shea butter and antioxidants to smooth and lock in moisture, this lotion is a favorite of Dr. Jennifer Chwalek, a dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York.
“It contains the humectant glycerin, which helps the skin retain moisture. It also has shea butter, which is rich in fatty acids like linoleic acid and antioxidants like vitamin A and E,” she says. “This can help to moisturize and calm dry, irritated skin. In addition, this moisturizer has niacinamide, which improves the barrier function of the skin and reduces inflammation.”
Give your skin the self-care it deserves by using a lotion with reliable ingredients. “This moisturizing lotion helps to improve dry and irritated skin using a combination of marula and shea butter, squalane, amino acids and plant oils,” Garshick says. “This hydrating lotion also contains fruit-derived antioxidants to help fight free-radical damage.”
New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose prefers using this shea butter-based cream to protect skin against cold climates.
“[It] has a luxurious, whipped consistency that is rich and highly moisturizing yet still blends in well,” Murphy-Rose tells us. “This lotion — and the brand entirely — is also free of propylene glycol, which some of my patients are allergic to and can be a difficult ingredient to avoid.”
While most moisturizers aim to soften and smooth skin, this one does even more. Garshick likes this lotion because it helps to hydrate and firm.
“In addition to shea butter, it also contains antioxidants and iris extract thought to help with firming, especially when applied to the abdomen, arms, thighs and chest,” she says.
If you want a lotion that won’t leave a greasy residue, then Garshick suggests trying this body butter.
“This nourishing body butter includes shea butter to hydrate and nourish the skin without leaving it feeling greasy,” she tells us. “This product is great as it also includes antioxidant plant oils and dead sea minerals, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth.”
The best editor-tested body lotion for dry skin
"As soon as we enter the cooler months and the air gets drier, so does my skin," shares associate editor Lauren Witonsky. "To combat any scaliness, I like to apply a body lotion right after my shower and have been reaching for this one from Dwell212. It dries down almost instantly, so you don't have to wait to get dressed, but still soothes skin with ingredients like shea butter and aloe. Plus, it smells SO good — less like strong lavender and more like men's cologne."
"My mom recently introduced me to this Vaseline body lotion after clocking me for having dry elbows in her presence. (How dare I!)" notes deputy managing editor Jess Bender. "She said it'll make my rough nubs silky smooth in a matter of seconds — and she was right! I adored how quickly it worked its magic while leaving the area glistening without looking or feeling greasy. Best of all, my elbows stayed hydrated until I next used it two days later."
Production coordinator Camryn Privette loves this fall-themed body lotion from Native. "The scent is well balanced with fresh pear and also 'musky,' but it isn't overpowering at all," she suggests. "My skin gets dry in the winter and this lotion is thick but not to the point that it won't completely absorb into my skin. The whole line is great and I'm also a big fan of the body wash of this scent and the Sandalwood & Coastal breeze."
Commerce editor Vivien Moon is a big fan of this lightweight, "stellar" serum from Summer Skin. "While it pumps out like a lightweight lotion, it quickly becomes a serum that glides beautifully," she explains. "And one or two pumps isn't too little either, one can easily cover my whole arm in the nourishing serum. I am especially happy that it's unscented because it allows my perfume to stand out. Can't recommend it enough for those looking to nourish and hydrate their skin without feeling greasy or like you're wearing a lot."
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How we chose
We spoke with eight board-certified dermatologists who provided multiple product recommendations for body lotions for dry skin. To round out the list, we also asked our fellow editors to share their tried-and-true products as well.
Meet the experts
At Shop TODAY, our reporters interview a range of qualified sources and experts to capture a wide scope of perspectives on red light therapy neck products. We also make sure that all expert guidance and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Rebecca Baxt, MD, MBA, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New Jersey and New York City. She holds particular interest in non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
- Dr. Jennifer Lynn Chwalek, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York, where she specializes in cosmetic and laser procedures. She holds fellowship training in procedural dermatology and cutaneous laser surgery.
- Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist who serves patients in both New York and New Jersey. She is also an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Cornell's New York Presbyterian Medical Center.
- Dr. Robyn Gmyrek, is a board-certified dermatologist working for UnionDerm in New York. She has been awarded national recognition for her contributions to cosmetic dermatology, including Castle and Connolly America’s Top Doctors, New York Magazine’s 2013-2020 Best Doctors and a spot in the 2013-2020 lists of Super Doctors.
- Dr. Lian A. Mack, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She is particularly focused on skin conditions as it pertains to skins of color. She is based in New York City.
- Dr. Jennifer MacGregor, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York. Before UnionDerm, she directed the Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology Center for Georgetown University Hospital.
- Dr. Ife Rodney, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland. In addition to general dermatology, she specializes in skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment, skin rejuvenation and anti-aging, and hair and scalp disorders.
- Dr. Blair Murphy Rose, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist currently practicing at Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. She was featured in the 2021 Super Doctors Rising Stars list.
