You Need a Great Body Lotion. Here Are 15 of the Best. (2024)

Using lotion can be important for the overall health of your skin, but that doesn't mean it's always a pleasant experience. Many of us out there don't like the feeling of heavy, greasy lotion on our skin. Luckily, alternatives exist. Case in point: this cooling, smoothing body gel. It packes just as must moisturizing power as a traditional lotion, but the milky gel formula smooths over your skin quickly and transparently and takes minimal rubbing for your skin to drink it up immediately.

Ingredients like magnesium and urea help to moisturize skin while a phytic acid complex helps to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells to leave your skin smooth and silky. Throughout the testing process, this quickly became our go-to not just because of how easy it is to use, but also because of the fresh, spa-like scent.

Half the reason you want to use body lotion is how it makes your skin feel. The other half is usually how it makes your skin smell. And if you're into smelling good, you won't find a lotion that does a better job than this one.

Yes, the formula is packed with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, avocado oil, and sweet almond oil which make this lotion rich and hydrating to your skin. Yes, it's on the thick side and feels luxurious (though it does take a bit of time to rub in). But most of all, this is about the scent. The lotion is infused with The Noir 29, one of Le Labo's most iconic but under-appreciated scents, to the level that you may not even need to top it off with a cologne later. It's just that good.

If you have sensitive skin and are looking for something clean and unscented, Nécessaire is the way to go. This lotion is also formulated with niacinamide, the ingredient that helps to strengthen your skin's barrier.

The secret to this lotion is that it has more in common with the moisturizer you put on your face than that heavier lotions you're used to putting on our skin. Aside from the skincare quality ingredients like peptides and fatty acids, the texture is lightweight and non-greasy. Our skin drank it up almost immediately and the overall experience so good that we didn't even miss a scent.

Normally, skincare products that claim to work as well on one part of the body as they do on another are a letdown. But Nivea's specially formulated 3-in-1 lotion uses aloe vera to actually deliver on its promise, making it an ideal low-budget option for dudes who can't get behind springing for three different products when they could buy one instead.

We are always fans of multi-functional products because, let's get real, who really wants to stand in their bathroom for hours a day applying creams? Not even we do, and it's quite literally our jobs. That's why we get behind this lotion. If you're short on time or just want something that can cover all your bases, this is a good bet. Using a body lotion as a face moisturizer may sound a little crazy at first, but think about it: a good moisturizer is a good moisturizer no matter where it goes on your body. That said, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may want to skip the facial application with this one. It it slightly heavier than we personally like in a face moisturizer and can feel a little greasy if you apply too much. However, if you tend toward dryness, you'll be just fine.

We knew Alaffia's shea-infused body lotion was good when we included it in our annual Grooming Awards, but since then it seems like everyone else has realized it, too. (We'd like to think we played a role there.) Infused with raw shea butter, this ultra-simple and ultra-gentle formula is deeply nourishing and moisturizing for all skin types, but especially anyone who tends toward dryness. The formula is also rich in protective antioxidants and features an infusion of lemongrass, which is shown to help soothe irritation.

This lotion comes in a variety of scents, but in our testing we gravitated toward the unscented version for a couple of reasons. First, there is still a slight, natural scent from the ingredients themselves, which we found to be more than satisfying. Second, the fact that there is no added fragrance makes this even better for sensitive skin, since some people can be reactive to too much scent.

CeraVe may be known for its sensitive-skin friendly products, but they're really ideal for anyone with any kind of skin. The brand's lotion uses hyaluronic acid to help your skin retain its natural moisture while providing long-lasting hydration, plus three essential ceramides to help strengthen the skin's natural protective barrier (which also helps keep it from drying out). This daily lotion strikes the exact right balance between being moisturizing enough to keep your skin hydrated all day long and lightweight enough that you won't have that greasy or filmy feeling over your skin that you get with so many thicker lotions.

It's never going to be the sexiest product in your bathroom, but it's not meant to be. As far as an effective, budget-friendly daily lotion goes, we haven't been able to find one that's better. And believe us, we've tried them all.

There's a reason Aveeno's remained a stalwart of the skincare scene for as long as it has. Its signature, fragrance-free body lotion will gently soothe your skin, leaving it feeling nourished throughout the worst of the season. Formulated for especially dry skin, this lotion's power comes from the inclusion of prebiotic oat, which not only soothes especially dry skin, but helps to strengthen the skin's protective barrier to make it more resilient and retain moisture for longer.

According to the brand, this lotion moisturizes your skin for a full 24 hours. We can't fully confirm that because we didn't, like, set a timer, but what we can confirm is that with only one application post-morning shower, our skin felt just as moisturized when we went to bed as it did right after we first applied it. And without any sort of greasy residue to deal with, those are results we can stand behind.

In the dry skin community, almost everything and anything by SheaMoisture is considered infallible. That's because with fair trade ingredients like coconut oil—which works wonders on even the most broken, chapped skin—it does the job and does it well. If you feel like your skin is so dry that it'll never have that baby-soft summer feel again, try this and get back to us.

What makes this so good in the grand scheme of thicker lotions is that, well, it's not crazy thick. Like, it's thick and nourishing, but it sinks into skin quickly and doesn't feel heavy. It's highly moisturizing, thanks to the aforementioned ingredients, but doesn't feel heavy. That said, it's still likely going to be too heavy for you unless you have very dry skin, so keep that in mind and save it for when your skin really needs the help.

The best time to apply body lotion is immediately after a shower, when your skin is still damp and soft from the hot water. The problem is that sometimes applying stuff on top of hot skin just makes it seem hotter. That's not a problem with this lotion, which contains menthol for a zingy, chill sensation that instantly helps your skin cool down.

There's also Vitamin E, jojoba, and soy protein in this formula that work to deeply moisturize your skin, yet somehow don't leave it feeling greasy. Because of the unique cooling sensation, we found this to be especially nice to use in warm weather, when you still need moisture but you don't want to keep weighing yourself down with goo.

A smash-hit since it was first introduced decades ago, this non-greasy body lotion combines cocoa butter and shea butter with beta-carotene to leave your skin feeling soft and silky. It's a surprisingly lightweight formula for the moisturizing power that's packed in there, which is probably why it stays so popular.

It's one of those cult favorites that has really earned it's status. We've tested dozens of new lotions against it and keep coming back to the classic, simple formula over and over because it's just that good. You know the saying: If it ain't broke...

For those who suffer from very dry skin, Vaseline's intensive care lotion is a thick, moisturizing option to slather on right out of the shower. It needs a second to dry but it is worth it for skin that needs it. The key is the petrolatum in the formula (hello, Vaseline) that acts as an occlusive to lock moisture inside the skin and keep it from evaporating out (which is really a thing). That's why it's so thick and why it's best to apply it right after a shower.

The thickness may be a dealbreaker for some people, but that only means their skin isn't dry enough to really reap the benefits. For those with especially dry skin, this stuff is like magic. It's heavy, it's somewhat greasy, but it does the job of moisturizing and healing very dry skin better than almost any other lotion we tried. Pro tip: use it at night to allow your skin ample time to drink up the moisture.

Why are ceramides important you ask? Picture your skin like a brick wall. Skin cells are the bricks and ceramides are the mortar that holds it all together. When the ceramides become weak, cracks show and all sorts of things can happen, dehydration among them. A healthy amount of ceramides in your skin means that it has an easier time holding on to hydration and staying moisturized.

That's exactly why this lotion is so good. It's packed with those essential ceramides, so while it's imparting your skin with hydration from ingredients like hyaluronic acid, it's also helping it stay strong. It's honestly a win-win.

Yes, there is such a thing as status lotion and this is it. The smooth, moisturizing formula is infused with macadamia nuts and sandalwood oils that work overtime to hydrate dry skin. The texture is silky and sinks into skin quickly and easily with minimal rubbing.

But as with most luxury lotions, this is all about the scent. The woody, citrus fragrance (with just a hint of vanilla) just smells like money. We wouldn't say it's as strong as a cologne, but it's exactly the type of natural-yet-elevated scent you want and expect from a fancy lotion. It may be too pricey to use every day, but we like to reserve it for special occasions.

A good body lotion moisturizes dry skin. A great body lotion goes the extra mile and does something more. This one, for instance, powerfully anti-ages your skin with tightening ingredients like elderberry blossom extract and white almond extract. And like in the brand's facial products, there's a dose of Purslane, which helps curb inflammation and address signs of aging.

Like with all anti-aging products, you have to use this regularly in order to see results. In the short term, this lotion really works well to moisturize skin. It's not the longest lasting on this list, but for normal to oily skin, it's plenty powerful. In the long term, we can confirm we did see some tightening, smoothing effects, though some of those could be chalked up to the additional hydration. Whatever the cause, we're believers.

If you tend to get clogged pores, acne, or chicken skin on your body, this lotion is specifically designed for you. The secret is lactic acid, which gently exfoliates away dead skin cells and uneven texture from your skin, priming the way for hydration and leaving it smooth.

It's a compounded effect, so using it often is essential for controlling issues like bumps and breakouts. Luckily, this gentle formula is designed to be used every day, unlike other chemical exfoliants. Because the lactic acid is combined with moisturizing ingredients, it helps temper potential irritation in addition to adding the moisture your skin needs.

What ingredients should I look out for?

For dry skin, the ingredients that are going to be the most effective are those with super hydrating, healing, moisturizing properties. Most lotions on this list have shea butter or aloe vera, which are natural ingredients that work wonders in instantly soothing chapped, dry skin. Others, like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and fatty acids, and various vitamins, deliver extra hydration that locks into the skin and heals it over time.

When is the best time to apply body lotion?

Typically, to target dry skin, you should apply body lotion twice a day—in the morning, and at night. Make sure that one of these times is directly after you shower, as soap scrubs the skin of its moisture, and your body can do with a dose of lotion after being scrubbed.

Who should use body lotion?

Honestly, everybody should use body lotion. Even those with oily or normal skin types can be prone to dried-out skin in the colder months, and not using body lotion at all will surely lead to less healthy, plump, bright, glowy skin than you want.

We’re not going to write about how great things are if they aren’t actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to body lotions, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting options that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with options that we've done our research on. These are approved by users, dermatologists, and the cult-followings that products as successful as these tend to gain.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of trial and error, research, and reviews. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.