What to Consider
Ingredients
Honestly, the ingredient label is the most important thing to examine when shopping for new body care products. Here are a few standout ingredients dermatologists and I can’t stop using that will do wonders for your skin during and after shower and bath time.
- Niacinamide, sometimes called vitamin B-3, is an excellent skin brightener that targets signs of anti-aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, along with refining large pores, moisturizing the skin, and being antioxidant-rich.
- Ceramides are fats and lipids that prevent skin water loss and help rebalance the skin barrier function.
- Squalane is a plant-derived emollient that smoothes and moisturizes skin by filling in the holes in your skin barrier and retaining water. It is also safe for everyone to use, including those with eczema, psoriasis, and sensitive skin.
- Glycerin moisturizes, protects the skin’s natural barrier, and has antimicrobial properties.
- Shea butter softens and smoothes dry skin, it calms irritation, such as itchy eczema, and even helps prevent skin cell damage. Plus, it’s safe for people because it doesn’t usually cause allergic skin reactions, according to Cleveland Clinic.
- Quinoa, which is the prominent ingredient in my favorite body oil, is chock full of nourishing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It can even help brighten dull skin and firm up loose skin.
How We Chose
I’ve spent this past year testing dozens of body care products, from lotions to scrubs to cleansers, to get a feel for which products actually hydrated, didn’t feel sticky, and left my skin glowing. I also investigated more niche product categories, like body serums and refillable beauty products, to ensure you have a full-fledged body care routine. See our recommendations for the body care products worth adding to your shopping cart below.
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With a line of science-backed skincare products, including a Best New Beauty Award-winning Cicaplast Lip Balm, La Roche-Posay is one of the most reliable brands in the game. Given my positive experience using their releases over the last few years, I immediately knew their popular lotion deserves a spot on my body care list.
Sure, all body lotions hydrate the skin, but Lipikar Lotion actually relieves my dry winter weather-induced eczema flare-ups. It’s chockfull of shea butter, which immediately calms my skin. Pick up a bottle of this French beauty must-have if your giftee prefers lotions over creams but doesn’t want to compromise on hydration.
Key Spec
| Best Ingredient | Shea butter |
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I recently gifted my parents several body washes, including one that cost a casual $55 as well as Method’s affordable find. When my dad used Method’s under-$10 body wash, he assumed it was one of the higher-end gifts. He was such a fan of the formulation and simple bottle design that he wanted to know where to order a restock. Amazed by my dad’s rare glowing feedback, I swiped it from my parents’ bathroom.
Method makes cheap but effective plant-based body care products that bring a fun scent experience. This coconut, rice milk, and shea butter option is my favorite from the bunch because it smells like a relaxing beachside vacation. Above all, it leaves my skin noticeably softer before applying a body moisturizer which is a win for the price.
Key Spec
| Best Ingredient | Shea butter |
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Bath time isn’t just for kids. There’s a new wave of bubble baths and soaks designed for adults who want to elevate their at-home spa days. The best one in the game is from L’Occitane — and your giftee is sure to revel in their tub after the first time they use this body care treatment.
Along with a bathtub full of bubbles, this gentle formula smells like the calming lavender fields of Provence, France. The deep, earthy lavender scent is incredible, but above all, it cleanses my skin without being sticky or oily. I advise using this body care product before bed because it’s super calming and helps lull someone to sleep.
A bonus: Unlike other options I’ve tested, L’Occitane’s bubble bath doesn’t leave behind residue in the tub, so the risk of slips and falls is slim, and cleanups are minimal.
Key Spec
| Best Ingredient | Lavender essential oil |
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Shower time is the best time because it allows us to practice self-care and be alone with our thoughts, potentially singing at the top of our lungs. To help elevate personal time, I advise using a luxurious body wash that lathers up for the ultimate cleanse, like the Best New Beauty award-winning Youth To The People Superfood + Niacinamide Body Cleanser.
It’s a plant-based body gel that combines antioxidant-rich kale and green tea extracts with niacinamide and sodium PCA to hydrate and rebalance the skin’s moisture barrier. My skin is clean and feels supple before applying a body moisturizer, like an oil, serum, or cream.
As a bonus, this body care product has a wonderfully mild, aromatic fragrance profile of fresh greens, black pepper, and cedarwood for a peaceful shower experience.
Key Spec
| Best Ingredient | Niacinamide |
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Dermatologists swear by body scrubs to help exfoliate the body up to three times weekly. They are fantastic for removing dead skin cells and prepping the skin before and after hair removal to help prevent razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
My all-time favorite body scrub is from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Courtney Rubin, M.D. Unlike cheaper options that are made with rough, large granules, fig.1 relies on ultra-fine volcanic pumice to physically exfoliate skin. It also contains glycerin, an ingredient known for being one of the best moisturizers in the game.
Plus, your spa-obsessed sister will only need a little bit of this product to enjoy the uplifting olfactory blend of mandarin, sandalwood, and eucalyptus.
I own the OG Quinoa version, which doesn’t sound like it would smell enticing, but it is actually incredible. This body oil opens up with sweet and warm floral notes before base notes of peony and vanilla become obvious, bringing a comforting touch to your skin and a welcome aroma to your bathroom.
But the scent profile isn’t the only reason to indulge in this body oil: It’s also jam-packed with nourishing ingredients that soften and smooth dehydrated winter skin without leaving behind a greasy residue on your bed sheets or clothes. I also look forward to using this lightweight oil to show off my glowing skin when the weather warms up.
For optimal hydration, advise your giftee to apply this oil while their skin is still damp after showering or bathing. They can also mix it into their body lotion for extra hydration in one simple step.
Wait, a serum for your body? Yeah! And Nécessaire’s version is the best one I’ve tried by a long shot.
The clear gel consistency feels great between my hands and rubs into my skin quickly, meaning I don’t have to worry about thick, goopy products soaking into my bedding instead of my bod. Its fast absorption is ideal because I want to jump into bed and binge The Sopranos and the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm post-shower without making a mess.
Hyaluronic acid is that girl for moisture, but Nécessaire levels up this body serum because it contains five molecular weights of pure hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. There are even ceramides for retaining moisture. It also boasts airless packaging to ensure the dermatologist-tested body serum doesn’t deteriorate before its expiration date.
Key Spec
| Best Ingredient | Hyaluronic Acid |
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Closing out this list is one of my all-time favorite body washes from SEEN, a skin and haircare brand that recently won a 2024 Best New Beauty Award. Created by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Iris Rubin, M.D., this incredibly gentle body wash is safe for all skin types, including those with ultra-sensitive skin like me.
SEEN Body Wash provides a beautiful lather for the ultimate spa-like cleanse at home, smells enticing, and doesn’t irritate my skin. But what I love most is the ingredient label! Hemisqualane is a plant sugar-derived ingredient that cleanses the body while soothing bisabolol and conditioning glycerin hydrate.
This bottle of derm-created goodness is available in four sizes, but TBH, investing in an XL refillable size is your best bet. A standard 10 fl. oz bottle retails for $24, which costs you $2.40 per ounce, while a 32 fl. oz container costs $71, or $2.22 per ounce. The savings are even more significant if you were to purchase a 2 fl. oz mini bottle for $12, or $6 per ounce. It’s also just better for the environment because you’re putting less plastic in waste.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. Saunders takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Best New Beauty Awards package. You can follow her on Instagram to stay in the loop on her product testing adventues.
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