A good body care routine can keep skin smooth and glowing all year round. As moisturiser is the product that stays on skin longest, its ingredients can have the biggest impact on how it looks and feels, so a good body moisturiser after you wash and exfoliate can make all the difference.
Skin on the body is thicker and more hard wearing than on the face, so it can generally deal with stronger perfumes and oils that would cause your face to go nuclear. But it’s important to choose a moisturiser that suits your skin type, lifestyle and personal preferences.
I’ve put the best body moisturisers on the market to the test, ranking them on their hydration levels, ingredients and their feel on application. Here are my top nine recommendations for all skin types, budgets and concerns, as well as tips from dermatologists and skincare experts.
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At a glance
Best body moisturiser overall:
CeraVe intensive moisturising lotion
Best budget body moisturiser:
Garnier Vitamin C Nutri-Glow body cream
Best smoothing body moisturiser:
Ameliorate Transforming body lotion
Best body moisturiser for sensitive skin:
Green People scent-free body lotion
Best body moisturiser for crepey skin:
Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream
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Why you should trust me
I’ve spent the past four years testing beauty products, including body care. In that time, I’ve worked my way through endless tubs of body creams, some dreamy, others a sticky nightmare.
But everyone’s skin is different, and what works for me might not for someone else, so before testing these products, I completed a course in cosmetic science, which gave me a deeper knowledge of moisturisers for different skin types and textures.
How I tested
I tested 20 body moisturisers from household-name brands and cult favourites for this roundup. As I tested, I made notes on ingredients, skin moisture levels and the feeling on application.
I looked out for particular high-achieving ingredients, such as hydrating hyaluronic acids, smoothing salicylic acid and soothing antioxidant vitamin E. This gave me a good idea about how effective each moisturiser is at targeting specific concerns – someone with eczema will need very different ingredients from a person hoping to firm up skin. I also noted any potential nasties in the formulas, such as artificial fragrances and drying alcohols.
The final step was testing my skin moisture level. A less scientific way to test this at home is by pinching the skin on the back of the hand and seeing whether it snaps back into place quickly. But I wanted something more precise, so I used a moisture reader to check my skin’s hydration levels.
I took multiple readings for each moisturiser, starting with one immediately before application on freshly washed, dry skin. A second measurement was taken 10 minutes after application, then every three hours with a final reading 12 hours later. This gave me a clear idea of how long the hydrating effects of each moisturiser will last. I ran the hydration tests twice for each moisturiser and at least four times for the best performers featured here. Any creams that didn’t provide lasting hydration were cut from the list. Read on for my nine favourite body moisturisers from my tests.
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The best body moisturisers in 2025
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Best body moisturiser overall:
CeraVe intensive moisturising lotion
£16.50 for 473ml at Look Fantastic
£17.60 for 473ml at Cult Beauty
The CeraVe intensive moisturising lotion is a safe bet if you want a simple formula that gives your skin everything it needs. It’s designed to hydrate and repair very dry, itchy skin, but it’s the number one choice here because it’s suitable for everyone – even those with sensitive or mature skin.
Why we love it
CeraVe moisturisers are best known for including ceramides in their formula. These important fatty ingredients are found naturally in the skin and are known as the “building blocks” of the skin barrier – a protective top layer on the skin that prevents moisture loss. Those with dry skin often have compromised skin barriers. Using creams with ceramides, such as this one, will help restore skin to its former glory and keep it healthy.
The intensive moisturising lotion also uses 5% hydro-urea and cholesterol, natural ingredients that help boost moisture retention and keep skin healthy without overwhelming it. As with most good moisturisers, you’ll also find glycerine and hyaluronic acid – humectants that help draw moisture into the skin.
This was one of the few moisturisers to give me a completely consistent moisture level reading: my skin was hydrated immediately after application and remained so over the day’s testing period. That suggests the cream’s humectants worked effectively to draw in moisture, and the ceramides and natural moisturising factors kept it locked in – particularly helpful if you have dry skin. Despite the intense moisturising quality of this lotion, it had an impressively light texture that was quick to absorb.
Coincidentally, this cream includes all the gentlest ingredients recommended by the dermatologists I interviewed, excluding peptides. It also contains no fragrance or drying alcohols, making it an easy recommendation for all ages and dry skin types.
It’s a shame that … it’s completely fragrance-free, so those looking for an indulgent scent won’t find it here. It also uses isopropyl palmitate, which can block pores, making it potentially tricky for oily or acne-prone skin.
Price per ml: from 3p
Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, urea, cholesterol, glycerine
Vegan: no
Certified cruelty-free: no
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Best budget body moisturiser:
Garnier Vitamin C Nutri-Glow body cream
£4.99 for 380ml at Superdrug
£8.99 for 300ml at Amazon
If you want bang for your buck, this enormous tub of cream is an affordable way to give your skin a boost, costing from just over a penny per ml at the time of writing.
Why we love it
The cream’s star ingredient is mango fruit extract, which is rich in vitamins A, C and E, helping to brighten and smooth skin. In addition to this is softening shea butter and glycerine.
In my tests, the cream had a nice, refreshing feel as soon as I applied it, helped along by the sweet mango scent. It dried quickly too, meaning I could get on with my day without feeling sticky. I loved using it on my legs: it helped minimise shaving bumps while softening the skin. It also performed well in my moisture level tests, with improved hydration levels sustained for six hours, dropping by only 3% by the end of the day.
It’s a shame that … it has ingredients with a high comedogenic index. This is a scale from zero to five that tells us how likely an ingredient is to cause comedones (AKA blackheads and whiteheads); a higher score indicates a higher risk. This formulation includes the emollient myristyl myristate (five out of five on the index) and isopropyl palmitate (four out of five). The high concentration of these means those with acne-prone skin may find it causes breakouts on areas where skin is thinner, such as the chest and neck.
Price per ml: from 1p
Key ingredients: vitamin C, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, glycerine
Vegan: yes
Certified cruelty-free: yes
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Best smoothing body moisturiser:
Ameliorate Transforming body lotion
£24 for 200ml at Ameliorate
£14.50 for 100ml at Amazon
A good body moisturiser can help to smooth out texture over time, especially if you have uneven skin. The Ameliorate Transforming body lotion is gently exfoliating and smoothing without being irritating or clogging – perfect for helping those with keratosis pilaris (rough, bumpy skin).
Why we love it
This lotion has an incredibly lightweight feel, making it perfect for summer. The gently exfoliating lactic acid helps remove dead skin cells; humectant glycerine hydrates; and there are sufficient emollients to lock moisture into the skin. It was one of the longest-lasting during my hydration tests, which was surprising for such a lightweight moisturiser.
If you like a little extra glow in the summer, the cream is also available in an “illuminating glow” bronzing version. This isn’t a gradual or fake tan, but gives a subtle bronze sheen that won’t go patchy or stain the skin.
It’s a shame that … there’s a slight medicinal scent, despite it being lightly fragranced. This doesn’t linger, but if you want something totally odourless or more perfumed, then this might not work for you.
Price per ml: from 12p
Key ingredients: lactic acid, glycerine, sodium lactate
Vegan: no
Certified cruelty-free: yes
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Best body moisturiser for sensitive skin:
Green People scent-free body lotion
£29 for 150ml at Green People
£28.99 for 150ml at Amazon
While skin on the body is typically tougher than on the face, you’ll still need a gentle body moisturiser if you have very sensitive skin, eczema or psoriasis. Green People’s hypoallergenic scent-free body lotion is suitable for sensitive skin conditions while also providing the gentle hydration skin needs.
Why we love it
Just because a formula is simple doesn’t mean it can’t include powerful ingredients. This cream contains olive squalane to improve skin health, glycerine to hydrate, and shea butter to soften. You’ll also find calming chamomile and balancing prebiotics, with omega-3 fatty acid-rich perilla oil to repair skin.
This no-nasties moisturiser comes in a handy pump bottle and applied to my skin smoothly without making it feel sticky. It provided lasting hydration over my testing period and didn’t smell medicinal or artificial like many fragrance-free sensitive creams.
It’s a shame that … it’s on the expensive side and isn’t as widely stocked as other moisturisers.
Price per ml: 19p
Key ingredients: squalane, chamomile, glycerine, shea butter
Vegan: yes
Certified cruelty-free: yes
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Best body moisturiser for crepey skin:
Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream
£39.20 for 200ml at Cult Beauty
£49 for 200ml at John Lewis
Crepey skin, with a thin, loose and wrinkled texture, is common in those with mature skin. It’s caused by the gradual loss of collagen and elastin as we age. When I asked dermatologists about how best to tackle this, they agreed you should look for ingredients to calm inflammation, support hydration and promote skin barrier health. Peptides are brilliant for this, and the Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream – the successor to the brand’s viral magic face cream – has peptides and other powerful ingredients to help smooth, soothe and plump mature skin.
Why we love it
This gorgeous, lightweight formula contains a patented “Algaktiv Uplift” complex, developed using algae and clinically proven to help tighten and lift the skin. This works together with caffeine to brighten the skin to reduce the look of cellulite. The formula also has hydrating humectants, soothing floral oils and shea butter to add a smoothing emollient layer to the skin.
In my tests, the cream had an immediately refreshing feel as soon as I applied it. It was quick to sink in all over my body, and I enjoyed its light, rosy, floral scent.
It’s a shame that … the formula doesn’t include any ingredients from the retinoid family, so its anti-ageing benefits are gentler. That said, retinol can cause irritation, making this formula suitable for most people.
Price per ml: from 20p
Key ingredients: peptides, caffeine, hyaluronic acid, glycerine
Vegan: yes
Certified cruelty-free: yes
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The best of the rest
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Rituals Sakura body lotion mousse
£13.51 for 150ml at John Lewis £15.90 for 150ml at LookFantasticBest for: lightweight application
If getting out of a warm shower and applying a cream to damp skin doesn’t appeal to you, this lightweight mousse from Rituals is the best solution. It spreads across the skin easily, turning from a fluffy mousse to a lightweight hydrating oil when applied. It sinks in quickly without leaving a sticky layer – all that’s left after application is a calming cherry blossom scent.
Surprisingly, it’s also one of the more hydrating creams I tested, with moisture levels dropping by only 1% 12 hours after the initial application, which is probably down to the glycerine. You’ll also find softening shea butter and nourishing rice milk, while the cherry blossom provides antioxidant benefits to soothe irritation and reduce redness.
It didn’t make the final cut because … there are a lot of perfuming ingredients in this, but its scent doesn’t last as long as thicker body creams. Also, its lightweight formula doesn’t feel as luxurious as a richer cream.
Price per ml: from 9p; key ingredients: rice milk, cherry blossom, shea butter; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
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Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA lotion
£16.50 for 473ml at Look Fantastic £9.97 for 236ml at AmazonBest for: an affordable option for sensitive skin
If you have sensitive skin that’s also rough and bumpy, a simple hydrating cream won’t cut the mustard. This Cetaphil sensitive-skin-friendly lotion uses salicylic acid, a gentle exfoliator that unclogs pores and softens rough, dry skin. Salicylic acid is also recommended for treating blemishes as it gets the job done without compromising the skin’s delicate barrier.
You’ll also find niacinamide to soothe, glycerine to hydrate and shea butter for softness. It’s free from fragrance and drying alcohols, with a simple ingredients list and light formula. I also personally love the convenience of using a pump bottle and found the lotion ideal for clearing and calming the sensitive skin on my chest and arms.
It didn’t make the final cut because … in my tests, it wasn’t as hydrating as the Green People cream, and the Ameliorate pipped it to the post on smoothing. That said, it’s still a good option for sensitive, bumpy skin.
Price per ml: from 3p; key ingredients: salicylic acid, mandelic acid, PHA, shea butter and glycerine; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: no
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Malin+Goetz eucalyptus smoothing body gel
£26.60 for 220ml at Cult Beauty £38 for 220ml at John LewisBest for: soothing very dry skin
With a lightweight gel texture, this provides a huge amount of hydration. I found my skin moisture levels were increased by more than 11%, which lasted over the course of a day.
The gel’s phytic acid helps gently exfoliate dry skin, while humectants draw moisture in. Panthenol soothes inflammation while antioxidant vitamin E protects skin from environmental stress. Moisturising urea and various emollients work on top to lock everything in.
It didn’t make the final cut because … its eucalyptus smell and green colour are divisive. The cap has an odd design, too, with a hole that ended up squishing product everywhere after use.
Price per ml: from 12p; key ingredients: phytic acid, urea, glycerine, hyaluronic acid; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
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Rituals Yozakura rich body cream
£18.90 for 220ml at SephoraBest for: a rich, indulgent cream
Most of the creams on this page have a light texture, but if you’re hunting for something thick, the Rituals Yozakura rich body cream is my recommendation. It’s not just a hit in my household – originally launched in a limited-edition collection, it was recently brought back permanently due to popular demand.
It’s beautifully scented with Yoshino cherry, white flowers, amber and vanilla, which mix to bring a warm, sophisticated yet uplifting aroma that sticks on the skin. The cream itself comes in a removable plastic casing inside the purple tub, which can be replaced with a £20 refill (when it’s in stock, that is), cutting down on plastic use and reducing overall cost.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it didn’t have the same hydrating power as other options listed, or the tailored ingredients for treating a specific skin concern. It’s a great all-rounder, though, and it will make a lovely indulgent addition to a body care routine.
Price per ml: 9p; key ingredients: glycerine, vitamin E, sunflower oil, black rice extract; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
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What you need to know
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How much should I spend on a body moisturiser?
The experts I interviewed unanimously agreed that there’s no need to overspend on a body moisturiser: basic formulas usually get the job done.
“There are some really good and affordable options out there,” says Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, cosmetics doctor and GP. “You can find effective products between £10 and £25. For more advanced or active formulas, you might spend up to about £50.” Make sure you pay attention to how much moisturiser you’re getting for the price, though.
What are the best ingredients for body moisturisers?
“Ceramides are absolutely great for helping with the skin barrier, and they’re good for all skin types. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerine are fantastic for moisture,” says El Muntasar. For softening, he also recommends shea butter and cocoa butter.
If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of your products, facialist and product formulator Karen MacDonald says to “avoid mineral oils, [polyethylene glycols] and preservatives such as phenoxyethanol (usually derived from petrochemicals) to keep your environmental footprint low”.
What are the best ingredients for very dry skin?
Dry skin can be itchy, sensitive and even painful. “The goal is to restore moisture, strengthen the skin barrier and prevent water loss,” says skincare expert and facialist Laura Porter. “The best ingredients for this are those that hydrate deeply, lock in moisture and support long-term skin health.”
She advises looking for ingredients such as glycerine, hyaluronic acid, urea, ceramides, shea butter, squalane, panthenol and colloidal oatmeal.
What are the best ingredients for older skin?
“Ingredients such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, squalane and peptides are phenomenal for older skin,” says El Muntasar. In order, these ingredients help improve elasticity, hydrate, soften, and boost collagen and elastin production in the skin, giving skin a plumper, smoother look over time.
Porter also suggests looking for retinol, since it “boosts collagen production, smooths fine lines and improves skin texture”. It’s a brilliant, well-researched anti-ageing ingredient, but it can be strong, so “start with lower strengths if you’re new to it or have sensitive skin”, she says.
Also, make sure you’re using a good SPF alongside any moisturiser containing retinol because the new cells it helps to generate are more susceptible to sun damage. Left unprotected, your skin will end up with more irritation and sun spots long-term.
Should I use a different body moisturiser in summer and winter?
In short, yes.
“Seasonality matters,” says El Muntasar. “You change your wardrobe, so you should also change your skincare. In winter, you want thicker and more occlusive formulas. Look for ingredients such as shea butter and ceramides.” The CeraVe intensive moisturising lotion and Green People scent-free body lotion listed above are fantastic choices for this.
“In summer, choose lighter products such as lotions or gels with hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerine,” says El Muntasar. I recommend the Ameliorate Transforming body lotion, the Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream and Malin+Goetz Eucalyptus smoothing body gel for the summer.
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Sarah Matthews is a consumer journalist and skincare enthusiast who can’t quite believe she gets to spend her days reviewing beauty products. She specialises in health and beauty, testing everything from hi-tech skincare gadgets to the latest hair styling tools. Surprisingly, skincare is infinitely more complex than most tech she tests
