Ontdek de Verzorgende Luxe van Bodylotion Lady Million

Best with Retinol

Nécessaire The Body Retinol Overnight Repair Treatment

What We Love: The lotion gently exfoliates the skin to make it feel smoother and softer.

What We Don’t Love: Because it contains retinol, the lotion makes skin more susceptible to sun damage.

The serum-y texture of this lotion glides on smoothly and sinks in quickly, expediting the shower to pajamas process. “This works well for anyone looking for a higher concentration of retinol,” says Corey L. Hartman M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL. This retinol body lotion provides the traditional benefits of the anti-ager, which include firming the skin and evening out its tone, Plus, Dr. Hartman says, “it gives an additional exfoliation boost” via alpha hydroxy acids.

Retinol can make the skin more susceptible to sun damage, so it’s best to use this treatment as intended: Overnight.

Size: 5.1 fl oz | Active Ingredients: Retinol, alpha hydroxy acids | Scented: No

What to Look For

With so many body lotions on the market, which list countless ingredients with unpronounceable names, it's difficult to determine which components to look for—and which to stay away from.

Dr. Aya Ahram adds, "Look for a mixture of ingredients to help target moisture retention and water loss across the skin barrier: humectant ingredients—which draw in water from the air into the skin—such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, as well as occlusives, which seal water in the skin, like petrolatum and dimethicone." She also recommends "emollients, which provide moisture to the skin, like shea butter and ceramides."

Then comes the fun stuff. Your formula might come with antioxidants. “Vitamin E, C, and green tea extract for example have a dual purpose in preventing free radical damage and may also brighten and moisturize skin,” says Dr. Kikam. Your body lotion might have retinol in it as well, which is ideal for anti-aging. Or, maybe there’s an acid in the mix. “These are wonderful for those with acne prone skin, body hyperpigmentation, KP, and even psoriasis.”

Meanwhile, if you're combatting body acne, Dr. Ahram advises using "a face moisturizer that is non-comedogenic or oil-free so that the moisturizer does not make acne worse."

What to Avoid

In terms of what to avoid, Dr. Ahram says, "In general, I don't love fragrance because it can cause irritation in people with sensitive skin or atopic dermatitis, as they already have a fragile skin barrier and I prefer to avoid ingredients that can cause irritation. Some can tolerate it without any negative side effects, but in general I do not recommend products that are heavily fragranced."

Double board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist Dr. Amy Wechsler also recommends "avoiding ingredients such as lactic acid and glycolic acid" if you're looking for something highly moisturizing that won't irritate your skin.

Finally, Dr. Greenfield says, “I like to see that there are no drying ingredients like alcohol or any strong fragrances that may cause reactions in the skin."

We Recommend

"Lotion can help protect the skin from drying out further by creating a hydrating barrier that prevents water loss through the skin," explains Dendy Engelman, MD, cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York City. "Additionally, lotion can deliver important ingredients that repair and strengthen the skin barrier to keep it healthy and help protect it from dryness."

Considering the skin is your body's largest organ, it's important to make sure it's in healthy condition—and applying lotion regularly can help you achieve that goal.

Benefits of Body Lotion

Per Dr. Idriss's earlier point about addressing specific skin conditions, you can also take those into account. For example, she says formulas that contain soothing colloidal oatmeal are an especially good choice for those battling itchiness, irritation, or even eczema. "I also recommend lotions with niacinamide for those who have back acne, since it not only helps maintain the lipid barrier of the skin but is also anti-inflammatory," she adds.

A word on ingredients. The three most common categories found in moisturizers, of any kind, are humectants, emollients, and occlusives, each of which functions in a slightly different way.

• Humectants are ingredients that attract water to and trap it in the skin, hyaluronic acid and glycerin being among the most common. These tend to be the stars of more lightweight lotions because they don't necessarily feel heavy or greasy on the skin.
• Emollients are ingredients that soften the feel and smooth out the look of the skin, giving you that instant moisturizing feel you think of when you think of lotion, says Dr. Idriss. Ingredients such as jojoba oil and squalane are common examples, she adds.
• Occlusives—petrolatum, butters, waxes, and even silicones—are ingredients that work by creating a layer on top of the skin that seals and locks in moisture, minimizing what's known as transepidermal water loss, Dr. Idriss notes.

Ideally, you do want a combination of all three in a good moisturizer formulation, though again, exactly how much of each depends on exactly how dry your skin is.

The Best Lotions for Dry Skin

• ‌Best Overall:‌​​ ‌Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($11.34, Amazon)
• ‌‌Best on a Budget:‌ ‌Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Body Lotion ($6.22, Walmart)
• ‌‌Best for Aging Skin: ‌Necessaire The Body Lotion ($28, Amazon)
• ‌‌​​Best for Face:​​‌ ‌First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream ($27.45, Amazon)
• ‌‌​​​​Best for Itchy Skin:‌‌ Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion ($10.67, Walmart)
• ‌‌​Best for Extremely Dry Skin:​‌ Lano 101 Dry Skin Super Cream ($16.95, Lano)
• ‌‌​Best for Eczema:​‌ Aveeno Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Cream ($19.97, Amazon)
• ‌Best for Sensitive Skin: ‌Vanicream Moisturizing Cream ($12.76, Amazon)
• ‌Best Lightweight:‌ Dove Body Love Sensitive Care ($6.48, Walmart)
• ‌Best for Irritated Skin:‌ La Roche-Posay Lipikar Body Lotion ($19.99, Amazon)