Best Body Creams

Whether you’re sweating in the heat of summer or warding off a winter chill, body cream should be a part of your beauty routine. Body cream keeps skin moisturized and hydrated, creating a barrier that locks water into the skin and keeps dryness out. But with so many body creams on the market, the options can be dizzying.

Before you start adding body cream to your shopping cart, consider the following: is your skin oily or prone to dryness? Is your skin sensitive? Do you suffer from psoriasis or eczema? These factors will determine the active ingredients you should be looking for on the label. Also consider the cream’s scent, consistency, and whether it is free of parabens, which may pose health concerns.

At BestReviews, we’re pleased to offer you this comprehensive guide on body creams. Read on to make the most informed decision possible, and feel free to check out the products we’re endorsing.

While people with sensitive skin should avoid fragranced body creams, others can embrace it. Aromatherapy has been proven to help with pain management, stress and anxiety relief, and sleep.

Key considerations

The four main ingredients

Body creams are typically made from four main ingredients: oil, water, emulsifier, and preservative. Oil can be a literal oil, like coconut or jojoba. It can also refer to butters, such as shea butter and cocoa butter. Water, naturally, is the hydrating agent. Emulsifiers bind the oil and water together as a homogenous mixture. For body lotions and day creams, emulsifiers tend to be water-in-oil, meaning they keep oil packed into water. Common emulsifiers for body creams include glyceryl stearate, glyceryl oleate, and lecithin.

A mix of water, oil and emulsifiers can create a potent playground for bacterial growth —  all the more reason preservatives are necessary to prevent mold and bacteria. Preservatives may be human-made, such as parabens, or natural antimicrobials like tea tree oil.

Skin sensitivity

Those with sensitive skin will want to look for a hypoallergenic cream. These are fragrance-free and non-greasy, as heavier creams can irritate the skin. At the same time, they should contain added moisturizing properties. If you suffer from dry skin, this is particularly important. Oats, for example, are a commonly added ingredient for dry skin. They soak up excess body oil while exfoliating the skin.

Skin type

The kind of skin you have can be a dealbreaker or dealmaker, as far as body creams go. If your skin is oily or acne-prone, seek out a lighter cream. A cream with hyaluronic acid will add extra moisture without clogging pores.

Got dry skin? Look for a cream with heavier moisturizers like shea butter or lanolin. Oatmeal is another ingredient that calms inflammation from dry skin. A lotion with lactic acid can remove rough patches caused by conditions like eczema and keratosis pilaris. If your skin is extremely dry and sensitive, however, lactic acid may be too harsh. We recommend testing a patch of skin first.

Sulfate-free and paraben-free

Some consumers try to avoid parabens in beauty products. Parabens are a common preservative in body creams, lotions, sunscreens, and even makeup. But because parabens mimic estrogen, some studies have linked it to breast cancer. Other studies conclude that the effects are too weak to be traced as a cancer cause. Regardless, parabens have entered the dialogue around beauty products and safety.

Sulfates, meanwhile, are common in toothpaste and soap. They’re an ultra-effective cleaning agent. The problem is, they can cause dryness and irritation to the skin and eyes.The good news is, it’s becoming easier to find sulfate-free and paraben-free body creams. Simply look for those phrases on a label or scan the ingredient list.

Water, oil, preservative and emulsifier are the four main ingredients that are found in most body creams. We include them in our research, noting the purpose of each.

We consider the scent of body creams, which varies greatly across different products. We note that creams that are fragrance-free or have light scents are available for consumers who don’t like beauty and personal care products with overpowering fragrances.

In addition to the main ingredients, many body creams have numerous other ingredients that offer various benefits to the skin. We look for these ingredients when we do our research.

We know that some people have sensitive skin and need a body cream that won’t cause a reaction like redness or itching. We think about this when we analyze creams to recommend.

When we research body creams, we factor in their consistency. Quality body creams have a creamy consistency that’s thicker than lotion but not quite as thick as body butter.

Some body creams contain SPF to protect against damage from the sun’s rays. When offered, we take this added benefit into consideration.

Most body creams are formulated for specific skin needs. When we examine a cream, we check to see if it’s intended for dry, sensitive or acne-prone skin.

When assessing a body cream, we determine if it contains parabens, which are artificial preservatives. We advise consumers who prefer to use natural products to look for paraben-free creams.

In our research, we determine if body creams contain sulfates. We advise our readers that sulfate-free formulas are available, as this additive can irritate and dry out the skin.

Although it’s best to use a facial cream to moisturize the face, some body creams are also suitable for this purpose. When compiling information, we alert our readers on what to look for when choosing a body cream that can easily double as a facial cream.

Features

Scent

People with sensitive skin often seek fragrance-free body creams to avoid irritation or breakouts. What’s more, some people just don’t care for scented beauty products. Either way, it’s pretty difficult to find a cream with no scent whatsoever. However, creams marketed as fragrance-free either have a very subtle scent or one that fades quickly.

Consistency

Body butter, as the name implies, has a consistency close to butter. These products are made from essential butters and oils. Body cream is a happy medium between body lotion and body butter. Because both are fairly thick, body cream and body butter come in jars. Body butter is great for those with ultra-dry skin.

Body cream prices

Like all beauty products, body creams vary in price. Depending on the quality of ingredients, the quantity, and the manufacturer, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $100 for body cream.

Inexpensive: The $10 to $30 price range is common for drugstore brands. Some of these creams may lack pure essential oils or butters, but they may include other hydrating elements. Ingredients like oats and coconut oil are common in this price range.

Mid-range: The $30 to $55 price range is where you’ll begin to encounter some luxury brands. Most luxurious body creams at this point will be packaged in small quantities — think 3 ounces or less. You can also find large quantities of common drugstore brands here  — think 15 ounces and more.

Expensive: If you truly want to invest in the best skin care products around, prepare to shell out some bucks. Creams that cost $55 to $100 are prominent in stores that specialize in beauty products. Luxury makeup brands often carry body creams. These may include hyaluronic acid or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).

Tips

• For added protection, look for a body cream that contains SPF.
• Want your lotion to work more effectively? Get rid of dead skin cells. Try exfoliating in the shower once or twice a week.
• Don’t dry your skin completely before putting on body cream. You want a little water on your skin, so the lotion has some moisture to lock in.

It’s a good idea to keep a separate body cream just for shaving, which tends to dry the skin.

FAQ

Q. Can body cream be used on the face?
A. You might get away with this if you’re using a mild, hypoallergenic body cream. However, it should be noted that the skin on the face and body have different needs; skin on the face is thin and more prone to wrinkles and acne. Skin on the body is exposed to harsher conditions. Therefore, we recommend you use a separate cream for your face.

Q. When is the best time to apply body cream?
A. The best time to apply body cream is immediately after a shower or bath. This way, the cream creates a barrier that traps the water left on your skin.