(Skin)
So velvety smooth.
For most body care lovers, it’s considered sacrilegious to get out of the shower or start your day without lotioning up. It’s a key step in maintaining skin that’s soft, hydrated, and smooth. Plus, moisturizing helps avoid the irritation caused by dryness and can provide a nice, shiny glow to your limbs. Lotion can come in so many forms including light, heavy, or even gel textures, but recently, the internet seems to be raving about body butters. Like their name implies, these thick, extra-nourishing creams give the skin a buttery-soft feel while putting in additional work for long-lasting hydration. The best body butters also add that sheen that makes skin look radiant and feel more taut.
Dr. Serena Mraz, M.D., board-certified dermatologist of Solano Dermatology and Associates in Vallejo, CA, describes body butters as more “emolliating” than alternative creams and lotions, meaning that they offer top-tier moisturization that is critical for skin health.
Mraz says it’s important to give all of your skin surface “love and care” year-round. “This is not only a good idea for appearance and comfort reasons, but likely also important for brain health and overall health,” she adds. “The skin microbiome has the best chance of being optimally balanced and keeping your brain and body healthy when the skin is well moisturized with an intact healthy barrier function.”
And body butters are just the product to help you achieve ample hydration. Mraz suggests looking for formulas with argan oil to “prevent the shea butter from hardening” since the softening ingredient is commonly found in all types of lotions. She also suggests kukui nut oil as it’s “rich in linoleic acid and oleic fatty acids, providing anti-inflammatory and potent antioxidant activities that work to repair and optimize the skin barrier without greasiness or heaviness,” says Mraz.
If you need some help finding options that feature these ingredients and more, TZR has compiled a list of the some of the best choices on the market. Ahead, you’ll find body butters that promote enduring hydration and result in luminous skin.
If you’re up to date on trending body care products, you’ll know that the Josie Maran Vanilla Vibez Body Butter went viral on social media just a few months ago and it’s totally worth the hype. With argan oil, avocado oil, and shea butter, this product offers intense hydration, a beautiful glow, and skin firming results. Plus, the notes of vanilla bean and juniper berries make it smell so yummy.
At just $15, this hydrating body cream is formulated with kukui oil and argan oil to soothe and replenish skin. “Daily application of this rich body butter after lightly drying the skin right out of the bath or shower helps to lock in moisture, repair, and nourish the skin,” says Mraz. “This creates a great start to the day and helps provide a good home for balanced and healthy skin flora to thrive.”
Another viral social media product, the Naturium body butter does just as the name suggests: makes you glow. Using botanical oils, shea butter, and squalane, this formula nourishes the body to create silky, supple skin.
A body butter classic, Sol De Janiero’s Delícia Drench is popular for a reason. This whipped cream deeply penetrates the skin’s barrier for ultimate hydration using bacuri butter and hyaluronic acid. It also smells divine with notes of velvet plum and vanilla orchid.
“Another favorite with argan oil, kukui oil, and shea butter is Andalou Kukui Cocoa Nourishing Body Butter,” says Mraz. “It also contains potent superfruit antioxidants along with aloe vera to hydrate and repair skin.”
Soy milk and honey are the softening hero ingredients in Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter. This product is formulated to offer 24 hours worth of intense hydration, so there’s no worry about getting dry throughout the day.
Fenty’s Butta Drop Whipped Oil Hydrating Body Cream truly gives that buttery smooth finish when applied to your arms and legs. The formula features seven oils, including jojoba, coconut, and sunflower, which create an ideal cocktail for nourishment and revitalization of the skin.
Not only is the Truly Unicorn Fruit Body Butter so pretty to look at, but with acai, chia seed, and rosewater it has incredible moisturizing powers. It’s also infused with collagen making it great for skin firming and improving elasticity.
This rich body cream by L’Occitane offers the ultimate comfort to dry, sensitive skin. Made with 25% shea butter, you’ll feel beyond soft and velvety.
With Undaria seaweed and shea butter, this OSEA body butter is clinically proven to keep skin hydrated for 72 hours. Apply a generous amount both morning and night, and you’ll feel reinvigorated.
