Beauty | 01.29.2022

12 Best Lotions to Smooth, Hydrate & Nourish Dry Skin

woman applying lotion to dry skin

By Christina Lyon

Don’t wait till winter, even summer skin needs moisture! 

Is your skin feeling as dry as the Sahara Desert lately? It might be time to switch up the moisturizer you’re using in your daily skincare routine. When the seasons change, so does our skin’s texture, moisture level, and elasticity. Your best lotion for dry skin might change! So, it’s crucial to stay up-to-date on what kind of ingredients to look out for when adding a new product to your beauty counter. Not to worry! We’ve done the leg work rounding up the best lotions for dry skin to deliver products suited to your specific skin problems. 

Are you not sure where to start? We have got you covered! 

But first: what do the pros recommend?

What Do Dermatologists-Recommend for Dry Skin?

First of all, when treating dehydrated skin, dermatologists recommend taking a few precautions:

  • Use warm water instead of hot water when you shower.
  • Opt for a mostly fragrance-free body wash.
  • Slather on a moisturizing lotion or cream-based formula immediately after drying.

When shopping around for your next beauty buy, you’ll find that many daily lotions don’t cut it when it comes to moisturizing intensely dry, cracked, or dull skin. This is especially true for those aiming to ward off signs of aging like wrinkles and dark spots. Luckily, there are fabulous lotions out there that will revive your skin back to its silky smooth touch!

A moisturizing cream filled with nourishing ingredients can provide a variety of skin benefits. Plus, you’ll get better results long-term and keep your skin healthy, happy, and hydrated 24/7! 

Ready to quench your skin’s thirst?

Keep reading for the 12 best lotions for dry skin.

The best lotion for dry skin will be personal for each person depending on your unique skin.

What’s the best lotion for dry skin?

Opting for a body cream filled with effective ingredients, which provide various skin benefits and lasting results, is the answer to happy and hydrated skin every hour of the day. So if you’re ready to quench your skin’s thirst, keep reading for the 12 best lotions for dry skin. 

  1. Best Lotion for Extremely Dry Skin: Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream $12.12

Does it feel like your skin can’t catch a break? Try Eucerin’s advanced cream for extremely dry skin. Hydrate your skin and say goodbye to itching, cracking, and dry patches with the soothing ingredients of this fragrance-free, dermatologist-recommended product. 

Formulated with rich emollients like amino acids and ceramides, the lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving your body feeling smooth and intensely moisturized for 48 hours straight. 

Trust us — your skin will thank you for this nourishing treatment!

  1. Best Lotion for Eczema: La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ Intense Repair $19.99

If you’re battling itching, redness, and dry patches on your body, you might be dealing with something called eczema. 

Eczema is a common skin condition and flare-ups can last up to several weeks. Who has time for that? The good news is that you can mitigate eczema flare-ups with a little extra TLC. La Roche Posay intensive moisturizing cream to the rescue! 

Reviewers rave about this product, hailing it the best lotion for eczema-prone skin. Why does it work? Infused with nourishing ingredients like shea butter, glycerin, and niacinamide, your skin will feel rejuvenated after every use. And yes, you can spread it on both your face and body! We love to love this product! 

  1. Best for Anti-Aging: No7 Restore and Renew Face and Neck Multi-Action Day Cream $25.47

Are pesky aging signs butting their heads lately? You’re not alone! This pandemic has us all feeling added wisdom by way of wrinkles and fine lines. What can you do? 

No7’s anti-aging day cream slows down the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your most vulnerable areas. You’ll also get a significant hydration-boost thanks to this all-in-one anti-aging serum.

The Multi-Action Day Cream does it all with its fusion of anti-wrinkle, firming, and brightening complexes. Plus, it contains No7’s Double Defense technology and SPF30 to protect the skin against sun damage.

With this protective formula in arm’s reach, you’ll wave goodbye to fine lines and say hello to smooth, supple skin.

  1. Best Clean Formula: Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion $20

Clean beauty is on the rise, and this nourishing body lotion proves why. The vegan and cruelty-free formula is free of sulfates, silicones, and dyes, making it a trusted choice for all skin types. 

So what does it contain? 

A powerful blend of five ceramides that protect the skin’s barrier against moisture loss. Additionally, it combines shea butter, squalane, amino acids, and a mix of fruit-derived antioxidants to hydrate and strengthen the skin and avoid free-radical damage. Yes, please! 

  1. Best Everyday Wear: CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin $21.02

Regular maintenance is one of the biggest hurdles of keeping skin plump and youthful. Well, CeraVe is a dermatologist-recommended daily moisturizing cream that makes your skincare routine a breeze. The moisturizing complex contains hyaluronic acid, which is a powerhouse ingredient for hydration and fighting off fine lines. 

Plus, your skin will get a much-needed dose of three essential ceramides to help restore and maintain the skin’s natural barrier daily.

It’s budget-friendly, lightweight, and packs a hydration punch!

  1. Best Organic Body Lotion: Kopari Organic Coconut Melt $28

There’s a reason this product is a best-seller. Made with 100% organic coconut oil, this luscious lotion is ideal for even the driest and most sensitive skin types. Plus, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and free of harmful skin toxins like parabens, silicones, and sulfates. 

Why choose Coconut Melt? The magic fruit-derived concoction is chock-full of fatty acids, vitamin E, antioxidants, and therapeutic proteins that give damaged, dry skin a much-needed bounce-back. If your skin needs its groove back — this Kopari lotion will have you glowing again in no time!

  1. Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream $13.43

If only there were a moisturizing lotion or body butter that didn’t irritate ultra-sensitive, itchy skin? There is! 

Look no further than the Vanicream Moisturizing Cream. Free of dyes, fragrances, lanolin, formaldehyde, and parabens, this dermatologist-tested product will deliver intense hydration without clogging your pores. 

Also worried about fine lines and wrinkles? As someone with sensitive skin, it might be hard for you to find products that tackle all your needs. Skincare products like exfoliating cleansers are known to irritate dry, sensitive, irritated skin.

Vanicream to the rescue! Honestly, this fuss-free lotion’s robust, long-lasting complex nourishes skin issues like cracks, dryness, eczema, and psoriasis without breaking the bank. It’s a winner!

  1. Best Drugstore Option: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion $8.54

When it comes to moisturizing, Aveeno has the low-down on what works. There’s a reason the brand has been dermatology recommended for more than 65 years. The real kicker? 

This clinically-proven, award-winning lotion is conveniently available at your nearest drugstore! 

With soothing oats and rich emollients at the forefront of this formula, it absorbs effortlessly into the skin, leaving your skin irresistibly soft and healthy from head to toe. Not to mention, this must-have lotion is gentle enough to use day and night, making it a breeze to add to your skincare routine. 

  1. Best for Post-Shower: Kiehl’s Creme de Corps $9.80

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps is like a sweet souffle dessert for your skin. The lotion is enriched with nature’s finest ingredients, including cocoa butter, aloe vera, beta-carotene (a naturally-derived antioxidant), almond oil, avocado oil, and other natural plant oils, to name a few! 

The unique blend of ingredients is nothing short of satisfying for your skin. Trust us; you’re going to thank us once you see how elegantly smooth you feel after the first use. 

To correctly apply this powerhouse product, slather it on your skin after a bath or shower. Target particularly dry areas by massaging the lotion gently into the skin, allowing it to soak for several minutes before getting dressed. 

Once your skin has effortlessly soaked up all the nourishing goodness, you’re ready to tackle your day — with buttery-soft skin, of course!

  1. Best for Sun Protection: Supergoop! Body Butter SPF40 $38

Sun damage and skin are not friends. So, naturally, the best way to avoid signs of aging like wrinkles and dark spots is to armor your skin in a bath of SPF. That’s why applying daily sunscreen lotion is crucial to healthy, happy skin. 

Supergoop!’s Body Butter is the ultimate sun protection product for its ability to hydrate the skin while also warding off harmful UVA and UVB rays.

What’s inside this protective lotion? You’ll reap the benefits of sea buckthorn fruit extract, meadowfoam seed oil, and argan oil. These nature-produced soothers moisturize the body with vitamins and fatty acids that work to improve uneven skin tone, elasticity, and oxidation — all while keeping your skin moisturized and smooth. 

It goes without saying (but we can’t resist!): protected skin is happy skin!

  1. Best for Soothing Skin: SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Body Lotion $8.99

If we could write a love poem about SheaMoisture, we absolutely would. But we’ll save you the prose (for now!). 

Why do we love it?

Infused with ultra-soothing and hydrating ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E, SheaMoisture’s body lotion is like wrapping your body in the coziest blanket ever. 

The thick cream intensely and instantly rejuvenates dull skin without the unnecessary and harmful addition of parabens, so it’s safe to use on every inch of your body. Plus, its lightly yet delightfully scented aroma vamps the lathering experience to day-spa status! 

Seriously, you may have to play hooky and put your inbox on vacation mode after applying; it’s that luxurious.

  1. Best Overall Lotion for Very Dry Skin: Vaseline Intensive Care Radiant Body Lotion $16.12

We all know Vaseline for its soothing sensations on the lips, but did you know that the brand has a skincare line, too? If you’re on the quest for one of the all-around best lotions for dry skin, Vaseline has you covered — not to mention at an affordable price! The more you know!

Pure cocoa butter is the star ingredient, and it works to soothe dry skin with rich, fast-absorbing moisture while leaving you with a natural, radiant glow-from-within. It just doesn’t get any better than that! 

Soothe Dry Skin Once and For All!

Are you ready to fight off dryness, reduce the appearance of aging, and soothe even the roughest skin areas? We’ve searched the market for the best of the best body lotions and rounded up our top picks from Amazon, but ultimately, we implore you not to settle. 

Finding the perfect lotion is akin to finding your ideal partner; you have to try a few before finding the one. There will be a few prickly ones along the way, leaving your dry skin wanting more, but it’s part of the journey.

Ditch that body lotion that’s no longer serving you. Instead, reach for one of these ultra-hydrating formulas and say hello to your silkiest, softest skin ever. But be warned: when you do find one, it may remove the need for the perfect partner! 

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Looking for the best lotion for dry skin on your face?

We’ve rounded up the best moisturizers for dry skin on the face too.

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