17 Best Body Creams for Every Skin Type & Concern

Paula’s Choice never fails to impress, thanks to a very consistent approach towards formulating skincare. This body cream is formulated like a lot of this brand’s other products, with an intense focus on evidence-backed ingredients, stability, and mildness.

This cream has the perfect texture. It’s rich enough to feel moisturizing and soothing to the skin, but it’s not oily or greasy at all. It’s free from fragrance, so even those with sensitive skin or allergies can use it!

The ingredient list is long but filled with ingredients that we love, including non-comedogenic safflower oil, antioxidant shea butter, glycerin for hydration, and ceramides for barrier repair. The blend is not quite as occlusive as the La Roche-Posay body cream, which is our top pick for sensitive skin. This means that it’s a little lighter and potentially better for oily or normal skin, but it might not be enough if your skin is very severely dry. 

The final ingredient of note is a skin-repairing, anti-aging peptide that’s said to help increase skin firmness and smoothness. If you’re looking for a body cream that’ll give your skin an anti-aging boost, that’s a big benefit. Buy it directly from Paula’s Choice!

Key Features

• Size: 7 Oz
• Key ingredients: Safflower oil, ceramides, glycerin, shea butter, myristoyl tripeptide-31
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: Yes

If you have sensitive, dry skin, or you’re shopping for someone in your family that does, this is the body cream for reviving and soothing your skin. It comes from La Roche-Posay, a brand that always delivers clinical, sensitive skin-friendly formulas.

This body cream, from their fragrance-free Lipikar line, is made for severely dry skin or those suffering from eczema. It’s even approved by the National Eczema Association, and it’s suitable for the entire family, including babies.

It’s a genuinely comprehensive moisturizer that pulls moisture into the skin with hydrating glycerin. Then, moisture-sealing ingredients like shea butter and mineral oil create a protective seal that locks that moisture inside. This results in a moisturizer that truly impresses, with very long-lasting results. The final ingredient that deserves a mention is niacinamide, a multi-purpose form of vitamin B3 with soothing, balancing, and skin-protecting effects.

As for texture, this body cream is rich and thick but non-greasy. It sinks into the skin fairly quickly, and it contains some dimethicone, which ensures a silky finish. You’ll probably enjoy using it even if you find most body creams greasy. However, if you try and stay away from synthetic ingredients, the added dimethicone, as well as a touch of mineral oil, might not appeal to you. It’s available at Ulta, Dermstore, and Amazon.

Key Features

• Size: 13.5 oz
• Key ingredients: Shea butter, glycerin, niacinamide, mineral oil, prebiotic thermal water
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: No

Body acne, keratosis pilaris, and even simple dead skin build-up are no match for this body cream from CeraVe. Despite being a real body cream with thorough moisturizing effects, it’s also an effective option for dealing with breakouts.

It’s made with one of our favorite exfoliating, acne-fighting ingredients: salicylic acid. At around 3% concentration, it’s enough to renew the skin and unclog pores, especially with daily use.

In addition to the SA, it also includes barrier-repairing ceramides and moisturizing agents like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Its texture is thick and creamy – it might even seem a little greasy. However, the formula doesn’t include any ingredients with the potential to clog pores, which is what really matters if you suffer from bacne or chest acne. As with all CeraVe products, it’s quite affordable, which is a major bonus if you’re on a budget.

It’s rich and moisturizing, despite its anti-acne effects. Order it from Dermstore, Ulta, or Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 12 oz
• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: No

The name might be silly, but this is one of the best body creams we’ve come across as far as both fragrance and effects are concerned. This cream has a cult following, primarily thanks to its intoxicating caramel-vanilla scent and the sexy shimmer it gives to the skin.

Its texture and effects are also noteworthy. It’s very smooth, thanks to a blend of light natural oils and rich but silky texture-enhancers. It moisturizes the skin well but never feels greasy.

The exotic oils here are chock-full of anti-aging antioxidants, but the star ingredient is guarana, a Brazilian extract said to have skin-firming effects. Guarana naturally contains a high dose of caffeine, which has a constricting effect on the skin. Only some users experience the skin-firming effects, so it seems to be hit or miss, but it’s worth a try if you’re looking for tighter skin.

This body cream comes in a jar, which is our only complaint since it’s not as pleasant to dispense as a product in a bottle or tube. Beyond that, it’s a worthy buy for anyone who likes a luxury product. Get it at Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 8.1 Oz
• Key ingredients: Guarana extract, coconut oil, cupuaçu butter
• Fragrance: Caramel-vanilla
• Cruelty-free: Yes

Glossier’s approach to body care is similar to their approach to skincare. Like their face products, this body cream is also luxurious with a decadent, velvety texture. It has an effective moisturizing formula that’s mostly natural but with some well-placed synthetics.

It has an orange blossom fragrance that’s a little on the sweet side. This actually makes it a polarizing choice. Some shoppers love it, while others find that it’s almost sickly sweet.

It comes out of the jar a little thick at first, but it melts into the skin quickly as you massage it, giving a balanced combination of surface protection and deeper hydration.

A mix of botanical extract gives the skin antioxidant protection and increased brightness. The cream leaves the skin feeling hydrated but never sticky, with a light sheen thanks to mica. Purchase it directly from Glossier!

Key Features

• Size: 8.4 Oz
• Key ingredients: Dimethicone, shea butter, cactus extract, tamarind extract,
• Fragrance: Orange blossom
• Cruelty-free: Yes

Eucerin might not have the most elegant-looking products, but they’re a trustworthy brand with unique formulas. There are a lot of noteworthy details about this body cream, but let’s start with the fact that it’s simply available at an excellent price, especially considering just how much product comes in a jar.

As for the formula, it’s certainly incredibly moisturizing thanks to the use of both urea and glycerin, both of which attract moisture into the skin. Urea also has a skin-softening effect, so it’s particularly useful for rough patches of skin.

Eucerin doesn’t disclose the exact amount of urea, although we estimate that it’s 5%. At higher percentages, urea can also exfoliate, but in this case, it probably just moisturizes. There are other ingredients worth noting here, like repairing ceramide 3, shea butter, and sodium lactate.

Compared to some of the other creams on this list, this formula leaves a bit more of a residue. Considering the budget-friendly price, you might be willing to overlook this minor flaw. We also wish it was available in a bottle rather than a jar, like Eucerin’s body lotions. Shop for it on Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 16 Oz
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, urea, ceramide 3, shea butter, sodium lactate
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: No

If you’re a perfume lover, this body cream is a must. It’s made specifically to accompany philosophy’s famous Amazing Grace perfume, with a floral-citrus scent. It’s a very decadent and luxurious body cream, with a price to match.

It’s a whipped cream, which means that, despite the use of shea butter and olive oil, it’s actually very airy and light. Texture enhancers were also added to the blend, so it has a very lovely skin feel.

The fragrance shows up right near the top of the ingredient list since it was the priority over moisturization and skin benefits. The scent is strong on purpose, although this might be irritating to those with sensitive skin or noses. That’s not to say this moisturizer is without skin benefits – the natural oils in here are known for their moisturizing effects, while niacinamide has some antioxidant and anti-aging action.

All in all, this body cream probably won’t be right for everyone, but if you love fragranced body creams or already use the Amazing Grace perfume, you’ll enjoy it. Order it from Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 8 Oz.
• Key ingredients: Shea butter, olive oil, niacinamide
• Fragrance: Floral-citrus
• Cruelty-free: No

Most of the body creams on our list are made either without a fragrance or with fragrances that aren’t ideal for bedtime, like fresh citrus or cheerful florals. This body cream, however, is designed specifically for nighttime, with a lavender fragrance blend that helps you fall asleep.

The scent of this cream is very calming, so most who use it do find that it helps them fall asleep more easily. As far as moisturization goes, it’s not the heaviest cream on our list, but it’s still thoroughly moisturizing and hydrating. It’s a fantastic choice for maintaining normal skin, but those with very dry skin might want something richer.

It’s one of the more expensive options on our list, but for anyone who loves aromatherapy, it might be worth the cost. We do appreciate that this cream comes in a tube, which is convenient and hygienic. Shop for it on Dermstore!

Key Features

• Size: 2.5 Oz
• Key ingredients: Crambe oil, baobab oil, almond oil, glycerin
• Fragrance: Lavender and chamomile
• Cruelty-free: Yes

This body cream might be a little pricey, but it delivers impressive results that make us ready to forgive. Before we get into that, let’s talk about its texture first. It comes out of the tube a little thick, so it can take a few minutes for it to sink into the skin. However, once that’s done, the skin feels nice and smooth without any residue.

The formula is very moisturizing, with a focus on occlusive ingredients like shea butter that locks moisture into the skin and fewer directly hydrating ones. If you use it immediately after showering, that shouldn’t be an issue at all.

But now, the fun part: effects. This body cream contains a few ingredients intended specifically to firm the skin, especially following weight loss or to counter the loss of tone that comes with age. There is no topical product out there that can really work magic, but this one comes close.

It includes caffeine at a high enough percentage to actually firm things up, as well as a few peptides that have a skin-renewing effect. StriVectin carried out clinical studies that showed that these ingredients do ultimately work, with their panel of volunteers achieving visible results after a month of use.

It’s hard to find body creams that can really deliver such a skin-firming effect, so if that’s what you’re after, the money would be well-spent. Find it at Ulta, or Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 6.7 Oz
• Key ingredients: Caffeine, tripeptides, shea butter, NIA-114
• Fragrance: Lemon-magnolia
• Cruelty-free: Yes

So far, most of our budget-friendly body cream options have been quite no-frills and free from fragrances. This affordable cream offers a slightly bigger fun factor, with a fruity fragrance, nice texture, and reasonable price.

If you have sensitive skin, you’ll prefer Cetaphil or La Roche Posay. If you don’t, then this is a fantastic choice that won’t break the bank. Notably, it’s also one of the few budget-friendly options that are also cruelty-free.

As far as effects, it’s a comprehensively moisturizing cream that does the job, especially for normal or slightly dry skin. The star ingredient is hemp seed oil, although there are some impressive ingredients that show up even higher on the ingredient list, like glycerin, shea butter, and dimethicone.

Despite the branding, the use of dimethicone does mean that it’s not an all-natural formula. This can be a little misleading, but we never mind some well-placed silicones in our moisturizer since they always guarantee a silkier texture. 

If you’re on a budget but still want to have fun when applying your body cream, this is easily our top choice. You can buy it from Amazon.

Key Features

• Size: 17 Oz
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, hemp seed oil, shea butter, dimethicone
• Fragrance: Peach-grapefruit
• Cruelty-free: Yes

L’Occitane is a well-known French brand that has been making luxury body care products for decades. They’ve perfected the art of using natural ingredients to produce sumptuous body care products, so they’re always a safe bet.

This body cream is truly decadent, with a thick texture that borders on being a body butter. It’s made with 25% shea butter, which is one of the very few natural ingredients that can create an occlusive, moisture-sealing layer all on its own. The formula contains quite a few other nourishing plant oils that have their own moisturizing and antioxidant effects.

Because it’s so thick, rubbing it into the skin can be a little time-consuming, but it’s still formulated with texture-enhancers that prevent a greasy feel. It was probably too thick for a bottle or tube, which is why it comes in a jar. 

It’s a fantastic choice for those with dry or very dry skin. Unlike some of the other ultra-moisturizing options on this list, this isn’t a clinical product. It has a light, floral scent that’s quite lovely, and it feels like a true self-care item. It’s sold at Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and Amazon.

Key Features

• Size: 7 Oz
• Key ingredients: Shea butter, almond oil, apricot oil
• Fragrance: Floral
• Cruelty-free: Yes

Cetaphil is another skincare brand with an old reputation for offering fuss-free, budget-friendly products. Like many of their other products, this body cream doesn’t generate a ton of excitement, but it does the job incredibly well.

It comes in a massive 20 oz for less than half the cost of many of the 8 oz creams on our list, making it a great choice for moisturizing the entire family on a budget. 

The formula is designed to be thick, rich, and reparative, with ultra-occlusive mineral oil and nourishing almond oil. The rich formula works well on extremely dry skin, helping to repair the barrier quite well with nothing but gentle, non-irritating ingredients. Despite the heavy ingredients, the texture isn’t greasy at all! 

It does come in a jar, which we don’t love, especially because we find the design quite ugly. However, we also trust Cetaphil to create a stable, well-preserved cream that can handle the added risk of an open container. The 3.3 oz version of the cream comes in a travel-friendly tube, which might be preferable to many. Order it from Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 20 Oz
• Key ingredients: Mineral oil
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: No

As with all Glow Recipe products, this pink body cream combines a fun design with natural ingredients and real results. Made with both watermelon oil and a watermelon fragrance, it smells totally divine, while hyaluronic acid guarantees deep hydration. Compared to most body creams, the texture is relatively light and almost lotion-like, so it’s a nice choice even if you have oily skin. 

We do think that the word ‘AHA’ in the product name is a little misleading. This body cream actually includes ‘hibiscus AHA’ rather than real AHA, so while we’re sure it has some skin-smoothing action, it doesn’t compare to the intense chemical exfoliant. You can find it at Sephora.

Key Features

• Size: 8.4
• Key ingredients: Hibiscus ‘AHA’, watermelon oil, hyaluronic acid
• Fragrance: Watermelon
• Cruelty-free: Yes

Those with oily skin normally choose lotions over body creams, but this product offers a nice exception that’s worth a try. Like all of Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost line, this cream has a unique aerated texture that’s described as a ‘whipped balm.’ It has the occlusion (i.e. moisture-locking ability) of a cream but with a gel-like finish that sinks into the skin quickly.

This is also one of the most directly hydrating options on our list, with glycerin and hyaluronic acid helping to saturate the skin with water. We do recommend it for oily skin, but those with dry, dehydrated, and normal skin will enjoy it as well.

Beyond these moisturizing and hydrating ingredients, there’s unfortunately not much else to note. This body cream smells nice and moisturizes well, but it doesn’t have any other benefits. It’s a simple, fine choice for daily use, and it’s affordable, so if that’s all you need, give it a try! It’s sold on Amazon, and Ulta.

Key Features

• Size: 6.7 Oz
• Key ingredients: Mineral oil, glycerin, hyaluronic acid
• Fragrance: Clean scent
• Cruelty-free: No

If you’re prone to ingrown hairs or bumps, AmLactin is a great option. This body cream is made with ammonium lactate, a gentle derivative of lactic acid that still has some exfoliating action.

This body cream is basically designed to help your dead skin cells shed themselves, which is mightily helpful for those who are prone to rough dead skin build-up, clogged pores, keratosis pilaris, and ingrown hairs. The other exfoliating body cream on our list, from CeraVe, is made with salicylic acid, which is specifically known for cutting through oils and helping with acne, while this one is a better choice for dry, non-acne-prone skin.

The formula is fragrance-free, which we appreciate, although unfortunately, it also means that you can smell the strong natural scent of ammonium lactate, which is not the most pleasant.

Finally, as a moisturizer, it’s both hydrating and moisture-sealing, so it can be used alone or after a shower. It’s quite thick and a little greasy, so you’ll want to save it for nighttime when that’s less likely to be an issue. Buy it on Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 4.9 Oz
• Key ingredients: Ammonium lactate, mineral oil, glycerin
• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free: Yes

This thick body cream has a ton of loyal fans, especially amongst those with sensitive skin. The formula is rich and restorative, with some ingredients that are great at alleviating irritation.

It’s designed specifically for those with eczema, with colloidal oatmeal as a key ingredient. FAB actually went through the effort of registering this product as a real eczema treatment, which stands out. Beyond the oatmeal, it also includes barrier-restoring ingredients that help with flakiness, like shea butter, glycerin, squalane, and ceramide NP.

Despite the rich ingredient, the formula is actually quite light, which makes us wonder why it wasn’t packaged in a tube or bottle. That said, it’s a nice choice for those with normal skin and eczema, who want something soothing and hydrating but not heavy or greasy.

The only real issue we have with this formula is that it includes eucalyptus oil, which is a type of fragrance. Not everyone with sensitive skin has a problem with fragrances, but we still feel like this cream would have been much better without it. If the scent isn’t an issue for you, you can order it through Dermstore, Amazon, or Ulta.

Key Features

• Size: 6 Oz
• Key ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, squalane, glycerin, ceramide NP
• Fragrance: Eucalyptus
• Cruelty-free: Yes

Briogeo is a fun brand with a focus on natural formulations. This body cream is a nice addition to their roster, and we even think it deserves a spot on our list! It delivers everything we want out of a body cream, and even if there’s nothing that makes it inherently better than any of the other options on our list, it’s still a solid buy.

The formula is largely natural, with a long list of both plant butters and oils. Those ingredients come together in a creamy, banana-colored formula that’s quite rich but with a nice skin feel. There are also some extracts added, like banana peel and açai, but it’s hard to tell exactly how much antioxidant fortification they bring into the formula.

If you’re a green beauty shopper, you’ll be pleased since this formula feels quite luxurious, and yet it contains very few synthetics. We think the main draw point, as well as the most major complaint about this body cream, is the banana scent. You either love it or hate it, and there’s really no room in between. If you’re into the idea of a natural, banana-flavored cream, pick it up at Sephora, or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 8 Oz
• Key ingredients: Soybean oil, coconut oil, shea butter, banana peel extract.
• Fragrance: Banana
• Cruelty-free: Yes