10 best body moisturisers that nourish, hydrate and soothe dry skin

Fans of the face cream with the same name rejoiced last year when Charlotte Tilbury released a body moisturiser to go along with the much-loved product. In fact, it’s the first body moisturiser from the iconic make-up artist’s eponymous brand. Promising to replenish the skin in seconds, as well as firm and tone the skin over time, it’s been well worth the long wait.

The product’s A-list actives include the brand’s “magic eight matrix”, a powerhouse of skin-loving ingredients, including the likes of hydrating hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and rosehip oil; brightening vitamin C, smoothing camellia oil and nourishing shea butter. But it’s also infused with caffeine, for instant energising results, and algaktiv uplift, which is clinically proven to firm and tone.

What’s really impressed us about the luxe-textured, slightly floral-scented cream is not only how glowy and replenished it instantly made our dry limbs look and feel, but that the benefits lasted into the next day. For firming results, the brand says to give it eight weeks, but we noticed skin looked more toned after a month. It’s pricey but worth every penny.

Sanctuary Spa’s range of body butters has proven that if it’s a well-scented body moisturiser you’re after, you don’t always have to turn to the expensive fragrance houses. If we had tested this blind, we would have been shocked it came from the purse-friendly beauty brand. When you first open the pot, you’ll be hit with its decadent oud fragrance. Next, you’ll notice tiny orange pearls in the rich butter: these contain argan oil that bursts onto the skin when you massage in the body butter.

After use, our limbs were left beautifully smooth and soothed, thanks to the shea butter that seals in moisture. With mica in the formula, it also leaves behind a brightening glow effect that’s perfect for having skin on show during the warmer months. You can expect the fragrance to linger all day, too – the compliments will come flooding in.

Both effective and great value, CeraVe’s collection of skincare never disappoints, and that includes this giant tub of hydration. We has been through a fair few of these, as the rich grease-free formation transforms even the scaliest of skin on very dehydrated arms and legs in a matter of days.

With super hydration-booster hyaluronic acid, and skin-strengthening ceramides this immediately makes a big difference to the skin. But what we really love is it’s formulated with control release tech, so its replenishing benefits are ongoing – if we skip using it for a day, our skin still stays super comfortable.

You can even use it on your face, as it’s non-comedogenic – meaning it won’t clog your pores. If you have dry skin, we know you’ll love this option, too. You can also try the smaller 50ml version, to test the results for yourself first.

Don’t mistake this pot of magic as just a face cream, it is suitable to use from head to toe. If you suffer from extreme dryness, distressed or eczema-prone skin, or even sensitivity, this provides fast calming and long-lasting relief. This is thanks to soothing superstar colloidal oatmeal, great on very parched, itchy or irritated skin conditions.

It’s unexpectedly lightweight but we found it best to give it a few minutes to fully sink into the skin. It leaves behind relieving comfort and a silky, soft skin texture, thanks to the shea butter, which aids in restoring the skin barrier. If it feels a little indulgent and demanding on your pocket to use as a daily moisturiser all over the body, you could also keep it on standby for flare-ups alongside something more budget-friendly.

Since US brand Naturium launched exclusively in SpaceNK, it’s been impressing us. It’s now added bodycare products to its collection, including this lightweight, yet replenishing body lotion, which is perfect for everyday use.

It’s infused with omega fatty acids, which can do so much for the skin, including repairing and strengthening the skin barrier, balancing hydration and soothing irritation. Added to the mix are B vitamins, such as niacinamide to further improve skin tone and texture, as well as a natural humectant to draw in moisture to the skin, and rich oils to lock in the hydration.

We felt the benefits after just one use – like a drink for the skin, it relieved any uncomfortable dryness and left skin feeling soft and supple. Further benefits include its light texture that absorbs immediately, so we found we could get dressed straightaway after use.

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Selling one every three seconds globally, The Body Shop’s body butters have reached true iconic status. With a range of skin-replenishers to pick from, it’s a difficult choice but, if we had to pick a favourite, it’s this bestseller shea formula.

We like to warm the rich, non-greasy, body butter in our hands before slathering over limbs – using sparingly, as a little goes a very long way. Paying a little extra attention to dry areas such as elbows and knees, leave it for a few minutes to absorb and the nourishing butter and oil formula instantly soothes and rehydrates parched skin.

What’s more, if you’ve got skin on show, the formula leaves a veil of dewiness and a lingering addictive nutty scent. We love to use it on our feet, too, as it relieves even the most stubborn patches of dry skin in a matter of days. A cult classic that will always be hard to beat.

The coveted bum bum cream isn’t the only body moisturiser in the much-loved Brazilian brand’s line-up. There’s a collection of finely fragranced pots to choose from, including this musky, vanilla and jasmine-scented cream with which we’ve become slightly obsessed.

If getting out your limbs after a winter hibernating in tights and trousers fills you with dread, you need this radiance-boosting formula in your life. It’s formulated with fruit AHA, to exfoliate away dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. Further helped with willow bark extract (a natural source of salicylic acid), it will also keep clogged pores and ingrown hairs at bay.

The hydrating components come from cupuaçu butter, a key ingredient in Sol de Janeiro’s bum bum cream, which is great for deep nourishment and locking in moisture. To top it all off, skin-brightening vitamin C is added, to perk up dull skin tones. Dry, scaly, rough skin was left super smooth and luminous after just one week’s use.

Nécessaire comes to us from across the Atlantic, shaking up bodycare categories with its results-driven formulas. For us, a stand-out product from the brand is this rejuvenating fragrance-free body lotion with skincare ingredients that will make your face moisturiser jealous.

The first big name is niacinamide: the multitasking skin-loving ingredient that strengthens the skin barrier, improves uneven skin tones and reduces the look of open pores. Meanwhile, peptides work together to trigger the production of collagen and elastin for renewing the look of skin. Then there’s a dose of marula oil, packed with vitamins C and E, to protect, brighten and nourish the skin.

From the very first use, our skin felt extremely soft and replenished, but what makes this worth every penny is the renewal of youth it gave to the skin. Plus, with continued use, a dull skin tone looked brighter and felt healthier all around.

Originally formulated to treat keratosis pilaris (also known as KP or chicken skin) – the rough, dry and bumpy skin texture often found on the back of our arms, as well as other body parts – Ameliorate has come a long way. Now with a whole host of products for the face, scalp and body, the brand’s body-transforming lotion is still the hero product for us, as it can make skin look and feel better within weeks of use.

Whatever your textured skin issue, be it KP, ingrown hairs, razor bumps, or if you suffer from very dry skin, this body lotion uses a combination of both exfoliating and moisturising actives to, as it says on the bottle, transform your skin. It does so using the brand’s LaH6 complex, a cocktail of AHA lactic acid that sloughs away dead skin cells to retexturise, as well as moisture-boosting humectants, and lubricating emollients to reduce water loss.

For KP sufferers, the brand promises results after four weeks of use – our tester has a mild form and saw results much faster. Dry, parched skin was rehydrated within a week and mild KP looked smoother and brighter around the two-week mark. If that’s not impressive enough, the formula comes with a warming scent of vanilla and tonka that lightly lingers throughout the day.

This is an indulgent buy but, once you’ve cocooned your body in the intensive formula, you see past its hefty price tag and realise you need this treat in your life. It’s become a real cult product, after Mutha’s founder wanted to create a natural, plant-based treatment that worked on stretchmarks and was safe to use when pregnant.

Made with 100 per cent natural-origin ingredients, it’s made up of high-grade shea butter, mango seed butter and cocoa seed butter containing fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that aid in nourishing and repairing the skin. So, it’s easy to see why half of Hollywood seems to have fallen for this body butter. Whether or not you’re pregnant, you’ll love this moisturiser’s instant hit of hydration, and subtle refreshing zesty scent that left our skin healthier and firmer-looking the more we used it.