Body lotion is a bathroom staple, but for some reason, body oil doesn’t get the same treatment. The best body oils maximize all the great benefits of your favorite hydrating lotion, sealing in the moisture that lotions provide to give you the supple, soft skin of your dry skin dreams. Oils are occlusive agents, meaning that they create a hydrophobic barrier between your skin and the outside world, which helps lock in moisture for long-lasting hydration and prevent transepidermal moisture loss. Anyone who has spent time lathering their body with lotion only for their skin to feel dry and tight shortly after might benefit from the occlusive powers of body oil.
Body oils give off a fantastic kissed-from-the-sun glow that makes your legs look like they’ve been painstakingly airbrushed to perfection. The greasy body oils of a bygone era have fallen by the wayside, replaced with lightweight, fast-drying body oils that sink immediately into the skin, leaving behind no sticky residue or waxy texture. The best body oils today are light yet luxurious, glowy but not oily, and some even feature added benefits including sun protection, ingrown hair prevention, or scar healing.
Body oil and lotion are better together: for best results, apply body oil on top of your regular body lotion immediately after showering while the skin is still slightly damp. Dry skin doesn’t stand a chance against this hydrating duo.
Ready to give your skin the glow-up it deserves? From tropical-scented to sexy, shimmering selections, read on for our top picks for the best body oils you can get right now.
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