Derms Say These Body Butters Are a *Must* for Deep, All-Day Hydration (Even During the Driest Winter Months)

Key ingredients: shea butter, cocoa butter, mango seed butter

If you want a body butter that does it all, you can’t go wrong with Mutha’s award-winning blend, which feels like a spa day in a jar.  Shea butter, cocoa butter, and mango seed butter work together to quench your skin’s thirst like never before for softer, smoother skin that stays hydrated for longer. The brand itself is a champion of purity, and makes products free from nasty chemicals, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, making them safe for every skin type and soon-to-be moms. While it’s a bit pricier than other options, it really is the epitome of luxury and is worth every single penny.

Scent: citrus

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 1.7 fl. oz. and 5.5 fl. oz.

Key ingredients: Cocoa butter and vitamin E

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is a cult-classic—and it is one that Dr. Ilyas recommends. It contains cocoa butter, a mixture of oils including cocoa seed and sunflower, and vitamin E. The balm-like product provides deep moisturization to the skin all over the body while smoothing rough patches on the elbows, knees, ankles, and heels. Oh, and not to mention, it’s cheap; one tub will cost you less than $8. One thing to note is that it contains mineral oil, and though excellent for sealing moisture into the skin, it can be comedogenic—something to keep in mind as you shop. 

Scent: unscented

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 7.2 Oz.

Key ingredients: shea butter

This body butter from Shea Moisture has the stamp of approval from Dr. Gohara. “The reason I like it is because butters are often consistencies that women of color like to use and Shea Moisture is run by women of color, so they understand skin and beauty needs and science behind skin color,” she says. “And I think that shea butter is the gold standard in terms of body butter.”

The product keeps its ingredients list simple—it’s made with just 100-percent certified organic shea butter—making it a great choice for people who are sensitive to skincare ingredients (so long as shea butter isn’t one of them). 

Scent: Fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 11.5 Oz.

Key ingredients: avocado butter, shea butter, jojoba oil, camellia oil

If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious for your self-care routine, look no further than this heavenly body butter from True Botanicals. Formulated with an ultra-rich blend of natural butters, oils, and antioxidants, it leaves skin feeling rejuvenated hours after it’s first applied. Bonus: A burst of linoleic acid and vitamin E act protect skin from signs of aging, like lines and dark spots.

Scent: citrus and sandalwood

Cruelty-free? Yes

Size: 7.4 oz.

Key ingredients: petrolatum, glycerin, panthenol

Dr. Gohara typically recommends that people with sensitive skin opt for a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free hydrator moisturizer, and one such product that fits the bill is Cetaphil’s moisturizing cream. It’s formulated with glycerin and panthenol to hydrate and draw moisture into the skin—and my partner and I can personally attest to its effectiveness. We’ve relied on this product during the cold season for the last several years. It’s gotten rid of dry patches, flakes, and itchy spots, and it has a denser consistency that makes it feel like a full-body hug. 

Plus, thanks to its hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free formula, it has never irritated my partner’s sensitive and eczematous skin. 

Scent: fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 1 oz., 3 oz., 8.8 oz., 16 oz. and 20 oz.

Key ingredients: Undaria seaweed, shea butter, and ceramides, 

This body butter will moisturize your skin and leave your limbs positively glowing, says Dr. Ilyas. “I love this product because it reflects light nicely,” she says. It’s formulated with moisturizing shea butter, ceramides,  and saccharide isomerate (a plant-based carbohydrate complex), along with seaweed, which according to Dr. Ilyas can smooth the overall look of the skin. Plus, it’s naturally fragranced with grapefruit, lime, cypress, along with sweet notes of mango mandarin, to leave you smelling like you’ve just stepped out of a spa (but just keep in mind that some people might be sensitive to these ingredients).   

Scent: Grapefruit, lime, cypress, and mango mandarin

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 1.7 oz. and 6.7 oz.

Key ingredients: barrier support complex, camellia japonica seed oil, and safflower ceramide complex

Dr. Greenfield recommends the Ren butter balm for those with sensitive or eczema-prone skin. “It’s made specifically for sensitive skin, and it also contains ceramides,” she says, a prime moisturizing agent that provides—and seals in—hydration. She also points out that the balm-to-oil product moisturizer uses a combination of sunflower, apricot kernel, sweet almond, and camellia japonica oil to calm an irritated skin barrier, which can be caused or exacerbated by the season’s environmental aggressors, like cold weather and wind.

Scent: Not specified

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 3.04 fl. oz.

Key ingredients: cocoa seed butter, shea butter, and sunflower seed oil

Beloved by Dr. Nazarian, Weleda’s Skin Food Body Butter is made with ingredients to rehydrate dry skin. “It has sunflower seed oil, shea and cocoa butter,” she says, which work to soften and moisturize. She also notes that it contains calendula and chamomile, two ingredients that can help temper itchiness and calm inflammation, which in addition to skin dryness, can occur during the colder months of the year. What this body butter doesn’t contain are synthetic fragrances, parabens, phthalates, and preservatives, making it ideal for those who are sensitive to these ingredients.

Scent: Not specified

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 5 fl. oz. 

Key ingredients: shea butter, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid

Clinique, which makes some of Well+Good’s favorite makeup and skin-care products, also makes a fantastic body butter. It comes with Dr. Greenfield’s stamp of approval because of its “smooth application” and ingredients list. Key among its ingredients are shea butter, plus glycerin and hyaluronic acid to pull moisture deep into the skin. What’s more? Dr. Greenfield says it is hydrating yet lightweight, so it won’t feel heavy on the skin. The formula is also free of fragrance, oil, alcohol, SLES, parabens, and phthalates, making it ideal for people with skin sensitivities. 

Scent: fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 6.7 Oz.

Key ingredients: shea butter, argan oil, avocado oil, and white tea extract

This body butter made with argan oil can nix dryness and simultaneously improve skin elasticity—and it comes with the stamp of approval of dermatologist Erum Ilyas, MD, MBE, FAAD. Moisturizing shea butter and avocado oil are also on the list of ingredients, along with white tea extract, which the manufacturer says, can help protect the skin from environmental stressors. It is offered in seven scents, ranging from Vanilla Apricot to Lavender Citrus, and in an unscented version. Regardless of your preference, you might be pleased to know that all the available options are made without synthetic fragrances, mineral oil, parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde. 

Scent: Juicy Peach, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Fig, Lavender Citrus, Unscented

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 2 fl. oz. and 8 fl. oz.  

Key ingredients: shea butter, kalahari melon, sorrel, baobab, sunflower, rice bran, coconut, and jojoba oils, and glycerin 

Fenty Skin’s Butta Drop contains seven (yes, seven) oils in its formula, along with shea butter and glycerin—and boy, does it deliver on its promises to deliver deep and long-lasting skin hydration. When I first slathered it onto my legs, the results were immediate. It smoothed my dry patches and left my skin with a dewy but not shiny finish. While the texture was thin enough to spread quickly, it took longer to absorb into my skin, but after it dried down, it felt weightless. This body butter has staying power to boot; I had dolphin skin for hours after application. The vanilla scent (which is subtle and not overpowering) also makes applying it a treat. 

As a bonus, this body butter is refillable—once you use it up, you can just buy a refill container and pop it into the jar. What’s more, the refill size costs a few dollars less than the product with the outer packaging. 

Scent: vanilla

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 2.5 fl. oz. and 6.7 Fl. Oz.

Key ingredients: Cocoa butter, shea butter, and mango seed oil

This body butter is sure to quench dehydrated skin. “The formula features high concentrations of both mango seed oil and cocoa seed butter, as well as shea butter, to help moisturize dry skin for up to 96 hours,” says Dr. Yadav. “I also love the scent!” As a bonus, Dr. Yadav mentions: “Many of the oils and butters used in products from The Body Shop are sustainably and fairly sourced from community cooperatives around the world.” This product, for instance, contains community fair-trade shea butter and mango seed oil, the latter of which is harvested by the brand’s partners in India. 

Scent: mango

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 1.67 oz and 6.4 oz.

Key ingredients: petrolatum, cocoa butter, and shea butter

The Vaseline Healing Jelly Cocoa Butter comes with the recommendation of Dr. Greenfield and Dr. Nazarian. “Pure cocoa butter makes this Vaseline product a winner with its great price point and the reliable hydration it provides,” says Dr. Greenfield. Dr Nazarian agrees, adding: “It’s a body butter with an ointment base, so it’s perfect as a body butter and slugging, which is classically done by Vaseline.” It is also non-comedogenic, making it an ideal option for a variety of skin types. Dr. Greenfield warns that because it’s on the thicker side, it might feel greasy upon initial application. 

Scent: Cocoa

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 1.75 oz., 7.5 oz., and 13 oz.

Key ingredients: Shea butter, jojoba butter, and honey

If you’re looking for a body butter that is deeply hydrating without being too heavy, Kiehl’s whipped body butter is a classic that delivers on both fronts. It blends together shea and jojoba butter with honey, resulting in a product that not only looks like butter, but also spreads like butter.

When I tested it, it applied smoothly and evenly onto my skin. The product dried down quickly and left me feeling supple and silky, if a little tacky upon the initial application. It didn’t hurt that this body butter left behind a pleasant scent that reminded me of a freshly baked almond croissant. 

Scent: honey

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 8 oz. 

Key ingredients: shea butter, grapeseed oil, and desert date oil

Caudalíe’s take on body butter is this incredibly nourishing formulation. Its standout ingredients include moisturizing shea butter, antioxidant-rich grapeseed oil, and desert date oil, which is said to help with free radical damage. Upon application, it seamlessly melted into the skin and blanketed it with dewy hydration. I used this body butter before bedtime and I woke up with skin that was soft and smooth to the touch—a testament to the lasting moisturization provided by this formula. If anything, its scent was reminiscent of playdough. Still, it won me over for its sumptuous consistency and effectiveness.

Scent: Sweet almond

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 8.4 oz.

Key ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, soybean oil, sodium hyaluronate, candelilla wax

For those who prefer unscented formulas, Dr. Nazarian highly recommends this body butter from Bliss. “It has shea butter and coconut oil,” she says, the combination of which works hard to nourish skin from your shoulders to your toes. In addition to these ingredients, there is soybean oil and candelilla wax to improve moisture retention, plus sodium hyaluronate, a water-soluble salt derived from hyaluronic acid, that penetrates deep into the skin, and according to Dr. Nazarian, “pulls and seals water into the skin” for long-lasting hydration. 

Scent: Fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 6.7 oz. and 32 oz.

Key ingredients: Cupuaçu butter, coconut oil, and squalene

Scented body moisturizers are a dime a dozen, but Ouai’s Melrose Place Body Cream was a clear standout. It has a subtle rose scent that lingered long on my skin after the initial application—so much so,I’d get subtle whiffs throughout the day. The rose-scented body butter also contains notes of cedar, sandalwood, and amber, making for a sweet yet sultry fragrance that smells like the olfactory equivalent of a slinky slip dress. Made with cupuaçu butter, coconut oil, and squalane, it left my skin looking and feeling soft, smooth, and moisturized without leaving behind an oily sheen. 

Scent: Rose

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 7.5 oz.

Key ingredients: Macadamia and rice milk

This body moisturizer from Dove comes with the approval of Dr. Nazarian, and though it markets itself as a body cream, “it has a very high oil content,” she says, which is atypical of body butter. It packs the moisture, thanks to the inclusion of macadamia and rice milk. Plus, “there’s rice germ oil and rice bran extract, which is great for repairing the skin barrier.” she says. She also loves that it comes in two other options—Pomegranate and Shea Butter ($8) and Lavender and Coconut Milk ($8)—and at a wallet-friendly price. One 10-ounce tub will cost you less than $10. 

Scent: White florals, vanilla, and warm woods

Cruelty-free? Yes

Available sizes: 10 oz.

Key ingredients: organic shea butter and vitamin E

“If you are suffering from seriously dry skin, this product is a game changer,” says Dr. Yadav. “This formula from L’Occitane is made from 100 percent pure organic shea butter, with a small amount of vitamin E added to stabilize the product,” she says. “Because it is pure shea butter, it is solid in cooler weather, but melts into the skin once applied.” Made with only two ingredients, this option is straightforward yet effective. While the product’s primary purpose is to moisturize your body, the brand indicates that you can use it to hydrate dry strands, too.

Scent: Fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 0.35 oz. and 5.2 oz.

Key ingredients: petrolatum, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides

If you’re looking for something on the thicker side, consider an ointment like this one from CeraVe. It isn’t body butter, per se, but “it can be used as body butter,” says Dr. Greenfield, who recommends this product. “It’s a petrolatum-based product, [and] it’s incredibly hydrating.” Thanks to petrolatum, it has occlusive properties, which means it locks hydration in, while hyaluronic acid and ceramides pack a powerful one-two punch of moisture. Just a small amount will tackle dry patches, whether on your hands, elbows, or knees, and she also notes that it’s ideal for reactive skin—the formula is non-comedogenic and fragrance- and dye-free. 

Scent: Fragrance-free

Cruelty-free? No

Available sizes: 3 oz., 5. oz., and 12 oz.