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Your lotion has been working overtime for you this winter, but you’re starting to notice that dry, flaky skin still makes a persistent appearance in your life. If you’ve tried every intensive cream and balm there is, maybe what you need to do is rethink your daily body wash. At the end of the day, your body soap is not just used for cleansing. It’s supposed to provide your skin with adequate hydration as well. You may have to come to terms with the fact that your favorite shower gel might only be good for its fragrance.
Have no fear. There are plenty of options to help you kiss dehydration goodbye without sacrificing the delicious scent and super clean feeling you know and love. We’ve compiled a list of the best body washes for dry skin to cure the broken barrier blues and bring your skin back to its former smooth and supple glory.
Reasons for Dry Skin
It may seem pretty obvious why you’ve been suffering from dry skin—you’re just not retaining enough moisture. But even if you do decide to layer on lotion and change your body wash, you may have to alter a few steps in your shower routine before you see results. There are a variety of factors that could lead to dehydrated skin, and though this isn’t a totally comprehensive list, here are a few reasons why your flakes just won’t seem to fade away.
Your Water Is Too Hot
There is nothing like standing under a stream of steaming hot
Harmful Hard Water
Hard
The Air in Your Home May Be Too Cold or Warm
Environmental stressors have a huge effect on your skin, so if you’re living in a place that’s bitterly cold or devastatingly hot, your skin will suffer from it. If you’re also experiencing unbalanced temperatures inside your home, it can have just as much of a lasting effect on your moisture barrier. Your fireplace, radiator, and even the heat from the vents in your car can dry out your skin, and the same goes for the days when you’re central air is on the coldest setting. Make sure your home has appropriate humidity levels to prevent excess dryness, and invest in a humidifier for the nighttime when controlling the temperature isn’t as easy.
Best Body Washes for Dry Skin
1. Blu Atlas Body Wash
Let’s face it, your skin is dying for a body wash that lends unbeatable moisture and a soft luxurious lather, and your trusty bar soap just doesn’t cut it. Blu Atlas has committed to creating a body wash that works well for all skin types and addresses all of your unique skincare needs.
Their formula is full of green tea, sugar cane, and aloe vera that work to relieve irritation from dry, cracked skin while leaving you with an unmatched softness. Blu Atlas has a wide array of fantastic skincare products that fit any lifestyle, but this body wash is one of their most outstanding products. It is the perfect universal body wash and the only one you’ll ever need from the first shower onward.
2. Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash
Dove’s lush, creamy body wash is perfect for those who are feeling a bit wrung out by the harsh winter. To get glistening skin ready to soak up the impending springtime sun, Dove’s Deep Moisture Body Wash uses gentle, plant-derived ingredients. This product is free of harsh chemicals and detergents that tend to prevent your skin from receiving the hydration it needs.
This mild body wash works well for all skin types, especially those on the sensitive side. Dove is commited to being more eco-conscious as well. Along with their plant-based formulas, their packaging is made with 100% recycled plastic, so you can feel good on the inside and outside with every wash.
3. Necessaire The Body Wash
Niacinamide works wonders for your face, shrinking the appearance of pores and relieving any current blemishes or those threatening to pop up. If you find your body to be acne-prone, this pH-balanced body wash helps keep your skin firm and prevents any breakouts from occurring.
With the help of marula, cacay, and meadowfoam oils, this fragrance-free body wash nourishes the skin and leaves you with a baby softness that gets better with every wash. Even though most body washes make you choose between clear and moisturized skin, with Necessaire, you can get the best of both worlds.
4. L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil
L’Occitane has a way of turning your ordinary shower routine into a luxe experience. This shower oil is light, so you won’t get the heavy feeling other oils tend to have. As you mix this product with
Not only does sweet almond oil smell amazing, but it also has a ton of health benefits. It contains omega 3 and 9, soothing irritation and providing just enough hydration to comfort your skin.
5. Buttah Skin Egyptian CocoShea Body Wash
Though most brands say their products work for every skin type, do they mean it? Deeper complexions come with unique skincare needs, and brands often don’t cater to these concerns like they should. Black-owned brand Buttah Skin is putting the needs of your melanated skin first with this ultra-hydrating body wash, a vitamin-rich formula that is sure to grant you freedom from your dry skin days.
African Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter combine to hydrate your skin and heal abrasions and irritation. If that didn’t already convince you to add this to your cart, Buttah Skin also incorporates their SP Duraquench complex for moisturized skin that lasts up to three days.
6. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash with Soothing Oat
If you’re troubled by eczema or other inflammatory skin issues, Aveeno provides not only the best body washes for dry skin but the perfect products for all highly sensitive skin types.
This hypoallergenic body wash is imbibed with colloidal oatmeal, which has a wealth of beta-glucans, working to prevent advanced signs of aging while aiding irritated skin from further harm. It has a mild scent, and the formula is so creamy you’ll almost be reluctant to wash it off.
7. Kopari Beauty Hydrating Gel Body Wash with Aloe and Sea Kelp
If you’re looking for a new clean beauty brand to obsess over, Kopari just might be the one for you. This brand uses ethically sourced ingredients and receives their organic coconut oil—which is a large component in most of their products—from family farms in the Philippines.
Their Hydrating Gel Body Wash has a lingering coconut scent you won’t be able to get enough of. The combination of coconut
8. Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser
Aesop wants to solve the mystery behind finding the best body wash for dry skin by putting all their cards on the table. To choose the product that works the best for you, they know it takes more than a flowery description and an appealing scent.
This brand hopes to teach their consumers what works best for their skin types with in-depth consultations both in their stores as well as online.
Aesop has a few great body washes, but their Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser is gentle and effective, enveloping you in a clean citrusy, herbal scent while the low-foaming gel formula hydrates your skin.
9. Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil-to-Foam Body Cleanser
From head to toe, Kiehl’s is the secret weapon to nourishing, effective skincare. They know the importance of having a body wash that comforts just as well as it cleans. This formula envelops your skin in a silky smooth layer of oil before transforming into a gentle foam with hints of vanilla and almond.
Grape seed and castor oil restore and revive your skin, adding moisture that lasts long after you rinse off. The oil-to-foam concoctions are the best body washes for dry skin that needs a bit more coddling than most.
10. Grown Alchemist Body Cleanser
We are obsessed with the smell of bergamot. Coupling this citrus scent with soothing chamomile and the sweet, earthy aroma of rosewood is absolutely divine. Grown Alchemist has developed a heavenly body wash that blesses you with a mouthwatering scent while pumping your skin full of healthful antioxidants while calming irritation.
All of their products have a sensual maturity to them. They make your everyday skin and hair care routine feel chic like you’re in on a fashionable secret only known by a very select few. If your shower routine needs an upgrade, this body cleanser is a great place to start.
11. CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash
When you’re skin’s ceramide levels are low, it can leave you vulnerable to acne and damaging dryness. CeraVe understands that the key to soft and supple skin is a healthy skin barrier, and their body wash targets the root causes of dry skin and treats them accordingly.
With a subpar moisture barrier, your skin is bound to dry out rapidly. By incorporating a ceramide-rich body cleanser that teams up with the plumping and firming effects of hyaluronic acid into your shower regimen, you’re providing your skin with the building blocks for a stronger defense against dryness.
12. Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Moisturizing Body Cream-Cleanser
Sol de Janeiro had a tight grip on the skincare world with its delectable Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. But this Coco Cabana cream cleanser is neck and neck with their famous body lotion when it comes to our favorite product by this brand. This is the best body wash for dry skin that isn’t too sensitive, as this cleanser does have a strong coconut fragrance.
This sulfate-free body wash contains a blend of coconut oil, acai oil, and Cupuaçu Butter, a dreamy concoction that heals dry skin and protects it from environmental stressors.
13. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash AP+
La Roche-Posay formulated this foaming wash to be gentle enough to use on both the body and the face. It’s difficult to find products that achieve this without causing irritation. The skin on your face is far more delicate than that on your body, and body washes tend to have heavy fragrances, exacerbating redness and breakouts even more.
This moisturizing wash works well for all skin types and is especially recommended for soothing eczema flare-ups. The niacinamide in this product works to reduce pore size and prevent blemishes overall while glycerin adds considerable moisture to your skin, allowing for 24-hour hydration that you can see and feel.
14. Jergens Enriching Shea Butter Body Wash
Shea butter is a useful moisturizing agent that works well for every skin type, but it is especially helpful for those with dry skin. It sinks into your skin quickly, is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties, and carries and lovely scent.
Jergens created their collection of body butters, washes, facial cleansers, and other products with the intent of giving you beautiful, touchable skin at an affordable price. This Shea Butter body wash is oil-infused so your skin can reach maximum softness and stay that way all day long.
15. Dr. Barbara Sturm Body Wash
Dr. Barbara Sturm creates luxury skincare products that are thoroughly researched and tested to ensure the highest health benefits with every pump. Every active ingredient soothes and nourishes the skin while reducing visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles and fine lines.
Not only does this product restore skin hydration, but it adds noticeable plumpness to your skin with the help of hyaluronic acid. This body wash is perfect for mature skin, which tends to produce less oil with age and tends to be dryer.
16. Shea Moisture Soothing Body Wash with Oatmeal & Vitamin E
Shower time is a refuge for most, and your body wash should caress your skin with ribbons of soothing lather while helping you wind down from your day.
If you’re recovering from the brutal effects that winter has had on your skin, treat yourself to a comforting shower with this moisture replenishing body wash. Even those suffering from irritation and sensitivity can enjoy this indulgent blend of shea butter, vitamin E, and oatmeal.
17. Love Beauty and Planet Argan Oil & Lavender Body Wash
Love Beauty and Planet is an affordable brand that aims to address everyone’s skin concerns without losing irresistible scents you love in your body wash. Cleanse yourself with their Argan Oil and Lavender Body Wash. This product is made with plant-derived ingredients, so you can rest assured your skin will be well taken care of with minimal risk of irritation.
Argan Oil seeps into the skin and creates a softness that seems to last forever, while lavender calms you down. Your dry skin troubles will seem like nothing but a bad dream from the first wash.
18. Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash Eucalyptus + Lavender
Skincare doesn’t begin and end with your face. Proper hydration is essential for total body health and comfort, so you deserve a body cleanser that acts as soul food for your skin. Dermalogica’s Conditioning Body Wash smells like a spa day and acts like one too. This formula uses vitamin essentials while moisturizing your skin to its very core.
French rosemary and Chinese eucalyptus send an invigorating jolt down your spine. This herbal scent sparkles with a hint of lemon and clary sage, relaxing a foggy brain and soothing frazzled skin.
19. Pipette Relaxing Body Wash
Pipette is a brand specifically designed for the delicate skin of mothers and their babies. This body wash is safe for pregnant and postpartum mamas to use on skin that is in need of some well-deserved pampering.
This body wash eliminates dryness and grime with plant-derived surfactants and squalane, so you can feel cleaned and conditioned without ever having to sacrifice one or the other. The scents of bergamot, mandarin orange, and geranium flower blanket your senses with a feeling of calm, allowing you a moment of comfort during this treasured and trying time in your life.
20. Kiehl’s Made for All Gentle Body Cleanser
Kiehl’s has made our list yet again. No matter how hard we try to branch out to other brands, this one holds a special place in our hearts. For folks who share shower products with family, this is a great body wash for all skin types and ages.
Made with 95% naturally-derived ingredients, this body wash is mild enough for those with sensitive skin yet has all the deep hydration qualities necessary for those with dry skin. Soap tree extract provides a thorough clean for the messiest of kids, while aloe vera soothes and calms the more demanding skin of the adults of the house.
21. Lush Yummy Custard Body Wash
Whenever you walk into one of Lush’s retail stores, you can’t help but feel a confusing rumble in your tummy as soon as you take a whiff of the air. Many of their products have a dessert-like scent. Even though you can’t indulge in a bite of their skin and hair care, you can allow your skin to soak up all of this body wash’s vanilla-laden goodness.
Yummy Custard is a fitting name for this body wash. It’s creamy and soothing, with vanilla oat milk to calm inflammation and aloe vera to cool and hydrate your skin. It is a delicious feeling with an even better aroma.
22. Maui Moisture Extra Hydrating Shea Butter Body Wash
Not all dry skin is the same. For those of you who can never seem to find a body wash that doesn’t make your skin feel tight, Maui Moisture is on your side.
A blend of shea butter, macadamia oil, and versatile coconut oil fosters a highly nourishing, sulfate-free environment for thirsty skin. You can achieve that squeaky clean feeling as this body wash leaves you with a softness you can easily see and feel.
23. Nivea Creme Smooth Moisturizing Body Wash
Nivea takes hydration seriously, and they never miss an opportunity to help you out in the deep moisture department. This Creme Smooth Body Wash sinks itself into dry sensitive skin to give a sense of smoothness you never thought possible.
Shea butter is the hero of this formula. It repairs and heals the skin while adding intense, lasting moisture. The scent is rather mild, too, so those who are irritated by fragrance are not left out of the perfect skin party.
24. Aveda Rosemary Mint Body Wash
A tiny bathroom space calls for a compact solution that provides full-body moisturization. When you need a hand and body wash that doesn’t skimp on the luxe lather, Aveda is here for you, gifting their body wash with the power to revive and restore your skin to its peak hydration.
This Rosemary Mint Body Wash offers a clean, refreshing scent, giving you the earthy, spa-like vibes you’ve been looking for. It is also perfect for those with minimal shower and bathroom space who can’t afford an inch more of room for additional cleansing products.
25. Puracy Natural Body Wash
Having a laundry list of ingredients you can barely pronounce doesn’t make a product any more effective, so why not invest in a body wash with natural ingredients you actually recognize? Puracy wants to bring simplicity back to your shower regime, and their Natural Body Wash takes the guesswork out of figuring out what actually helps your skin.
Formulated by a team of doctors and chemists, this body wash lists all its ingredients with a set of layman’s terms, so you know without a doubt what’s in this product. Enjoy the sunny scent of citrus and bergamot while your skin soaks up the balancing properties of Himalayan pink sea salt.
26. Ouai Body Cleanser
Ouai continues to impress with its collection of hair care products, and its body wash is just as much of a knockout. Many body washes only add temporary moisturizing benefits to your skin, but Ouai helps restore your skin’s moisture barrier for hydration that doesn’t disappear so easily.
This vegan formula is delightfully citrusy, leaving an energizing aroma on your skin while jojoba seed oil and rosehip oil sink into your pores to work their soothing and softening magic.
27. SweetSpot Labs Vanilla Blossom pH-Balancing Creamy Full Body Cleanser
A lot of times, what your dry skin is really telling you is that it needs a product that adds a little bit of balance. Not only does this wash repair your your skin’s barrier, but it is also pH-balanced to fit the cleansing needs of your intimate areas.
The vanilla blossom scent is dreamy without causing irritation, as this formula has a low fragrance level for sensitive skin and bodily areas. A mighty collection of antioxidants and emollient oils gently returns your skin back to its former healthy graces.
28. Glossier Body Hero Daily Oil Wash
Summer is steadily creeping up on us. With the heat comes layers and layers of SPF to protect us from harmful UV rays. With a regular cleanser, it can be hard to break down and wash away all the sunscreen from your body, leading to clogged follicles and breakouts.
This oil cleanser lifts away all the dirt, grime, and excess SPF from your skin, and all you’ll be left with is a clean surface that’s soft to the touch. Beyond the cleansing benefits, this body wash also has a bright orange blossom and neroli aroma, leaving you with a fresh scent all summer long.
29. Sachajuan Ginger Flower Body Wash
Reaching your hydrated skin goals shouldn’t mean you have to trade style for softness. Sachajuan’s Ginger Flower Body Wash comes in a sleek, minimalist bottle, with each pump eliciting a bright scent of bergamot and lemon.
Sachajuan infuses this body wash with their Earth Silk Technology, which stimulates maximum hydration and reduces irritation and signs of aging. Every bath and shower will be like stepping into a citrus-scented time machine, where you and your skin will emerge more youthful and radiant.
30. Tom’s of Maine Soft Rose Prebiotic Body Wash
Bacteria isn’t always a bad thing, and you shouldn’t necessarily be afraid of it. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi make up one to three percent of your body; this is your microbiome. Managing your microbiome’s health is important to the overall function of your entire body. To obtain the clear, glowing skin of your dreams, you have to rid yourself of harmful bacteria while still making room for the good ones as well.
Tom’s of Maine uses prebiotics, which aid in the development of essential bodily bacteria, in order to balance your microbiome while shunning odor-inducing bacteria. This is a gentle and health-forward body wash choice for those who are looking for a long-term solution to persistent dry skin.
31. Ren Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash
We know you are just so tired of looking tired. Nobody wants to wear a long, sleepless night on their skin. Ren wants to help you wash away any remnants of restlessness from your body so you can look refreshed even when you’re running on fumes.
This Anti-Fatigue Body Wash adds considerable moisture to dry, drained skin while adding a boost of luminosity with the help of the anti-inflammatory, magnesium. This revitalizing formula also uses Atlantic kelp and plankton extract to invigorate your skin so you glow from dawn to dusk.
32. Josie Maran Skin Dope Ultra Nourishing Daily Body Wash
Hemp seed oil is an incredibly versatile ingredient that has so many beneficial effects. In many skincare products, hemp seed oil is most commonly used to reduce dryness and flakiness as it is rich in fatty acids, which can also soothe inflammation.
Josie Maran’s Skin Dope Body Wash combines the nourishing hemp seed oil and softening argan oil to create a daily body cleanser that is ideal for any skin type but works wonders for dry skin. This product also contains lactic acid, which helps gently exfoliate the skin and alleviates acne-prone skin.
Ingredients to Avoid
Sulfates: It is best to avoid sulfates in general, no matter your skin type. These harsh detergents can strip your skin of its natural oils and make it harder for you to retain moisture in the first place. Though surfactants create that lush, foamy lather you enjoy, they are a total no-go for dry skin folks.
Salicylic Acid: This ingredient is commonly used in acne-fighting treatments and cleansers, but it could be the reason why your skin is so dry. If you suffer from body acne, be sure to limit your use of this ingredient. Opt for physical exfoliants over chemical ones if you find your skin requires extra hydration.
Is It Possible to Overwash Your Skin?
Most people shower every day or every other day, but people who sweat a lot or indulge in lots of physical activity may shower twice a day. Though you may feel refreshed after your scrub down, you could be making your dry skin ailments even worse. Not only are you ridding your skin of all the healthy bacteria your immune system needs, but you’re also getting rid of all the natural oils that your skin needs for protection and moisture retention.
The best thing you can do for your skin is to give it a rest. If you feel the need to shower every day to eliminate odor or sweat, try to wash only your sweaty bits and leave the rest of your skin untouched by soap. You may think your commitment to perfect hygiene only benefits you, but you may be leaving yourself more susceptible to irritation and illness by obsessively cleansing.
