Stock Up on These Ultra-Moisturizing Lotions to Banish Dry Skin Once and for All (2024)

“Cerave Moisturizing Cream is one of my all-time favorite body moisturizers, and contains ceramides (a lipid naturally found in skin), glycerin, and hyaluronic acid to pack a powerful punch of deep moisturizing and hydration,” says Dr. Marchbein. “Together with cholesterol and fatty acids, ceramides are responsible for creating a healthy, intact skin barrier and retaining moisture in the skin.”

With a nearly-perfect rating from 122,000 shoppers, this all-over cream is a clear customer favorite, too.

User review: “I love this cream. I was skeptical of a cream for the face and body, but it works for both! My face is so soft and the lines are less noticeable,” wrote one shopper. “It’s a cream so it feels thick, but it absorbs quickly. I have sensitive, mature skin and I’ve had no irritation or break-out.”

Made with hydrating ingredients such as squalane and glacial glycoprotein, this facial cream impressed the Good Housekeeping Institute with its ability to hydrate even the most parched skin. It earned top scores in Beauty Lab tests, increasing skin hydration by 46.5% in a period of six hours. Plus, testers praised its “fine and silky” texture and its ability to leave skin feeling hydrated without leaving a “heavy or sticky” residue.

User review: also can’t stop raving about the cream’s silky-soft formula. “I put it on and I almost heard my skin sigh. Instant softness. Instant shield against the air. From just a tiny application. This is what my skin needed,” wrote one Amazon shopper.

Vaseline’s unscented body lotion earned top scores for hydration in tests conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Beauty Lab, hydrating skin by 60% and keeping skin feeling moisturized all day. It was also a favorite among testers, who noted that the formula absorbed quickly. And at under $10 for a 32-ounce bottle, it’s also super affordable.

User review: “This lotion has been working great for me. Within a few hours after applying different lotions, my skin tends to get easily dry again. With the Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair, the lotion lasts quite a bit longer for me and it’s not greasy,” noted one reviewer. “Very moisturizing and my skin is like a sponge and soaks it all up! Great part as well, is that it’s fragrance-free, which does not make my skin irritated at all.”

This popular body cream from Sol de Janeiro was named one of our top picks for best firming body lotions as well as best cellulite creams. It’s packed with ingredients that help smooth and tighten the appearance of skin, including caffeine-rich guaraná extract, as well as moisturizing and nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, squalane, and coconut oil.

With over 32,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, this top-rated cream is also a favorite among customers, who rave about its fast-absorbing formula and “heavenly” scent.

User review: “Oh my. I couldn’t imagine this product could live up to the hype but it did,” wrote one reviewer. “Thick, creamy lotion that smells like you’re at the beach. It absorbs quickly and is not sticky or oily.”

Listed as the best overall pick for best firming lotions, this moisturizer from Nivea helps tighten and firm skin. It includes Q10, an antioxidant that helps with energy production in cells. “It helps to replenish the skin’s natural levels of collagen,” Ife Rodney, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology in Fulton, MD, previously told Prevention. Meanwhile, glycerin helps hydrate.

User review: “I love this cream I have been using it for about 3 years now and have noticed a good result. I put it on during the day with a sauna vest for 8 hours,” wrote one shopper. “The smell is very pleasant it’s lightweight and it doesn't have leftover residue it disappears.”

This top-rated body lotion is formulated with raw shea butter, a key ingredient that helps deeply hydrate and soften skin, as well as coconut oil and Frankincense and Myrrh extracts, which work to nourish and heal dry, cracked skin. This versatile pick can also be used all over the body, or as a hand cream or foot cream to target the rough, dry areas of your skin.

User review: “Excellent body lotion—not oily. Skin feels silky and soft, and moisture will last for hours,” noted one Amazon reviewer, while another wrote: “My hands are the softest they have been in years.”

This cult-favorite cream from Glow Recipe is infused with watermelon seed butter, which gives it a lightweight, creamy texture and a moisturizing feel—not to mention an amazing scent. It’s especially great for reducing the appearance of uneven skin tone and leaving skin with a hydrated glow, thanks to hibiscus AHA that gently exfoliates and naturally smooths, as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid.

User review: “Firstly, the smell is delightful! I’ve gotten a lot of compliments after I’ve used this. It keeps my skin moisturized and glowing without the sticky feeling,” noted one Amazon reviewer.

If you have sensitive skin prone to getting red, itchy, or irritated, this heavy-duty cream from La Roche-Posay—which can be used for both your face and body—is a great pick, as it’s accepted by the National Eczema Association. Thanks to its restorative ingredients of shea butter, glycerin, and niacinamide (a B vitamin that reduces redness), it provides long-lasting hydration—with one reviewer saying that it cleared up their body eczema in just one week. Plus, it has Dr. Marchbein’s stamp of approval for being thick enough to heal dry patches, but still being able to sink right into the skin for a barely-there finish.

User review: “I struggle with dry skin year-round, this product can be used during any season. It’s very thick so use it sparingly, but it definitely provides an excellent barrier to keep your skin hydrated. Highly recommend!!” wrote one shopper.

This powerful lotion won for best body lotion in our recent Beauty Awards. “This lotion contains glycerin and shea butter for incredible hydration. It also contains an oat complex, which is extremely soothing. It absorbs into the skin quickly, so you can put your clothes on immediately,” Debra Jaliman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York, told Prevention.

User review: “I have very dry skin and this body lotion keeps my skin moisturized all day,” one reviewer wrote. “It absorbs easily into the skin and it is not greasy.”

This one isn’t just for your face—it can be used all over to truly repair angry skin. Dr. Gohara loves that it has ceramides, shea butter, and colloidal oatmeal, which work to soothe irritation, relieve itch, and leave skin feeling healthy.

User review: “I got this for my husband, who has very dry skin and eczema. After a while of using it his hands have healed up great!” one reviewer raved. “If you have tried many many different lotions or creams but none have worked, then give this a try.”

This hydrating face lotion is great for sensitive skin and is packed with hyaluronic acid, a nourishing hydrator. It’s unscented, making it great for reaction-prone skin, and won the best face lotion category in the Prevention Beauty Awards. “This product is so light that it absorbs right into your skin. It is oil-free, so it can be used for even acne-prone skin, but it contains hyaluronic acid, so it is super hydrating for dry skin, too,” Dr. Jaliman said.

User review: “Cetaphil Hydrating Lotion has become a staple in my skincare routine. Its lightweight formula absorbs quickly, leaving my skin feeling moisturized without any greasiness. As someone with sensitive skin, I appreciate its gentle nature, and it hasn't caused any irritation,” one reviewer wrote. “The hydration lasts throughout the day, making it perfect for both morning and night use. While it may not have a fancy scent, its simplicity is what makes it effective.”

Looking for a lightweight, non-greasy lotion that’s perfect for daily use? A great pick from Aveeno, this fragrance-free and non-comedogenic lotion recommended by Dr. Madfes is gentle enough to use every day—and promises to moisturize dry skin for a full 24 hours. Colloidal oatmeal has a soothing effect and reinforces skin’s barrier, while moisturizers like dimethicone, glycerin, and petrolatum works to smooth skin.

User review: “After three days of using this twice per day on legs and hands, I noticed a huge difference,” one customer explained. “My skin is no longer flaking or cracking.”

You might be familiar with Cetaphil’s face washes, but the brand offers great lotions, too. With a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores) formula that packs glycerin, vitamin B5, and niacinamide, this lightweight and non-greasy lotion is ideal for use on the entire body and is also great for sensitive skin. “The intense, moisture-rich formula binds water to the skin and protects from dryness for 24 hours,” Dr. Bae says.

User review: “Goes on smooth and absorbs well without being greasy,” one Amazon shopper wrote. “Purchased this to replace the thicker version of Cetaphil in the jar which has petroleum and I wanted a cleaner daily lotion. This is the perfect balance of clean and moisturizing.”

Ceramides, pro-vitamin B5, and shea butter team up to provide instant relief for dry, itchy skin. The fragrance-free formula works on all skin types, even for those who struggle with eczema. In fact, it’s so gentle that you can use it on babies six months and up.

User review: “After about a week of applying this after my showers, I had no itching, no stinging on application, and my skin felt a whole lot more comfortable,” one reviewer raved.

Colloidal oatmeal has been found to have beneficial properties for those with certain skin irritations and conditions. This body lotion features 2% colloidal oatmeal and also boasts vitamin E and aloe to soothe and hydrate skin.

User review: “Very effective product! I have a chronically itchy back as well as slight eczema in other areas. I was constantly scratching, often at night without even being aware of it, leaving scratch marks and sometimes even cuts,” noted one Amazon shopper. “Have tried using OTC cortisone cream as well as another brand of lotion which uses 1% colloidal oatmeal and is very greasy—neither provided relief. Saw that this product has 2% colloidal oatmeal which is the main ingredient to help reduce itchiness so decided to give it a try. Applied this on my back and other itchy areas once a day, and it has totally stopped the itch!”

This body lotion from cult-favorite brand Nécessaire boasts a slew of skin-loving ingredients to hydrate and help tighten skin. The formula boasts peptides, niacinamide, and vitamins C and E to replenish and strengthen skin, per the brand. And it’s fragrance-free. Prevention Deputy Editor, Emily Goldman, loves this lotion. “It’s so lightweight and leaves my skin feeling hydrated,” she says.

User review: “This lotion is by far the best I have ever used. It truly does its job. There is no smell, which is great because I use it a lot because I can’t get over how my soft it makes my skin,” wrote one Amazon shopper.

Read the ingredient list. Glycerin, shea butter, cocoa butter, and ceramides are a few of the must-have moisturizing ingredients in a good lotion, Dr. Madfes notes. Hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, colloidal oatmeal, petrolatum, and urea are also helpful ingredients that add and lock in moisture. Although the right scent can be energizing or relaxing, added fragrances can spur irritation, so choose a fragrance-free formula if you have sensitive skin.

Find your hero product. If you don’t like the feel or smell of a lotion, you’re just not going to use it, Dr. Bae warns, meaning you’ll be stuck with extremely dry skin. There’s a big difference among products, so if you don’t like one, try another until you find one that you’ll stick with. You can buy a fancy lotion, but you don’t have to; drugstore brands can get the job done just as well.

Test, if necessary. If you know you have especially sensitive skin that’s reacted to body lotion in the past, consider patch-testing before applying to your whole body. Dr. Madfes recommends trying it on a small area on your chest for a couple days. No reaction? You’re good to go.