There's something particularly luxurious about slathering on a rich body butter. They're typically thicker and more highly moisturizing than body lotions, and applying them allows you to take a minute or two out of your busy day for a little pampering and self-care. There's no wrong way to use one of the best body butters, but ideally you'll apply yours all over your damp skin immediately after getting out of the bath or shower. That's when moisturizer is most effective, because using a body lotion or cream when your skin is still damp helps lock in the existing moisture before it starts getting pulled into the air.
There are many wonderful body butters on the market, and narrowing down the best of the best wasn't easy, but the following four body butters have something extra special about them. You'll find an affordable body butter made by a cult German brand, a drugstore staple from a company that's been moisturizing for generations, a sensitive-skin body butter made with soothing aloe vera, and an innovative Korean formula made with one very surprising ingredient. Oh, and if you're feeling extra crafty and DIY-y, you could also try this at-home olive butter recipe to treat extra-dry hands.
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1The Overall Best Body Butter
If you're already a fan of Weleda's cult-classic Skin Food multi-use balm, you'll be equally enamored by the brand's rich, luxurious Skin Food body butter. The NATRUE-certified formula contains shea and cocoa seed butters, as well as sunflower seed oil, glycerin, rosemary, and chamomile, among other natural ingredients. Use it anywhere on your body that can use a heavy-duty dose of moisture — on dry elbows, knees, legs, heels ... you get the idea.
One user reported, "I don’t like body butters that sit on top of your skin without absorbing [...] This body butter absorbs into your skin in just a couple of minutes so that your skin is truly moisturized, not just slathered with a sticky layer. The cream is very thick and rich — basically the texture of actual butter."
2The Best Affordable Body Butter
Iconic drugstore brand, Palmer's, has been serving up smooth skin for more than 175 years. Known for their beloved line of cocoa butters, their newer Natural Vitamin E Body Butter has that same quality and reliability, but it's even richer and more moisturizing. The fragrance-free formula contains skin-smoothing vitamin E, plus avocado, apricot, and coconut oils, and, of course, cocoa butter.
"It applies smoothly and evenly, quickly absorbing into the skin. There is absolutely no greasy feeling on your skin after application. There are no added dyes or scents so it is great for people who are sensitive to those ingredients," commented one reviewer.
3The Best Soothing Body Butter
The Body Shop's Aloe Body Butter is a great choice for people who have sensitized skin. Made without artificial fragrance, colorants, and preservatives, this is a gentle body butter that even users with skin conditions such as psoriasis report finding beneficial and non-irritating. The aloe vera is 100% organic and hand-harvested in Mexico, and comes through the company's Community Trade initiative, which supports and sustains the communities with which it partners.
"Mild smell, very pleasant, easy to massage onto skin and provides moisture that seems to last longer than lotions," wrote one reviewer. Another commented, "It absorbs well and lasts all day. I don't find the product be as heavy or 'sit' on the surface of my skin the way some other body butters do. [...] The aloe scent is very light, and does not bother me at all."
4The Best Korean Body Butter
Much like cake batter, this yummy-smelling Too Cool For School body butter contains eggs, butter (shea butter, to be precise), and a whole blend of good-for-skin oils. This is a luxurious, super rich lotion that's ideal for people prone to extremely dry skin. Plus, like most other Korean beauty products, the packaging is super cute, and makes for an excellent gift — whether for yourself or someone else.
"Rich cream for my dreadfully dry skin. Lasts all day and creates a barrier from winter air. Love the sweet butter cake smell," summed up on reviewer.
