Everyone knows concerning the importance of keeping your face moisturized. In any case, flaky skin isn’t cute — and even in case your skin is more on the oily side, avoiding moisturization can actually increase oil production and leave you with a slick face very quickly. Furthermore, with all that care you set in your face, it’s best to make sure that that your body gets some TLC, too. This can assist you to deal not only with weather transitions, but it surely’ll also make sure that your skin stays soft and supple all year long.

Before we dive into the products themselves, some background on what moisture and, on the alternative end, moisture loss, does to your skin. “The function of the skin is to be a protective barrier of the underlying tissues, protecting the interior organs from infections and irritation,” Birmingham, Atlanta-based board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MDexplains. “Desiccation and stress disruption of the protective barrier can result in the rise of transepidermal water loss, and subsequently conditions which might be related to skin, dryness, and irritations.”

In the case of the most effective method to keep your skin hydrated, most dermatologists agree that very dry skin would profit best from body butter, which Dr. Hartman describes as “a waterless, thicker version of a body lotion.” Nevertheless, especially in the course of the drier, winter months, anyone may benefit from using a heavier formula.

Ingredients to look out for are familiar, hydrating powerhouses, Dr. Hartman notes, “resembling shea butter, cocoa butter, and oils like coconut and avocado, in addition to vitamin E, which softens skin and protects the skin’s moisture barrier.” (Spoiler: you will notice that the majority of the picks listed below will boast shea butter, a wealthy emollient that heals cracked skin, due to a composition that features vitamins A, E, and F.) Dr. Hartman also adds that it is best to avoid any ingredients that can dry out the skin, like alcohol or witch hazel.

Since there’s little or no to no water present in body butters, Recent York City-based board-certified dermatologist Julie E Russak, MDsays the most effective time to make use of one is whenever you’ve just stepped out of the shower — when your skin is damp. “Pat the skin dry, and while the skin continues to be moist, apply body butter to all of the areas which might be rough and dry, including feet, hands, ankles, and elbows,” she says. “This locks within the moisture that has been obtained from the shower decreases trans-epidermal water loss and helps to repair the barrier.”

To search out the best body butters for any skin type — dry, sensitive, and every part in between — we spoke to several dermatologists, tried some out ourselves, and checked out products with the most effective reviews from several popular retailers, each high-end and inexpensive. Keep reading to study 11 body butters which might be well well worth the hype, induce intense hydration, and can leave your skin feeling amazing in the course of the winter months — and, really, all 12 months long.

Nashville, Tennessee, board-certified dermatologist Michael H. Gold, MDis a large fan of Paula’s Selection Ultra-Wealthy Soothing Body Butter. “It’s totally gentle on the skin, and I’m an enormous fan of the eczema-friendly ingredients in it,” he says. Living proof: this unscented, paraben-free body butter accommodates a special mix of shea and mango butters for softness, in addition to oat extract to calm inflammation.

This Whipped Body Butter is free from 1,300 potentially harmful ingredients that Indie Lee stays away from (including mineral oils, sulfates, and parabens). Nevertheless, what you’ll discover inside are some wealthy moisturizers — resembling shea butter and marula, bergamot, and jojoba oils — that hydrate and protect skin against environmental stressors.

A budget-friendly find that goes a great distance, the Weleda Skin Food Body Butter wins top points from Dr. Gold because of its plant-based skin-care ingredients. It accommodates a mixture of shea butter, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, and pansy extract, which provides this body butter a smooth texture that very easily melts into the skin for full absorption.