These Body Oils Lock in Moisture and Keep Skin Glowing From Head to Toe

There are two types of people in the world: those who happily slather on a thick, creamy lotion after hopping out of the shower and those who couldn’t think of a more tortuous task. (So. much. rubbing.) Luckily for the latter group, the best body oils exist to add moisture and hydrate skin without that creamy texture associated with moisturizers.

Body oils are super lightweight and help you maintain supple skin with much less hassle. With that being said, it’s important to note that lotions and oils aren’t necessarily created equal—although they both moisturize the body, they do it in slightly different ways. “Body oils are made of just that—oils—while body lotions are usually an emulsion (a mixture) of oils and water together,” says Courtney Rubin, M.D., M.B.E., F.A.A.D, Harvard dermatologist and co-founder of Fig.1 Skincare. “Because body oils don’t contain water, the products themselves do not provide hydration.”

Meet the experts: Courtney Rubin, M.D., M.B.E., F.A.A.D, Harvard dermatologist and co-founder of Fig.1 Skincare; Jessica Houston, double-licensed esthetician and lead esthetician at BEAUTYBEEZ;Celebrity makeup artist Alexis Oakley; and Janiene Luke, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Loma Linda, California.

But the best body oils do so much more than add moisture. Many include powerhouse ingredients to help nourish skin and others even include SPF for sun protection. In fact, Janiene Luke, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Loma Linda, California, says products with sunscreen in them are “dermatologist’s choice,” so we’re inclined to name them ours, too.

Our top picks

Now that you’re well informed on the body oil basics, here are some top picks—including loads of our experts’ favorites.