Yahoo Autos The 18 Best Body Butters to Revive Your Skin for Spring
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When you’re plagued with dry skin, it can feel like no amount of body lotions or creams are ever moisturizing enough. And you’re not imagining things — many hydrating products can just simply sit on the surface of skin, rarely getting absorbed to repair dryness. But that’s where body butters save the day. These rich, ultra-concentrated creams can resolve a plethora of concerns, from cracked skin to achy muscles to reducing the appearance of cellulite. But first and foremost, what is body butter?
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What is Body Butter?
“I like to think it’s a descriptive term,” says Bee Shapiro, founder of fragrance and body care brand Ellis Brooklyn and New York Times columnist. “It’s not a technical term, but we use it to communicate that the texture is extra rich and thick.”
Almost any skin type can benefit from using body butter, as the extra hydration will help soothe and hydrate even normal to oily skin, but dry and sensitive skin are especially nourished by body butters.
“Texture and concentration of moisturizing ingredients are what define a butter versus a lotion,” says Dr. Audrey Kunin, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dermadoctor. “While both hydrate the skin, body butters are thicker, creamier, and contain a higher concentration of super-moisturizing ingredients, such as squalene or shea butter, than their thinner, lighter-weight lotion counterparts.”
To source the best body butters, we tested a slew of products and spoke with a roster of respected dermatologists, including board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology, Dr. Shereene Idriss and Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Department of Dermatology and board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Joshua Zeichner.
Ahead, the best body butters to hydrate, repair and soothe your skin.
Best Body Butters of 2023
Best Value: Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter
Best Refillable: Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream
Best Body Balm: L’Occitane Immortelle Shea Body Balm
Best for Heavy Moisture: Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Best for Dry Skin: Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter
Best CBD: Ellis Brooklyn Marvelous CBD Extra Rich Body Lotion Cream
Best Coconut: Mario Badescu Coconut Body Butter
Best with SPF: Supergoop! Body Butter SPF 40
Best Scented: Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream
Best Luxury: Augustinus Bader The Body Cream
Best for Expecting Mothers: Mutha Body Butter
Best Organic: Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm
Best for Sore Muscles: Asutra Melt Pain Away Magnesium Body Butter
Best for Eczema: Dermadoctor Calm Cool + Corrected 1% Colloidal Oatmeal Eczema + Dermatitis Clinical Repair Balm
Best Unscented: Weleda Skin Food Intensive Skin Nourishment Body Butter
Best Drugstore: Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Body Butter
Best Whipped: Melach 33 Silky Shea Body Butter
Best for Glowing Skin: Bliss Texture Takedown Skin Smoothing Body Butter
Best Hydrating: Osea Undaria Algae Body Butter
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Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter
Best Value Body Butter
Size: 8.4 oz
Fragrance: Natural sweet almond scent
Special features: Fully recyclable packaging
Well-priced with a large amount of formula inside, a tub of Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter is a high-value choice. Caudalie is known for high-performing, plant-centric skin care products; this body butter contains desert date seed oil, grape seed oil, and sustainably-sourced, organic shea butter. The ingredients come together for a cushiony texture that softens your skin in the short term and the long run. It’s dermatologically tested, too, so sensitive skin types are in the clear.
What reviewers say: “This is the best body butter — holy grail and worth the price. It has a wonderful light almond scent that is so lovely and doesn’t trigger migraines in my husband, who can be very sensitive to scents. It is rich without being sticky or oily.”
Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter
Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter
Caudalie Vinotherapist Moisturizing Vegan Body Butter
Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream
Best Refillable Body Balm
Size: 6.7 oz
Fragrance: Subtle tropical scent
Special features: Refillable packaging
Rihanna doesn’t play around with her beauty line — so it’s no surprise that Fenty Skin’s Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream is brimming with powerful skin-smoothing ingredients. The formula is extra dense, so a little goes a long way. Smooth it on after showering, and the shea butter, glycerin, and seven plant-based oils will flood your skin with hydration for a luminous look. When you run out, simply order a refill pod that slides into the original packaging.
What reviewers say: “I love this product, it is very moisturizing without being sticky or oily. I love that it is “lightly scented” for me there is nothing worse than a heavily scented body cream that will, with daily use, dry out my normal skin and cause it to itch. This is beautiful. Highly recommend for normal or dry skin.”
Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream
L’Occitane Immoretelle Shea Body Balm
Best Body Balm
Size: 6.9 oz
Fragrance: Subtle honey scent
Special features: Refillable packaging
L’Occitane is a French brand that’s popular for their shea butter-based hand creams, luxurious bath oils, and plant-forward skin care products. The Immortelle Shea Body Balm is the latest addition to the brand’s popular Immortelle collection — and it’s rich with skin-transforming ingredients. The formula contains sustainably sourced shea butter, firming pea-derived peptides, and antioxidant-rich organic Immortelle Essential Oil. Use it consistently, and you can expect your skin to have more bounce.
What reviewers say: “I have used this for a month and just love it! I have noticed the skin on my arms and décolleté is more firm, smooth, and has less fine lines. The scent is clean and light, and the balm absorbs quickly without any sticky feeling. This is an amazing product and I love this as part of my post shower routine.”
L’Occitane Immoretelle Shea Body Balm
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Best Body Butter for Heavy Moisture
Size: 8 oz.
Fragrance: Light earthy-sweet scent
Special features: Whipped texture
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps body lotion is one of the brand’s bestsellers, and this whipped body butter puts everything you love about the traditional lotion into a richer formula that’s great for wintertime or chronically dry skin. The ingredients, like jojoba oil, squalane, and shea butter, deeply moisturize your skin and create a barrier to prevent your limbs from drying out throughout the day. The whipped texture allows you to soak up all the hydration without feeling sticky or greasy.
What reviewers say: “I live in the high desert of New Mexico. Our climate is very dry, so having a good moisturizer is important for me. I have been using this product for many years. It is the first thing I grab when I get out of the shower. I’m very satisfied.”
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter
Best Body Butter for Dry Skin
Size: 7 ounces
Fragrance: Light floral scent
Special features: Enriched with vitamin E, honey, and whey for deep hydration.
Handcrafted in the Austrian Alps, Susanne Kaufmann’s eponymous label utilizes the rich bounty of botanicals in her own Alpine backyard. For this luxurious body butter, that means rich shea butter, olive oil, whey, honey, and bee pollen — all carefully selected to restore the skin. The rich fatty acids and antioxidants from the shea butter and olive oil soften and hydrate skin, while honey protects and repairs skin cells and the milk protein whey helps skin’s natural healing process. This soothing cream is wonderful for the whole body, but is particularly effective on rough and chapped elbows, knees, and feet.
What reviewers say: “I have been using Body Butter for a while now. It is the most luxurious cream ever. I give it as gifts and the recipients refuse to share it with their partners. It is really and truly the best cream you can buy. It will make you feel so good and smell wonderful.”
Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter
Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter
Ellis Brooklyn Marvelous CBD Extra Rich Body Lotion Cream
Best CBD Body Butter
Size: 6.52 ounces
Fragrance: Fresh scent with notes of pine
Special features: Loaded with 500 mg of full-spectrum CBD to soothe skin.
CBD has been a buzzword in beauty for years, but what does its inclusion in body butter do? For Shapiro, it meant including 500 mg of full-spectrum CBD in Ellis Brooklyn’s body butter. “I have psoriasis and I also run regularly so I’m always looking for soothing body care and supplements,” she says. “I wrote a story on CBD years ago for The New York Times and I became fascinated with CBD and how full-spectrum CBD, in particular, has all these gorgeous complex cannabinoids that our body’s own cannabinoid system can recognize. It’s a super gentle way of soothing the skin and body.”
CBD in skincare has been shown to reduce inflammation, swelling, pain, and redness, and is especially great for skin conditions, like eczema and psoriasis. Users have noted how soothing this body butter is for sore muscles, too.
What reviewers say: “This body cream is amazing for the winter! Super rich and luxurious, leaving the skin so soft and smooth. It does initially have a strong scent, but it fades out when you apply it, which I like. The packaging is amazing and heavy; it’s really a beautiful piece to display on your vanity. I love applying it right when I get out of the shower so my skin can soak it up right away”
Ellis Brooklyn Marvelous CBD Extra Rich Body Lotion Cream
Mario Badescu Coconut Body Butter
Best Coconut Body Butter
Size: 8 ounces
Fragrance: Light coconut scent
Special features: Leaves skin with a radiant, glowing sheen.
When slathering on Mario Badescu’s Coconut Body Butter, you’d never guess it’s only $18. This luxurious, freshly scented cream is mega hydrating. Its blend of shea and mango butters, infused with argan, apricot, meadow seed foam, and rosehip oils, melt into skin immediately — like a cream triple its price point. If you’re interested in body butter but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, this is the one for you.
What reviewers say: I bought this as an after sun moisturizer. It’s thick but absorbs quickly. My skin looks dewy after and hydrated. It’s a tropical scent but it’s not that very fake coconut smell that is in a lot products.
Mario Badescu Coconut Body Butter
Mario Badescu Coconut Body Butter
Supergoop! Body Butter SPF 40
Best Body Butter with SPF
Size: 5.7 ounces
Fragrance: Hints of eucalyptus, clove, and vanilla
Special features: Infused with chemical broad-spectrum SPF 40 protection.
Moisturize and protect the skin with this 2-in-1 body butter from Supergoop! The whipped body butter formula leaves skin soft and hydrated while providing UVA/UVB protection with SPF 40. Plus, the 5.7-ounce squeeze tube makes application much easier than scooping it out from a jar. When you’ve used all the product, take a strong pair of sanitized scissors and cut the container in half horizontally, and then scoop out the product (carefully – those cut edges can be sharp) to use every last drop.
What reviewers say: “Finally I’ve found a moisturizer with sunscreen that I can use everyday. I have to protect any exposed skin since I have an autoimmune disease that makes me sensitive to the sun. I was using a regular sunscreen as a body moisturizer to save a step. They either made my skin feel sticky or dry. Not what you want on a daily basis to go to work. This just feels like a really nice moisturizer and I love that it has such a high SPF.”
Supergoop! Body Butter SPF 40
Supergoop! Body Butter SPF 40
Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream
Best Scented Body Butter
Size: 8.1 ounces
Fragrance: Sweet, musky scent
Special features: Designed to boost skin elasticity, giving it a more plump and healthy appearance.
This Brazilian brand is known for its scented body creams — and this brand new, collagen-rich body cream has a whole new fragrance. You’ll find that almost all the comments and reviews are dedicated to the cream’s scent — either loving or hating it. Test it out first to see which camp you fall under. Beyond the scent, this formula is intended for daily use to boost skin’s elasticity, leaving it visibly plump, deeply replenished and velvety-soft. Cacay oil, a gentle retinol alternative, and plant-based collagen support cell turnover.
What reviewers say: “‘As soon as I opened the jar so knew I was going to love this cream. The smells is so beautiful I feel like I don’t even need perfume. It wasn’t slimy or sticky and blended very well into my skin. I recommend this product — you won’t be disappointed.”
