Collage: Jemeria Davison; Source images: Courtesy of brandsSave this storySave this story
Don’t get us wrong: A good body lotion can work wonders for dry skin. But the best body butters can make your body-care routine feel more luxurious and satisfying, while giving your skin the moisture it needs. These ultra-rich products are made with little to no water and are instead oil-based, with ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, squalane, and ceramides playing prominent roles. And they’re not exactly lightweight. Instead, body butters come in handy during harsh and cold weather, when your skin begs for heavy-duty hydration, and on areas of your skin that tend to stay stubbornly dry and rough, like your heels, knees, and elbows.
Our Top Body Butters
- Best Overall: OSEA Undaria Algae Body Butter, $54
- Best Scents: Saltair Multi-Lipid Body Butter, $22
- Best for Very Dry Skin: Nonfiction Enriching Body Cream, $45
- Best Drugstore: EOS Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter, $13
- Best Firming: Oak Essentials Dew Body Butter, $68
Thanks to their thicker consistency and higher concentrations of occlusive ingredients, body butters tend to be more effective at preventing water loss from the skin, says Debra Luftman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Beverly Hills and Calabasas, California. So, while they melt seamlessly into your skin, they also smooth the surface and keep moisture securely locked in. Itchiness? Dryness? Not on our watch. Ahead, you’ll find the picks editors and derms recommend for some serious TLC.
Frequently Asked QuestionsLargeChevron
- How does moisture loss affect the skin barrier?
- Who should use body butter?
- What ingredients should I look for in body butter?
- How do I use body butter in my skin-care routine?
- Is body butter good for aging skin?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: OSEA Undaria Algae Body Butter
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Osea
Undaria Algae Body Butter
Amazon
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Allure creative producer Sydney Malone applying the Undaria Algae Body Butter
Sydney Malone
Why we love it: No matter where you land on the skin-type spectrum, OSEA’s Undaria Algae Body Butter has you covered. If you’re noticing signs of aging, the combo of undaria seaweed extract and caffeine helps visibly firm, smooth, and refine texture over time. Dry skin? Shea butter and the brand’s Skin-Identical Moisturizing Complex (a carbohydrate-derived humectant that pulls water into the skin) provide deep, lasting hydration that leaves your skin ridiculously soft. Is your skin sensitive or easily irritated? Oat-derived ceramides and aloe calm redness and replenish the moisture barrier. Even oilier skin types can benefit: This butter sinks in quickly without a greasy feel, helping balance hydration so your skin won’t overcompensate by producing excess sebum.
Tester feedback from creative producer Sydney Malone
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“This body butter smells absolutely divine—it's got a mild enough scent as to not overwhelm, but rather to make you feel luxurious and moisturized. I appreciate how thick this cream is because with just one application, I feel like I wouldn't need to use body lotion again until tomorrow! Perfect for dry or winter weather, especially for us dry skin girlies.” —Sydney Malone, creative producer
More to know
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- Key ingredients: undaria seaweed, shea butter, ceramides
- Fragrance-free: no
Best Scents: Saltair Multi-Lipid Body Butter
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Saltair
Santal Bloom Multi-Lipid Body Butter
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Former Allure content director Kara McGrath applying the Saltair Santal Bloom Multi-Lipid Body Butter
Kara McGrath
Why we love it: Once you apply Saltair’s Santal Bloom Multi-Lipid Body Butter, you’ll be double-checking your receipt. A 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, this rich, whipped body butter has a deeply nourishing formula and warm, summery fragrance, yet clocks in under $25. It’s packed with skin-strengthening ceramides, moisture-replenishing phospholipids, and nourishing coconut and sea buckthorn oils, all melting into skin with a velvety, never-greasy finish. Dr. Shah notes that this combination of ingredients is great for skin barrier support and can provide all-day hydration. It comes in several different scents, but we’re partial to the warm sandalwood-amber-musk option, which is downright dreamy. The minimalist packaging is chic enough to leave out on display, and the generous 10-ounce jar feels like it lasts forever. It’s an elevated experience from the very first scoop.
Tester feedback from former content director Kara McGrath
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“I love a big ol' tub of body butter—especially when it costs 20 bucks. With its notes of rose, jasmine, and sandalwood, this stuff smells way more expensive than it should; the scent is light and elegant, not sickly sweet like many other drugstore-priced options. The formula is great too: It's a mid-weight cream that makes your skin feel hydrated, not sticky. I like it best for the spring and fall.” —Kara McGrath, former content director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: ceramides, sea buckthorn oil, glycerin, phospholipids
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Very Dry Skin: Nonfiction Enriching Body Cream
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Nonfiction
Enriching Body Cream
Revolve
Nonfiction
Allure beauty director Sarah Kinonen applying the Nonfiction Enriched Body Cream
Sarah Kinonen
Why we love it: It might be billed as a body cream, but don’t be fooled: Nonfiction’s Enriching Body Cream is so rich that it feels and functions just like a body butter. That’s due in large part to shea butter, the cream’s second ingredient and the first in its lengthy list of plant-derived oils and butters. This tried-and-true moisturizing agent helps skin feel soft and supple, while niacinamide and panthenol (a.k.a. pro-vitamin B5) add anti-inflammatory support for extremely dry, stressed skin. Squalane further moisturizes and prevents water loss. One thing to note: While we love the plant-based ingredients in this cream for their hydrating properties (and woody-citrus scent to boot), body butters with lots of botanical extracts may irritate sensitive or reactive skin, says Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. (It never hurts to start with a patch test!)
Tester feedback from beauty director Sarah Kinonen
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“I rarely use scented body products (my sensitive skin is prone to eczema flare-ups), but after one sniff of this Nonfiction body cream, I was convinced my skin would tolerate it. Surprisingly, it did—a little too well. You can see from the photo/video above that I've used so much that I now have to scrape the sides of the glass bottle to get out what little product I have left. It's just so rich and buttery, makes my skin feel so soft and velvety, and smells so, so good. It's a woody citrus (with notes of bergamot, vetiver, orange blossom, and patchouli), but leans more on the fresh side. It's very subtle and doesn't compete with my daily fragrances (By Rosie Jane's Rosie and The Harmonist's Sacred Water), unlike this very unsubtle ask: Anyone know where I can get another jar?” —Sarah Kinonen, beauty director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: shea butter, niacinamide, panthenol, squalane, avocado oil
- Fragrance-free: no
Best Drugstore: EOS Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter
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EOS
Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Allure social director Kassidy Silva applying the EOS Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter
Kassidy Silva
Why we love it: The trio of shea, cocoa, and argan butters forms the thick, creamy foundation for EOS’s Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter, a sub-$20 option that makes your skin feel like it’s swaddled in a soft blanket. Glycerin, vitamin E, and coconut oil are in the mix, too, helping to hydrate your skin for the long haul and giving your skin hours of continuous moisture and smooth skin. You can also expect immediate relief, since the butter’s whipped texture easily spreads and rapidly absorbs, with no greasiness left behind. The fact that it leaves you smelling like a vanilla cake is just icing on top (pun intended).
Tester feedback from social director Kassidy Silva
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“My chronically dry skin always needs a hit of hydration midday, so you’ll always find at least one jar of the EOS Whipped Cashmere Oil Butter stocked in my desk. A quarter-sized amount is all you need to get your forearms, neck, and hands. It melts right into your skin and blends right in like… butter! There are a ton of scents to choose from: I’m partial to Vanilla Cashmere or Fresh & Cozy, which is one of the new releases. The product is heavily scented, so if you like a very fragrant lotion, this one is for you. If you prefer a more subtle scent, it’s a skip.” —Kassidy Silva, social director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, argan butter
- Fragrance-free: no
Best Firming: Oak Essentials Dew Body Butter
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Oak Essentials
Dew Body Butter
Amazon
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Allure senior shopping director Shanna Shipin applying the Oak Essentials Dew Body Butter
Shanna Shipin
Why we love it: The Dew Body Butter from Oak Essentials is basically a spa in a jar, from its soothing lavender scent to its pillowy texture—which looks and feels like honest-to-goodness butter straight out of the jar, but absorbs shockingly fast. Designer and brand founder Jenni Kayne (known for her elegant interpretation of California casual) formulated the body butter with mature skin in mind, with olive-derived stem cells and algae extract to encourage collagen production, improve crepiness, and fade dark spots, while keeping your skin hydrated and bouncy. Want a glowier finish? The brand suggests blending the butter with a couple pumps of its Dew Body Oil.
Tester feedback from senior shopping director Shanna Shipin
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“I used to avoid body butters because I don't like anything that leaves too occlusive a layer on my skin; I often get itchy, and it's also not fun to walk around leaving residue everywhere. Thankfully, I avoid all of that with this body butter from Oak Essentials. It's my Goldilocks formula: rich but not heavy, moisturizing but not greasy. It's a beautiful yellow, cushiony butter that keeps my skin looking and feeling moisturized and supple. When I use this, I don't constantly feel the need to reapply lotion throughout the day; I feel wrapped in hydration. It softens even the roughest patches of my skin (looking at you, elbows and heels) and smells like the perfect spa day. I genuinely daydream about this formula, and wish it came in a travel-friendly size so I could travel with it like I do my lip balms.” —Shanna Shipin, senior shopping director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: shea butter, glycerin, propanediol, saccharide isometrate
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Dull Skin: Naturium The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Butter
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Naturium
The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Butter
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Why we love it: Could your skin use a bit of a pick-me-up? Naturium’s The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Butter is formulated to quench thirsty skin (it contains shea butter, squalane, and several plant-derived oils rich in essential fatty acids) and boost its natural radiance, too. “In addition to the rich oils and emollients typically found in a body butter, it contains plant-based peptides and leaves the skin with a dewy, healthy-looking glow without feeling heavy or greasy,” says Dr. Shah. Said peptides also have a firming effect and support the skin barrier, which will help your skin more effectively retain moisture in the long run. Glowy now, healthier later—the perfect one-two punch for dull, tired-looking skin.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: shea butter, jojoba seed oil, squalane
- Fragrance-free: no
Best if You Like a Minimalist Formula: L’Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream
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L'Occitane
Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream
Amazon
Nordstrom
Sephora
Why we love it: L’Occitane is pretty much synonymous with shea butter. (Who among us hasn't used the Shea Butter Hand Cream?) A small step up in richness, the Ultra Rich Body Cream is 25% pure shea butter (compared to the hand cream's 20%) to deeply nourish the skin, but it surprisingly boasts a smooth, never-greasy finish. It’s a classic option (remember its original tin packaging?) that uses time-tested ingredients to keep skin healthy, hydrated, and calm. It’s a great option for anyone new to body butters, but Dr. Luftman especially likes it for dry and aging skin. That’s because shea butter isn’t just a stellar moisturizer—it also protects the skin from environmental stressors like UV rays, one of the leading culprits of speeding up aging. It’s full of antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, and F, which work together to keep your skin healthy and prevent future damage and signs of aging.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: shea butter, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E
- Fragrance-free: no
Best if You Like a Rich Formula: Kiehl's Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter
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Kiehl's
Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Sephora
Why we love it: Products like body butters are best applied at night, when they have time to absorb and work their magic. And the best ones, like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter, will have effects that last well into the next day. To thank is a powerhouse combo of plant oils and butters, plus lightweight moisturizers like glycerin and squalane, to keep dryness at bay. It has a gentle milk and honey scent that lasts, too, without feeling overpowering. Dr. Luftman recommends it for its airy-yet-rich formula that absorbs quickly without feeling greasy. That said, some of the conditioners in this body butter may clog your pores, so use it sparingly if your skin is on the oilier side.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: shea butter, glycerin, squalane, jojoba butter
- Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
How does moisture loss affect the skin barrier?
"The function of the skin is to be a protective barrier of the underlying tissues, protecting the internal organs from infections and irritation," Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama, explains. "Desiccation and stress disruption of the protective barrier can lead to an increase in transepidermal water loss, and therefore conditions that are associated with skin dryness and irritation." In other words, the more you skip out on moisturizing your face and body, the more prone you'll be to flaking, itching, and other irritation of the skin barrier.
Who should use body butter?
Most dermatologists agree that very dry skin would benefit best from body butter, which Dr. Hartman describes as "a waterless, thicker version of a body lotion." However, especially during the drier, winter months, anyone could benefit from a heavier formula. In general, it's great for anyone to use a body butter, but especially if your body wash is more drying, which might be the case if you're using one formulated with exfoliating ingredients like AHAs, retinol, and salicylic acid.
What ingredients should I look for in body butter?
Look out for familiar, hydrating powerhouses, Dr. Hartman notes, "such as shea butter, cocoa butter, and oils like coconut and avocado, as well as vitamin E, which softens skin and protects the skin's moisture barrier." (Spoiler: You'll notice that most of the picks listed below will boast shea butter, a rich emollient that heals cracked skin, thanks to a composition that includes vitamins A, E, and F.) Dr. Hartman also adds that it's best to avoid any ingredients that will dry out the skin, like alcohol or witch hazel.
How do I use body butter in my skin-care routine?
Since there's very little to no water in body butters, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Julie E. Russak, MD, says the best time to use one is when you've just stepped out of the shower—when your skin is damp. "Pat the skin dry, and while the skin is still moist, apply body butter to all the areas that are rough and dry, including feet, hands, ankles, and elbows," Dr. Russak says. “This locks in the moisture obtained from the shower, decreases trans-epidermal water loss, and helps repair the barrier.”
Is body butter good for aging skin?
Body butter can benefit your skin at any age, but it’s especially helpful for the changes that arise as you get older. “As we age, the skin naturally produces less oil, becomes thinner, and loses its ability to retain moisture,” Dr. Luftman says. “This often results in dryness, roughness, and a crepey appearance.”
An intensive moisturizer that both deeply penetrates the skin and protects its outer barrier (read: just the sort of formula you’ll find in a body butter) can address those concerns. “While body butters cannot reverse the aging process, they can, however, improve the appearance of dry, aging skin and temporarily minimize the look of fine lines caused by dehydration,” Dr. Luftman explains.
Meet the experts
- Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama
- Julie E. Russak, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
- Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best body butters, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
