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10 best body moisturisers to beat dry skin this winter
Follow up your morning run with these nourishing creams and lotions
In summer, a morning run can be a welcome way to start your day, but the colder winter months can take their toll on your body, and particularly your skin. Training in minus degrees often leads to flaky, scaly, dry patches – not a pretty picture, that's for sure.
The best way to replace lost moisture and soothe any almost-frostbite is to follow up your post-run shower with an intensely hydrating body cream.
Our testing team asked 400 panellists to trial nearly 30 brands of body moisturiser for a month. These ten proved the most powerfully effective against cracking, peeling and itching:
- Best body moisturiser: Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Body Moisturiser
- Best for sensitive skin: La Roche Posay Lipikar Body Lotion
- Best for keratosis pilaris: Ameliorate Transforming Body Cream
- Best budget buy: Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Lotion
- Best for dry skin: CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
- Best for easy application: Kiehl’s Creme De Corps
- Best for hydrating skin: Nivea Q10 Power 60+ Firming and Extra Nourishing Body Lotion
- Best sustainable body moisturiser: REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Cream
- Best natural body moisturiser: The Body Shop Avocado Body Butter
- Best for long-lasting results: Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion
Are body moisturisers and lotions the same thing?
Both creams and lotions hydrate your skin, but note their differences in texture. For oily skin that's prone to acne, consider a lightweight lotion with a thinner, non-greasy consistency that spreads easily and sinks in quickly.
Creams, on the other hand, tend to be thicker to deliver a punchier dose of moisture to dry skin. They are typically packed with nourishing oils, so be prepared for them to take slightly longer to absorb.
In any case, do not use your body moisturiser on your face, as facial skin is more delicate and easily irritated by ingredients such as fragrance.
How do I fix extremely dry skin?
The good news is that simply adding an everyday body moisturiser into your routine will help to keep those pesky dry patches at bay.
In particular, look out for the following friendly ingredients on packaging:
Humectants help your body draw in and retain moisture by absorbing water molecules from the atmosphere. Check for glycerine, hyaluronic or lactic acid.
Emollients, like shea butter or ceramides, work to soften skin and smooth any rough, flaky patches.
Occlusive agents are unable to penetrate the skin, but they sit on its surface to create a physical protective barrier against moisture loss. Look for silicone, beeswax and petrolatum.
How we test
The Runner’s World lab recruited over 400 panellists to test 29 brands of body moisturiser over a four-week period.
They assessed how quickly each product soaked in and how soft and nourished it left their skin feeling. They also noted how long it took to see improvements in their skin's condition and if they experienced any firming or soothing effects.
In our lab, we used a Multi Skin Test Centre device to measure the hydration level of skin before and immediately after applying each body moisturiser, and again after six hours, to see if they had any instant or long-lasting effects.
Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Body Moisturiser, 220ml
Ticking all our boxes was this nutrient-rich cream that felt luxurious to apply. It's packed with healing vitamin B5, making it a smart buy for back acne (or 'bacne') sufferers, and our panel loved its 'satisfying' mousse-like texture.
It brought everybody's dehydrated skin back to life, irritation-free, and 91% declared it a brilliant overnight treatment. One tester found it softened dry patches on their heels and elbows after only a few uses.
La Roche Posay Lipikar Body Lotion, 400ml
If you're prone to eczema flare-ups once the chill sets in, rest assured that this gentle lotion is soothing enough to be used on newborn babies. It delivered "soothing" hydration for all our testers and instantly improved scaly skin.
Only a small dose was required to target a specific area of concern and 85% agreed that it absorbed quickly and cleanly, meaning you can throw your gear on and make it to Spin on time.
Ever noticed clusters of tiny bumps forming on the outside of your arms? They’re probably keratosis pilaris (otherwise known as ‘chicken skin’), which develops when the protective protein keratin builds up and blocks your hair follicles.
Happily, this cult cream is famously good at tackling it. Using exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), it smoothed roughness for all testers, leaving them with significantly softer skin. It also helped calm redness for 69% and boost firmness for 75%.
Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Lotion, 300ml
Cheap doesn’t always mean ineffective, as this bargain lotion proves. It quenched thirsty skin for 85% of our panel, with the majority finding its creamy texture fast-absorbing and the pump dispenser simple and mess-free to use.
Nobody experienced any adverse reactions and 77% said their skin felt softer (one tester wrote “velvety” ) after application. It worked well overnight for 92%, too, should you struggle to squeeze in day-time pamper sessions.
CeraVe Moisturising Cream, 454g
Its packaging may be basic and clinical, but if you suffer from dryness all year round, let this huge tub of thick cream be your poor skin's long-awaited saviour.
It absorbed surprisingly speedily and everybody reported softer skin after using it. It left 93% of our panel feeling more hydrated, while 71% found it helped to cool overheating – ideal for when you're all hot and bothered after smashing a lunch-time 5K.
Kiehl's Creme de Corps, 259ml
Spending an age trying to rub in moisturiser is frankly infuriating when you're starving hungry after a run and shower. Luckily, our panel found this Kiehl's bestseller spread like butter onto their skin, meaning they could slather it on and make a dash for the kitchen (or Deliveroo, nobody's judging).
Though not the fastest to soak in, its 100% plant-based squalane helped to hydrate and deliver feather-softness for 77% of testers, with 82% finding it a dreamy overnight treat.
Nivea Q10 Power 60+ Firming and Extra Nourishing Body Lotion, 400ml
Heavy on the argan oil, this silky lotion banished “scaly skin” and “bumps on the back of arms” to leave everybody feeling more hydrated and 93% with improved softness.
Only half our panel thought it soothed redness and inflammation, but they all said it worked well overnight and 80% reported a cooling effect. Though a touch greasy upon application, this dissipated with light rubbing to leave a 'light and pleasant' lingering fragrance.
REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Cream, 200ml
Being more sustainable is all the rage (and rightly so), making this cream bang on trend. The bottle is made from ocean plastic waste and features a metal-free pump, making it fully recyclable.
Though heavy in texture, it soaked into skin quickly for 93% of our panel, delivering moisture and smoothness for all. Despite its disappointing 2/5 score in our longevity lab test, one tester made a point of noting that it kept their skin hydrated for over 24 hours,
Not wanting to be outdone by the above REN cream, this body butter also ticks many eco boxes. It counts sustainably sourced avocado oil and Fairtrade shea butter among its 96% natural ingredients and comes in a recyclable plastic tub made entirely from recycled plastic.
It left 94% of our panel with more nourished skin, with testers reporting instant improvements to dry elbows, knees and heels. Some also thought their skin looked brighter after using it.
Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion, 240ml
You may already be familiar with Drunk Elephant's brightly coloured skincare line, and their body line is just as effective. Packing key hydrators squalene, glycerin and shea butter into a lightweight formula, it successfully relieved dryness for 93% of our panel.
One tester found it soothed “any itching or inflammation” and another experienced "effective and long-lasting hydration" that left their skin feeling "cared for".
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