The 15 Best Body Lotions Of All Time

Created in memory of Green People founder Charlotte Vøhtz's daughter, Alexandra Kay is an aromatherapy brand with heartfelt thought behind it.

This clever body lotion is blended with pure magnesium (which isn't an easy thing to do, due to the mineral's tendency to affect the texture) that is absorbed by the skin and used to relax tense muscles. Combine that with a signature blend of vetiver, bergamot and lavender essential oils, and you've got a decadently rich lotion that'll send you off to sleep like no other.

Think of this one as more of an intensive skin treatment than a simple hydrator. True to Tata's maximalist ethos, it's packed with hard-working plant extracts that not only impart moisture, but gently exfoliate away dead, dull skin cells to leave limbs supple and luminous. It smells lightly citrussy and feels more like a cream than a serum, leaving even the driest of legs feels incredible.

Charlotte Tilbury has tweaked the face cream that made her brand so famous into a body cream, so you can reap the softening, smoothing benefits from head to toe. Formulated with the same skincare nous as the legendary original, this silky lotion is boosted with hyaluronic acid and caffeine: apply it with long, firm strokes towards your heart to reap the maximum benefits.

If you've got sensitive skin, you're already acquainted with La Roche-Posay: this French pharmacy hero is famed for treating delicate types right. True to form, this simple body lotion sorts out sore elbows and irritated areas while encouraging the skin to heal. It might not be fancy, but it sure is effective.

This recent addition to everyone's favourite sleep-inducing line is a seriously good one. This fluffy, almost jelly-like body cream is supercharged with magnesium to help physically relax your muscles and copper PCA (hence the blue hue) to boost the skin's microbiome. And of course, there's that famously good lavender and vetiver scent to knock you out as well.

Most of us know by now that Glossier isn’t just an oh-so-Instagrammable pretty face. Case in point, this fantastic body cream that imparts enough hydration to last for hours on end. And there's more: the tiny reflective pigments make limbs gleam in the most flattering way: no chunky glitter to find here.

Possibly the most decadent thing you can slather on yourself, Chanel's body cream is designed to complement and heighten the trail of any fragrance in the house's prestige Les Exclusifs line. Whatever your signature scent may be, this gently musky cream will leave your skin glowing and perfectly prepped for perfume.

If Rihanna knows anything, it’s how to formulate good skincare (ok, and pretty much everything else), so when Fenty Skin released a body moisturiser, we were here for it.

Happily, it lived up to the hype, helping to relieve taut, tight skin and delivering hydration that doesn't dissipate in the time it takes for you to get to work. It's thick, indulgent and smells like cocktail hour on a far-flung beach. Heaven.

A scented body lotion is a great way to extend the trail of your signature scent: lucky then, that Jo Malone London has formulated all its bestsellers into a richly fragranced cream. We love the timeless English Pear & Freesia, which is juicy without veering too sweet, and just floral enough to smell fresh, not fusty. Wear it alone, or layer beneath the corresponding cologne for maximum impact.

Don't be fooled by the incredibly light texture of this one: it's working hard behind the scenes to bring about real skin benefits. A serious luxury player, Augustinus Bader's Body Lotion contains the same trademarked TFC8 complex of vitamins and amino acids as the brand's industry-shaking face cream, meaning you can kiss goodbye to scaly patches, shaving rashes and uneven texture for good. It's completely scent-free, so good for sensitive types, and feels undetectable once absorbed.

Garnier makes some of the best budget body lotions. Give the ‘seven-day’ spiel a firm side-eye, but with a tropical scent this good, you won’t mind slathering it on every day anyway.

Keratosis pilaris – those tiny, pesky bumps on the back of your arms – can actually be treated with next-to-no effort. The solution is this body lotion, which comes boosted with alpha-hydroxy-acids to gentle exfoliate that chicken skin away. Stick with it, and we think you'll be satisfied.

There are so different tanning formulas out there, from oils to mists and coconut-spiked balms, we don't blame you if you're completely baffled by the whole thing. Our advice? Stick to this: the most indulgent, mega-moisturising gradual tan, which will soften your elbows and impart even colour at the same time. Job done.

If traditionally feminine scents don't do it for you, Byredo has got your back. One of the brand's most memorable fragrances, De Los Santos is deep, meditative and kind of witchy, (in a really good way). Think: the grounding air of palo santo, mixed with clary sage and cosy musk.

Le Labo makes fragrances we all want to wear, and now there are more ways to do so. This is its most intriguing, can’t-put-your-finger-on-it-but-you-love-it perfume, but in a body moisturiser. Enough said.