6 of the best body lotions and butters for very dry skin

With summer still in full swing you may be noticing signs of dryness in your skin. Around this time of year the main culprits tend to be sun exposure and your workplace cranking the air conditioning unit. If your skin is dry (as opposed to dehydrated) you’re going to want to use products to help replace some of that oil you’re lacking. Dehydration, on the other hand, is a lack of water not oil. In this case you need to up the moisture levels with products containing magical ingredients like hyaluronic acid, and of course increase your intake of good old fashioned H20. 

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With a specific focus on very dry skin on the body, we’ve picked a few of our favourite body butters and lotions to help you ditch the scaly skin and get back to your supple self.

bh loves: The Body Shop 100% Natural Community Trade Shea Butter, $19.95

Made with the goodness of 192 shea nuts in each pouch, this single-ingredient formula helps to instantly relieve the feeling and appearance of dryness and makes for a super nourishing lip balm, too. Simply rub some of the shea butter between your hands to warm it up and apply wherever you need it.

bh loves: Weleda Skin Food Body Butter, $29.90

The latest product to join the iconic Skin Food family, this lighter iteration of the original Skin Food formula is fast absorbing and packed with skin-loving natural ingredients such as sunflower seed oil, cocoa seed butter, rosemary leaf extract and calendula.

bh loves: Kiehl’s Crème de Corps, $59

If you’re after silky skin, this is the product to make that happen. Crème de Corps is a Kiehl’s fan favourite and is enriched with cocoa butter, beta-carotene (an antioxidant) and squalane (a botanical liquid derived from olives) to offer intense hydration without ever feeling greasy or sticky.

bh loves: Linden Leaves Pick Me Up Body Oil, $63.99

The perfect product for at-home pampering, this luxurious oil blend has a base of organic rosehip oil, avocado oil, sweet almond and apricot kernel oils combined with mandarin, petitgrain, rosemary and lavender to wake up the senses. Leave it to absorb for a few minutes before getting dressed and it will dry down to a lovely, non-greasy finish.

bh loves: Nivea In-Shower Rich Skin Conditioner Very Dry Skin, $9.49

If you’re short on time, try moisturising in the shower – yes, really! With almond oil for long-lasting hydration, this product is formulated to be massaged into damp skin in the shower then rinsed off before you get out, leaving a protective barrier on the skin that will help prevent further moisture loss.

bh loves: Real World Manuka Honey & Rose Hand Cream, $34.50

We can’t forget about our hands – they go through so much washing throughout the day that they’re quite often left feeling dry and tight. This little pot of goodness is great for dry skin as well as those suffering from eczema, thanks to the healing properties of New Zealand Manuka honey and Kawakawa tea.

Main image: Weleda

Do you have a favourite dry-skin product? Share yours in the comments below.