Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers
I’ve never been a huge fan of slathering my arms and legs with heavy creams. Instead, I prefer body cream’s lighter alternative, body oil, which absorbs quickly, locks in moisture, and leaves my otherwise scaly, dry skin glowing. If you haven’t used a body oil before, here’s a tip from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Connie Yang of PFRANKMD by Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank: It works best when applied to semi-damp skin immediately after a shower or bath. This technique allows the oil to act as a seal, which prevents your skin barrier from losing the water it needs to function.
To find the best body oils out there — from the drugstore shelves to the aisles of Sephora — I consulted Yang and a few other dermatologists to get their recommendations. Then I tested several of these oils on my own skin (and loved some so much that I continued to use them every week) and, to round out the list, tapped my fellow Strategist staffers for the oils they use in their post-shower routines.