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A lot of us are guilty of dropping major dollars on our skin care routine only to turn around and pick up whatever bodywash we spot first at the drugstore. And, hey, we’re not here to judge—some days just getting into the shower is a feat. But the point is: Our bodies deserve just as much consideration and care as our faces. And when you line your tub with luxe-feeling products that provide a soothing experience, you might actually look forward to your Everything Shower.
Over the past several months, our testers have scrubbed, moisturized, waxed, and lathered their little hearts out for SELF’s 2024 Healthy Beauty Awards. And now we’re happy to present the very best body care products—we’re talking balms that calm eczema, serums that prevent ingrown hairs, self-tanning drops that give a subtle wash of color, and many more that just might become your new go-tos.
Be sure to check out the rest of SELF’s 2024 Healthy Beauty Award winners here.
Why we love it: This balm glides right over dry skin and eczema patches to add a layer of moisture and protection. And because it comes in stick form (picture a solid deodorant) it’s easy to chuck in your bag on-the-go and use when you feel the itch throughout your day.
Bonus points, per the experts: It’s full of hydrating ingredients, including glycerin, panthenol, bisabolol, avocado oil, petrolatum, and shea butter.
One tester said: “Immediately yes. I am a lifelong Aquaphor groupie, particularly because I get awful eczema on the backs of my hands in the winter. The balm stick is a game changer; it’s mess-free and it couldn’t be easier to apply after every hand wash. I will not go anywhere without this during the winter months and will absolutely repurchase.”
Why we love it: For those times when your hands need a little more TLC than what regular lotion provides, slip on these moisturizing gloves for near-instant relief.
Bonus points, per the experts: This product has hydration-boosting ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, and soothing panthenol, as well as urea, which supports a healthy skin barrier.
One tester said: “Whether it’s the weather or harsh soaps, my hands are always going through it. These gloves brought them back to life!”
Why we love it: This body lotion feels like a cold plunge (without the take-your-breath-away shock) thanks to cooling menthol. The formula offers more than a nice tingly sensation, though; it also helps relieve angry, itchy skin—whether it’s caused by dryness, bug bites, or a sunburn.
Bonus points, per the experts: Aloe vera and witch hazel in this formula help calm inflammation.
One tester said: “I’m crazy about this product. The menthol’s cooling effect is soothing without feeling overwhelming or unpleasant. And unlike other anti-itch lotions I’ve used, this one doesn’t leave an unpleasantly sticky film on your body. I often use this one before going to bed, and I wake up feeling refreshed.”
Just so you know: Menthol can be irritating for some folks, so be sure to do a patch test before use.
Why we love it: This lotion just straight-up delivers what it’s supposed to: unbelievably soft skin. And it won’t irritate sensitive folks or overpower you with perfume since it’s formulated without fragrance.
Bonus points, per the experts: The ingredients list includes a powerhouse mix of thirst-quenching ingredients, including glycerin, shea butter, and shea and mineral oils.
One tester said: “Where has this been all my life? This lotion feels lightweight, absorbs easily, and leaves you with smooth skin for 24 hours as promised.”
Why we love it: If you get the ick at the idea of putting on lotion but don’t want to live in a perpetual state of dryness, you’ve got to try this silky formula. It’s also a great option for warmer months, when you might want something lighter than a cream.
Bonus points, per the experts: Hyaluronic acid, which locks in moisture, is paired with niacinamide, a do-it-all ingredient that soothes irritation and redness and reduces hyperpigmentation and discoloration, to give skin a super glowy finish.
One tester said: “This is THE body lotion for people who don’t typically like body lotions. It feels thin and blends out super easily, almost like it’s a serum—it’s not oily or gloppy at all. I like the herbaceous, slightly sweet scent too.”
Why we love it: This lotion, which contains smoothing and brightening niacinamide to improve skin texture all over, has a delicious, clean, slightly tropical scent that’s subtle enough even for folks who turn up their noses at most fragrances.
One tester said: “It goes on feeling super moisturizing and dries within two to three minutes. When I wake up the next day, I still feel hydrated.”
Why we love it: Turn your moisturizing routine on its head by rubbing this nourishing oil into your skin before your shower. It adds a protective seal over the skin, so hard water won’t dry it out. Bonus: It can double as a shaving cream replacement.
One tester said: “My skin is super dry, but I still love a hot shower. This goes on like butter—it’s so smooth and I really feel the difference it makes in my skin.”
Why we love it: Hemp seed oil—the star ingredient in Hempz’s line of body oils—is high in vitamin E, an antioxidant known to help calm sun-damaged or irritated skin, and omega fatty acids, which help build the skin barrier. And it will leave you with a nice glow.
One tester said: “I love, love, love this body oil. It smells so good and glides so beautifully on my skin. I use it every day, underneath my regular body cream (or Vaseline), and it helps keep my skin hydrated for hours.”
Just so you know: The fragrance in this oil might bother people with sensitive skin.
Why we love it: If you’re new to body oils, prepare to meet your skin’s new bestie. The mixture of botanical oils will make your skin and nose happy, and the beautiful, simple packaging makes it the kind of product you’ll want to display on your dresser or bathroom sink.
Bonus points, per the experts: This is packed with safflower seed, sunflower seed, apricot kernel, and grape seed oils, all of which help seal in moisture.
One tester said: “This is so luxe! I’ve never had a good body oil before, and now I don’t know how I lived without one. It doesn’t absorb super quickly, which I actually like. It leaves you with that freshly hydrated, slippery feeling for a good couple of hours, which is why I’d recommend using it before bed. I’m obsessed with the scent—it smells like an expensive hotel product (clean and fresh but not oppressive), and it mixes nicely with other fragrances.”
Why we love it: If you still haven’t found a natural deodorant that actually helps keep your pits from smelling for more than an hour, we’re happy to introduce you to this one and its intoxicating cucumber scent.
Bonus points, per the experts: A variety of moisturizing ingredients, including aloe vera and bisabolol, will keep your underarms smooth and irritation-free.
One tester said: “Finally, a deodorant that works! I am shocked? I feel blessed? Like it was pure luck I finally stumbled across one that is effective? I will buy this over and over and over and over again. It makes me happy every time I use it. I am thrilled by the sheer brilliance and simplicity here.”
Why we love it: A bathroom full of products that remind us of a trip to the spa is definitely a life goal, and this body wash fits the bill thanks to its woodsy scent and elegant packaging. A couple pumps of this clear gel turn to foam as you suds up, and it gently cleanses your skin without stripping its natural oils. This bottle is pricey, but totally worth it.
One tester said: “If I imagine what a rich person’s body wash would look like in their luxury bathroom, it’s this product. My body felt super refreshed, revitalized, and hydrated after using this, and it’s become my new go-to.”
Why we love it: A little bit of this body wash goes a long way—always a win—since it’s easy to lather. And its eucalyptus scent helps set the mood for a chill time-out from your daily grind.
Bonus points, per the experts: Shea butter and aloe vera make this body wash one that won’t leave you with tight, stripped skin.
One tester said: “This is going to become my new go-to body wash all year-round! Typically my skin feels dry after showering, and I feel itchy if I forget to apply lotion. That didn’t happen after using this body wash. I actually skipped lotion after using it and felt completely comfortable.”
Why we love it: This scrub uses chemical and physical exfoliants to buff away dead skin cells, and it has hydrating ingredients to replenish moisture at the same time. We recommend this one whether you have keratosis pilaris (a condition that causes bumps around hair follicles) or just want smoother skin.
Bonus points, per the experts: This product contains glycolic and lactic acids to chemically exfoliate the skin, along with glycerin and aloe vera.
One tester said: “This scrub felt divine the moment it touched my skin! It feels nourishing and smooth upon application and smells incredible.”
Just so you know: This lingers on the skin, so you may need to spend an extra minute washing it off before you get out of the shower.
Why we love it: Bar soap has come a long way from the stuff that you remember by leaving your skin feeling dry and covered in residue when you were a kid. This one has an “amazingly rich” lather that’ll make you forget it’s a bar and not a creamy, sudsy wash.
Bonus points, per the experts: Along with hydrating glycerin, this contains moisturizing Siberian fir, pine leaf, rosemary leaf, cedarwood, sage, clove, and soybean oils.
One tester said: “If you told me that I would rave about a bar of soap, I wouldn’t have believed you. I love this soap! The scent is perfectly refreshing, it isn’t drying, and it doesn’t make your skin sting or itch.”
Why we love it: All you have to do is mix these self-tanning drops to your usual face moisturizer or body lotion and then apply it normally, so you don’t have to add an extra step to your routine to get a gorgeous glow. You can make the tan as subtle or dramatic as you want. And, thankfully, it won’t stain your clothes or bedding, and it has zero icky scent.
One tester said: “I have super fair skin, and normally shy away from tanning products because they always look obvious and orange on me. I used the light/medium tanning drops on my face and whole body, and I loved how subtle the results were. I blended one to two drops with my overnight face lotion for three days, and by the third day I had a really nice, natural looking, fresh-out-of-the-sun glow. I braved the ‘dark’ drops next and was really pleased with the color—definitely more noticeable, but still pretty natural and even-looking.”
Just so you know: These stained one tester’s palms even though she washed and exfoliated her hands immediately after applying her lotion, so you might want to consider applying with a mitt.
Why we love it: When you think of a hair removal device, you probably picture something with blades or lasers, but this unassuming, teardrop-shaped product looks more like a pumice stone with a smooth texture. All you have to do is rub its glass side in circular motions over dry skin and the friction will cause your body hair (and dead skin cells) to fall off. No sandpaper texture, no blades—it just…works!
One tester said: “I was SO skeptical of this. I didn’t know how the hell it would work—and more importantly, how the friction wouldn’t burn my skin. I have thick, dark hair that grows SO fast (like a day after shaving), and I have NEVER seen my skin look this hairless.”
Why we love it: Shaving cream is optional with this razor thanks to the super-moisturizing coating around its blades. (Wild, right?! But one of our testers swore it was possible.) And this kit comes with a holder that sticks to your shower wall and magnetizes to the handle, so you don’t have to worry about the blades rusting in a pool of water on the side of the tub.
One tester said: “This is my new go-to razor for sure, and I’ve been using another brand since I was, like, 12. The aloe moisturizer on the razor head is really nice and feels cool and silky against my skin. I got a smooth shave and didn’t need to use shaving cream.”
Why we love it: A shave oil feels a little fancier than a cream, and the fact that it stays on your skin, instead of washing away like a foam does, makes it extra luxurious.
Bonus points, per the experts: Glycerin, jojoba seed and coconut oils, and shea and cocoa butters give this its soothing powers.
One tester said: “I’ve tried a lot of shaving creams and implements over the years, and all are pretty similar—effective but not, like, moving. But this one was genuinely an improvement on the form! It’s a luxe, thick liquid that felt like it conditioned my skin while I was shaving.”
Just so you know: The oil’s strong, vanilla-y-but-better fragrance might be a deal-breaker if you’re overwhelmed by scented products.
Why we love it: If you’re nervous to try at-home waxing (understandable!), this kit is a great place to start—it has clear instructions to put your mind at ease, and it’s made for sensitive skin, so it’s as painless as ripping out hair can possibly be.
One tester said: “The wax went on smooth, wasn’t too tacky, and came off in one fell swoop; I was worried I’d have to go in a few times, but that wasn’t the case. I was happy to not have to shave my pits for, like, a week afterward, and my lip looked good for about two.”
Why we love it: Before you moisturize, it’s a good idea to get rid of buildup, and that’s where this gritty scrub comes in. You can also reach for it any time your skin is looking dull or when you need to get rid of the last remnants of self-tanner. It’ll buff your skin to its softest state (and prep it for better hair removal and to absorb more lotion).
Bonus points, per the experts: In addition to physical exfoliators, this polish has glycolic and lactic acids to clear away dead skin, as well as hydrating glycerin.
One tester said: “I think this is the best body scrub I’ve ever tried. I used it all over and was mildly shocked that my sensitive skin wasn’t irritated based on how deeply exfoliating it felt. I noticed closer shaves, fewer ingrown hairs, and generally smoother skin.”
Why we love it: Prevention is key when it comes to staving off ingrown hairs, which form when hair grows back into the skin rather than out through the follicle—so a product that’s simple enough to commit to using regularly is clutch. Enter: this easy Megababe post-shave treatment. Just roll a thin layer onto clean, dry skin in any areas you’re prone to ingrowns or razor bumps. You can use it twice a day until bumps go away, and then only after shaving for maintenance.
Bonus points, per the experts: This product contains glycerin to soften skin, witch hazel to calm inflammation, and salicylic acid to exfoliate.
One tester said: “The rollerball applicator is super convenient, and also very cooling and soothing. My legs get ingrowns like nobody’s business, but I’ve actually noticed a difference from using this—my legs are smoother and less itchy with far fewer angry, bumpy ingrown hairs.”
Why we love it: We won’t try to spin foot cream as glamorous; it’s one of those practical products that you just need when your feet are dry and cracked. And this one won’t leave you feeling slimy, meaning you can actually will yourself to put it on every day.
Bonus points, per the experts: Glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids exfoliate your feet while emollients like petrolatum condition and soften skin by forming a protective seal to keep moisture in.
One tester said: “First of all, my feet need some love; they are dry and callused. This product soaks in nicely, and, while it hasn’t fixed my most-callused areas, it has relieved the rest of my feet’s dry skin, and that’s a major win as far as I’m concerned.”
Why we love it: These slip-on booties are filled with all of the moisturizing, skin-softening ingredients dry feet need. Once you put them on, you can kick back, relax, and let them work their magic as you go down a TikTok rabbit hole.
Bonus points, per the experts: Nourishing ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, avocado oil, panthenol, and bisabolol will give flaky feet a new lease on life.
One tester said: “I had dry skin, and after only 10 minutes my feet felt so soft—I was surprised at how fast it worked! I definitely recommend this as something you can easily do while watching TV or just lounging around once a week without any extra frills involved.”
Why we love it: This bar soap will give you a squeaky-clean feeling without overdrying. And it has a subtle, milky scent that’ll add some sweetness to your shower.
Bonus points, per the experts: Colloidal oatmeal is known for quelling inflammation (ever heard of an oatmeal bath for soothing skin issues like chicken pox?) but it can also be a great cleanser, thanks to foaming compounds called saponins.
One tester said: “Yep, this is it. This is the body soap of my dreams. I love a bar soap for its convenience and staying power but always worry it won’t be gentle and hydrating enough for my dry, sensitive skin. The Sensitive Bar put those fears to rest. It’s super nourishing and gentle, lightly lathering, and scented so lightly that I initially thought it was fragrance-free.”
Why we love it: For last year’s Healthy Beauty Awards, we crowned Braun’s IPL device (which uses light to heat and destroy hair at the root) the queen of hair removal, and it lived up to that title this year too. IPL devices can help to significantly slow hair growth over time, making them a worthy investment if you hate shaving or deal with pesky ingrown hairs (and want to avoid the pain of laser hair removal). This one in particular adjusts to your skin tone to help you avoid burns (these devices target melanin, and, if there’s not a big contrast between your hair and skin, blisters and scarring are possible), and it can turn thick hair to peach fuzz after just weeks of use.
One tester said: “The Braun stays winning! The new version is lighter weight than last years’, but it has the same hair removal power we know and love.”
Just so you know: This particular model has Bluetooth pairing capability and a corresponding app—something one tester thought was pretty pointless. Thankfully, it’s not necessary for use.
