The Best Body Oils to Rescue Dry, Flaky Skin

For a while, I didn’t think much about the best body oils. You see, I keep my skincare routine regimented, no matter the season: face wash, moisturizer, and serum. My body, on the other hand, was a different story. Spring and summer are pretty bare-bones, just a sensitive body wash and lotion. But now that my heat is on full blast and the air outside is crisp enough to chap your feelings, I’ve started to a few extra steps to my daily showers. Before I even think about lathering up, I’m exfoliating all the dry skin on my back, legs, and feet with a body scrub at least twice a week. But the real missing piece in my post-shower routine? A body oil.

The way I layer products on my face should be the same way I treat the rest of my body—give everything a little love so it stays moisturized. So, as soon as I pat myself dry, I apply a body oil while my skin is still slightly damp. It locks in moisture and creates the first line of defense against cold air and seasonal flakiness.

When you’re shopping for body oils, look for ingredients like calendula, coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba—some of the heavy hitters. The benefits are endless: improved elasticity, reduced roughness, and protection from sun exposure. Many are even multi-functional—good for skin, great for facial hair, and perfect when you need to trick someone into giving you a massage. Here are the best body oils to keep flakes at bay and your skin soft throughout these next frigid months.

The Best Body Oil for Dry Skin: Aesop Breathless Botanical Massage Oil

Aesop’s body oil is the one I unapologetically slather everywhere—yes, everywhere, including around my neck, but the real miracle has been what it’s done for the dry skin on my feet. Whether I’m fresh out of the shower or winding down for bed, I’m putting this on. It absorbs quickly and has a medium weight, right in that sweet spot between a lotion and a balm.

The scent is that signature Aesop vibe: lightly woody with hits of blood orange and laurel leaf. The ingredient lineup—sweet almond oil, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and Vitamin E makes it a surprisingly great post-shave option too. Wherever you spot dryness on your body, this stuff hydrates on contact.

The Best Body Oil for Massages: Le Labo Rose 31 Body Oil

Rose 31 from the apothecary giant Le Labo has been in rotation since 2006, so why not turn it into a massage-slash-perfume body oil? The moment you pour it onto your skin (or your partner’s), you’ll get fragrance notes of a rose that’s aged into wood, draped in incense and oud.

Even though the scent has real presence, it’s alcohol-free and packed with jojoba and sunflower seed oils to keep your skin soothed instead of scorched. And because this stuff goes directly onto your skin and gets fully worked in, the scent lasts longer and opens up more as the day goes on. Whether you’re fresh out of the shower or debuting this for your next date night, one thing’s for sure: nobody’s walking away with dry skin.

The Best Body Oil for Preventing Ingrown Hairs: Fur Oil

Body-hair-positive brand Fur already makes one of the best full-body shaving creams on the planet, so it’s no shock that their body oil is just as legit. It’s loaded with grapeseed oil for hydration, jojoba oil to reduce dryness, and tea tree oil to help de-gunk pores and keep ingrowns in check. This stuff is clutch after a shave, on a new tattoo to keep it looking crisp, or anywhere you’ve angered your follicles during a manscaping adventure. Basically, if there’s hair, this oil is fair game. And don’t stress, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and free of artificial fragrances and colors. It’s gentle enough to use everywhere on your body, literally from tip to tail.

The Best Body Serum: Nécessaire The Body Serum

I know this isn’t your classic “body oil,” but think of it as the pre-game: a protective barrier before you bring in the moisturizer. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve sung the praises of Nécessaire’s fragrance-free line—go ahead and add this reminder to the ever-growing tally.