So often when we think of skin care we only think of the face, but in reality there is so much more skin to cover — it is the body’s largest organ, for goodness sake. Self-care routines can and should look different for everyone, even for us editors, but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that one’s body deserve as much attention as one’s multi-step facial regimen.
That’s why we took testing the Allure Best of Beauty Body category very seriously. Our editors with a range of skin tones, types, and concerns rounded up the best of the best. Think rich creams slathered on our bodies in the dead of New York City winter, exfoliating body scrubs that cleared our keratosis pilaris without upsetting our skin barriers, and even fancy tools that made us want to brush our teeth.
Below are the beauty products that cover all the bases from head to toe (literally) when it comes to our body-care routines. After taking a look through our most-beloved body products of the year, make sure to check out our full list of 2022 Best of Beauty winners.
Best of Beauty Awards 2022: Body
Jump to your favorite category or keep reading to see every scrub, wash, and bath product:
Best Body Wash (Liquid)
Dove Body Love Moisture Boost Body Cleanser
Why it won: Dove Body Love Moisture Boost Body Cleanser has such a creamy texture, you might wonder if you accidentally brought your body lotion into the shower (hey, stranger things have happened). But once you add water, you can tell by the rich lather that this hydrating wash is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Best Body Scrub (Chemical and Physical)
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Body Scrub
Why it won: You don’t want to be an outfit repeater, do you? Use a scrub to get rid of the dead cells you wore yesterday and reveal the fresh ones underneath. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub combines chemical and physical exfoliation in a hydrating formula that social media manager Rachael Edwards says she’ll be using on her dry skin from here on out.
Best Body Scrub (Physical)
KP Away Skin Polish
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Why it won: KPAway Skin Polish was designed to treat the tiny bumps known as keratosis pilaris, though everyone can benefit from the gentle exfoliation it provides by way of jojoba wax beads.
Best Body Scrub (Bar)
Soft Services Buffing Bar
Why it won: Soft Services Buffing Bar reveals stubborn ingrown hairs, smooths bumpy texture, and generally exfoliates using microfine crystals. And since it’s a bar, you can easily avoid going over any particularly sensitive areas.
Best Body Wash (Bar)
Leaf People Chlorophyll & Thyme Detox Bar
Why it won: Don’t say you’re not a bar soap person until you’ve tried Leaf People Chlorophyll & Thyme Detox Bar. When applied on damp skin with a loofah, sponge, or even just your hands, it quickly turns into a silky cream. A blend of sunflower and coconut oils leaves skin remarkably soft. And the lack of packaging is truly refreshing.
Best Body Moisturizer (Light)
Ahava Probiotic Body Lotion
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Why it won: “It smells great and rubs in easily,” says editorial assistant Jennet Jusu of Ahava Pre + Probiotic Body Lotion. There’s not much more you can ask of a body moisturizer, yet this one also helps reduce discoloration and regulates oil production via citric acid and witch hazel, respectively.
Best Body Moisturizer (Extra Rich)
Josie Maran Intensive Daily Repair Body Butter
Why it won: If you’re looking for a cream that’s Warren Buffett-rich, try Josie Maran Intensive Daily Repair Body Butter, made with soothing colloidal oatmeal.
Best Body Moisturizer (Rich)
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrating Body Cream
Why it won: If you want one that’s more Mark Cuban-rich (slightly less, but still really rich), reach for Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrating Body Cream. Staff editor Jihan Forbes says the gel-cream formula “makes you moisturized and glowy without going through a greasy phase.”
Best Body Moisturizer (Exfoliating)
Drunk Elephant TLC Glycolic Body Lotion
Why it won: Our ultimate skin-care icon is Flipper, which is why we love Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion. The lightweight blend resurfaces with alpha hydroxy acids as it hydrates with marula and shea butters, creating softer skin with a dolphin-like sheen.
Best Body Oil
OleHenriksen Firmly Yours Toning Dry Body Oil
Why it won: We’re not quite ready to wear a Life Alert necklace, which is why we avoid applying body oils that leave a slick trail on bathroom tiles. OleHenriksen Firmly Yours Toning Dry Body Oil disappears into our skin in seconds and helps firm and tighten over time.
Best Spot Treatment
Vaseline Jelly Stick
Why it won: Some parts of our skin naturally require more upkeep than others (shout-out to the backs of our knees for never giving us any trouble). Vaseline Jelly Stick is the same petroleum jelly you know and love in a twist-up tube that makes it easy to target dry elbows and cracked heels.
Megababe Le Tush Clarifying Butt Mask
Why it won: Make your bottom a top priority by applying Megababe Le Tush Clarifying Butt Mask — a blend of exfoliating acids and moisturizing squalane — two to three times a week. Senior commerce writer Angela Trakoshis also likes to use it on her back to head off breakouts.
Topicals Highroller Ingrown Hair Tonic
Why it won: Topicals High Roller Ingrown Tonic coaxes out ingrowns on your underarms, legs, and bikini line while reducing post-inflammatory discoloration.
Best Body Wash (Acne-Prone Skin)
Acne Free Benzoyl Peroxide Deep Cleansing Foaming Wash
Why it won: Swap your regular body cleanser for AcneFree Benzoyl Peroxide Deep Cleansing Foaming Wash and see if breakouts on your chest and back don’t suddenly slow their roll.
Best Body Spray (Acne-Prone Skin)
Bliss Clear Genius Body Acne Spray
Why it won: Thanks to Bliss Clear Genius Body Acne Spray, you don’t have to be a contortionist to treat body acne. A rotating nozzle makes it easy to spritz the salicylic acid-enriched formula on hard-to-reach areas like your shoulders and lower back.
Best Body Sunscreen (Mineral)
EltaMD UV Stick Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+
Why it won: After applying a layer of lotion in the morning, we pack EltaMD UV Stick Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+ in our bags for touch ups throughout the day. The stick format makes it easy to re-up anytime, anywhere.
Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF 50
Why it won: We’ve been known to send a link to Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ to friends who’ll find any reason not to apply sunscreen. The lightweight lotion is non-irritating, water-resistant, and dries clear.
Best Body Sunscreen (Chemical)
Vacation Spray SPF 30
Why it won: Vacation Classic Spray SPF 30 delivers such a fine, transparent mist, it’d be easy to forget you’re wearing it — if not for its nostalgic coconut and banana scent.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk SPF
Why it won: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 has a creamy consistency that feels more like that of a body lotion than a sunscreen. It sinks into skin immediately, drying to a velvety finish.
SunBum Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Roll-On Lotion
Why it won: Beach days don’t come around often enough. Savor every second with SunBum Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Roll-On Lotion, which allows you to cover a lot of surface area in a short time.
Best Self-Tanner (Traditional)
Loving Tan Platinum Ultimates Self-Tanning Mousse
Why it won: It takes many layers of most self-tanners to achieve the same saturation you get after one application of Loving Tan Platinum Ultimate Self-Tanning Mousse. For the same reason, it’s not recommended for beginners, though it does have a built-in color guide that makes it easy to see which areas you’ve already covered.
Best Self-Tanner (Gradual)
Coppertone Glow Protect & Tan Sunscreen Lotion
Why it won: For those whose mantra is “easy does it,” our global executive director of audience development Rachel Quigley attests that Coppertone Glow Protect & Tan Sunscreen Lotion can be built up to impart “very even and natural-looking” color.
Best Body Bronzer
St. Tropez Instant Tan Body Bronzer
Why it won: St. Tropez Instant Glow Body Bronzer puts a soft-focus lens on your legs, arms, and décolleté. Available in two shades, the tinted cream blurs scars, marks, and all manner of discoloration — and won’t budge until you wash it away.
Best Bath Product (Foaming Liquid)
Dr Teal’s Menstrual Relief Foaming Bath
Why it won: Self-care isn’t selfish, especially when you use Dr Teal’s Menstrual Relief Foaming Bath, which will envelop everyone in your household in a cloud of its calming herbal scent. (For the record, we add a few drops to our bath at all times of the month.)
Best Bath Product (Bath Bomb)
Beloved by Love Beauty and Planet Cherry Blossom & Tea Rose Bath Bomb
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Why it won: Pop the heart-shaped Beloved by Love Beauty and Planet Cherry Blossom & Tea Rose Bath Bomb into your tub to create a pretty pink froth that smells like fresh roses.
Best Bath Product (Turns Your Shower Into a Bath)
Bath and Body Works Shower Steamer Pods
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Why it won: Don’t have a bath (or just hate cleaning yours)? Bath & Body Works Shower Steamers make your shower just as relaxing: Drop one of the scented tablets on your shower floor, turn on the water, and let the fragrance (we’re partial to Eucalyptus + Spearmint) wash over you.
Best Deodorant
Secret Aluminum Free Deodorant, Real Coconut
Why it won: Most antiperspirants are deodorants, but not all deodorants are antiperspirants. If you want to let your body sweat it out but you don’t necessarily want your nose to detect what it’s up to, try Secret Aluminum Free Deodorant.
Best Antiperspirant
Dove Beauty Advanced Care Cool Essentials Antiperspirant & Deodorant
Why it won: Before we discovered Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant, we could tell time by our armpits: We’d start to feel a little damp around noon and full-on soggy by lunch. Now we’re late for everything because our pits are just as dry in the evening as the moment we applied this moisturizing formula in Cool Essentials in the morning. Not a bad trade-off, if you ask us.
Shaving Cream
Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Ultra-Smooth Clean Shave Cream
Why it won: Shaving cream is a means to an end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the journey. Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Ultra-Smooth Clean Shave Cream is a thick lotion ideal for dry, irritation-prone skin.
Skintimate Violet Blooms Shave Gel
Why it won: For a close shave, Skintimate Shave Gel transforms from a gel into a foam. If you’re into subtle floral scents, try it in Violet Blooms and thank us later.
Tree Hut Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil
Why it won: Tree Hut Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil morphs from a gel into an oil, absorbing quickly enough that its moisturizing benefits stick around long after you’ve finished shaving.
Best Razor
Flamingo Razor
Why it won: With an ergonomic handle and flexible hinge, Flamingo Razor glides across the contours of your body with the ease of a ballroom dancer. And its five ultra thin blades ensure it catches every rogue hair along the way.
Best Trimmer
Gillette Venus for Pubic Hair & Skin Gentle Trimmer
Why it won: We can’t be sure if the makers of other pubic hair trimmers passed basic anatomy class — because their designs are much too wide to get around all our nooks and crannies. Gillette Venus for Pubic Hair & Skin Gentle Trimmer is just the right size, and is also safe to use in the shower.
Best Wax
Nair Sensitive Wax Ready-Strips for Face & Bikini
Why it won: Nair Sensitive Wax Ready-Strips for Face & Bikini don’t require warming or rubbing, so your microwave can stick to leftovers. Just apply the wax side on your skin, press down firmly, and pull. The strips are infused with chamomile extract to help calm on contact.
Best Hand Cream
Evolvetogether Hydrating Hand Cream
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Why it won: We can count on one parched, sticky hand the number of creams capable of hydrating without leaving residue behind. Evolvetogether Hydrating Hand Cream with glycerin plus vitamins B5, C, and E (and available in three scents) is now a member of this elite club.
Best Hand Sanitizer
Touchland Hand Sanitizer (in our bags)
Why it won: Touchland Hand Sanitizer is about the same size and shape as a deck of cards, so it slips easily into pockets and purses. (You’ll usually find the Vanilla Blossom or Velvet Peach scents in ours.)
Dove Hand Sanitizer (on our desks)
Why it won: We keep Dove Nourishing Hand Sanitizer on our desks: The pump bottle lasts (and lasts) and the moisturizing formula never dries us out, no matter how often we reapply.
Best Teeth Whitening Device
Moon Oral Beauty The Teeth Whitening Device
Why it won: Moon Oral Care The Moon Teeth Whitening Device brightens quickly and effectively, says news editor Nicola Dall’Asen. Pop on one of the accompanying dissolvable white strips, then sink your teeth into the LED device to maximize the benefits.
Best Teeth Whitening Overnight Treatment
Crest Whitening Emulsions + Overnight Freshness
Why it won: If you’re overrun with beauty gadgets, Crest Whitening Emulsions + Overnight Freshness brightens in the form of a brush-on hydrogen peroxide treatment that works while you sleep.
Best Floss
Cocofloss
Why it won: The neon packaging alone puts Cocofloss in a league of its own, but you should also know that the wider-than-normal fiber dislodges debris better than your standard floss and that it’s infused with gum-soothing coconut oil.
Best Toothbrush
Colgate Keep Toothbrush
Why it won: The Colgate Keep toothbrush comes with an aluminum handle you can have for years (the helix design looks like something the Jetsons might use) and replaceable brush heads you can swap out every three months.
Best Oral Care Tool
Alpine Provisions Pure Copper Tongue Scraper
Why it won: Is it just us or is everyone suddenly into tongue scraping? For a next-level-clean feeling, we use Alpine Provisions Pure Copper Tongue Scraper to remove gunk before brushing.
Like what you see from Allure‘s Best of Beauty Awards?
