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5 of the best body lotions for winter-worn skin

Lavish parched skin with these top performing body moisturisers

Scaly elbows? Knarly knees? Itchy calves? We hear you. Dry skin doesn’t just affect the face, in fact our bodies can also be crying out for hydration thanks to external factors causing lipid and moisture loss.

Areas exposed to the cold, dry air are often susceptible, while some medical conditions and medications can also increase body skin dryness.

This common problem is, according to Eucerin, the reason why 40 per cent of us end up visiting a dermatologist. The dryness can be mild or severe, with anything from a slight roughness to cracked patches and scales.

Putting the moisture back into skin is possible, and ingredients such as urea, acids and retinol should be your first line of defence. Look for targeted home-use products designed to soothe, rehydrate and even lightly exfoliate dry, flaky or rough skin.

“Ingredient-wise, I feel a home skincare regime is very important,” agrees EV expert Anna Baker of The Retreatery Skin Clinic. “Key ingredients such as bionic PHAs (polyhydroxy acids) can deliver excellent hydrating benefits and are ideal for building and supporting the skin barrier in dry and sensitive skins.”

Read on to discover five moisture-packed body lotions, along with an in-clinic treatment to suit all skincare demands.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Fluide, escentual.com

Looking for deal with mild dryness? This multi-function lotion is designed to be used by everyone, including babies and children. Adults can use it as cleanser, a mask, a daily moisturiser, or as a repairing aftersun care product. Containing shea butter, beeswax, soy and aloe vera, it leaves skin feeling incredibly soft.

Clarins Extra Firming Body Lotion

This premium lotion contains eight regenerating and firming plant extracts including lemon thyme extract which protects elasticity, centella Asiatica to encourage the production of collagen and shea butter to moisturise. The light, easily absorbed formula nourishes the body and smoothes away lines, leaving skin soft and supple, with improved elasticity and density.

Eucerin Urea Repair Original 10% Urea Cream

Containing 10 per cent urea to help lock in skin moisture and ideal for all over use including the joint bends and knees, this replenishing cream provides intensive moisture and smoothes very dry, flaky and itchy skin. The gold standard treatment for dry skin, urea is naturally produced by the body to bind water to the upper layer of skin, while lactate works in a similar way to help retain moisture and prevent dryness.

La Roche Posay Lipikar Lair Urea 5+

Ideal for quenching dry, rough skin, this smoothing body milk also contains urea (at 5 per cent) and thermal spring water, along with an exfoliating element to gently buff away any flaky areas while rehydrating and smoothing.

ZO Skin Health Body Emulsion

This multi-action body treatment exfoliates dead cells, helps strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and reduces the appearance of brown spots. In addition, a 12-hour time-release antioxidant complex helps protect the skin, improving quality, smoothness and overall appearance. Ingredients include retinol, glucosamine and encapsulated vitamins E, C and A. Ask a practitioner for this.

In-clinic solution 

If your body lotion just isn’t cutting it and you need to deploy the big guns, speak to your aesthetics practitioner or skin expert who will be able to offer some solutions.

“One of my favourite in-clinic treatments to hydrate skin is Dermalux red light as it also helps to stimulate cellular renewal, boost collagen and elastin, as well as increase hydration and can be used on the face and body,” says Baker.


Anna Baker, Aesthetic Nurse, Trainer & Qualified Educator

My name is Anna Baker, I am a full time Aesthetic Nurse, Trainer and Qualified Educator. I split my practice between...

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