Body Washes Don’t Have to Be Boring—These Are Proof

The optimal way to start your shower is by lathering up with one of the best body washes. These formulas draw moisture to the skin, cleanse dirt and debris, tackle body acne and bumps, and often have an absolutely delightful scent. And because skin care doesn’t end at your decolletage, you’ll find tons of familiar ingredients in these bottles—we’re talking niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and way more. And no hate to your sliver of bar soap (she’s treated you kindly), but an upgrade is in order. We turned to the experts and tested dozens of products, ranging from drugstore buys to special splurges, to find the best body washes for your sudsing pleasure. We also spoke with board-certified dermatologists to get the scoop on what exactly we should be looking for while shopping.

Our Top Body Washes

Best Overall: Nécessaire The Body Wash Fragrance-Free

Why it’s worth it: Nécessaire’s The Body Wash boasts a skin-softening, niacinamide-based formula loaded with vitamins C and E. The Best of Beauty winner (which figures prominently in many of our editors’ shower routines) is a gel-oil formula and offers a nice dose of hydration. “I used this throughout my pregnancy and loved that it kept my skin soft and comfortable—never once did I feel any itchiness or dryness,” says Pai. You won’t find a single sulfate, paraben, phthalate, or synthetic dye in this stuff, either. Grab it in the above fragrance-free version (our preference, TBH), or choose from scents like Eucalyptus, Bergamot, and Sandalwood. Oh, and the bar soap version won a Best of Beauty Award in 2024, which we also love equally.

Best for Discoloration: Youth to the People Superfood + Niacinamide Body Cleanser

Why it’s worth it: Inspired by the brand’s Superfood Cleanser—which has long been a favorite among Allure editors—Youth to the People’s Superfood + Niacinamide Body Cleanser is like a green juice for your skin. It pairs a blend of superfoods, including kale, spinach, and green tea, with niacinamide to leave the skin radiant and soft. While vitamin B hydrates, the plant-based fatty acid surfactants gently remove impurities from your skin in a rich lather.

Best Cream: Aesop Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser

Why it’s worth it: If you only know Aesop for its divine hand soap, prepare to expand your mind—and your body care routine. The Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser is packed with softening, hydrating botanicals like shea butter, jojoba oil, and sunflower seed oil, working up into a rich, foamy lather every time. It leaves skin refreshed and more supple, with a spicy, herbaceous scent that lingers post-shower. This is a cream wash, but if you prefer a gel texture, the brand has bountiful offerings in that department, too.

Best Gel: Billie Bounce Hydrating Body Wash

Why it’s worth it: Our editors have been devoted Billie Razor fans for years, so it’s no surprise the brand’s Bounce Hydrating Women’s Body Wash stole our hearts. Scented with notes of spicy vanilla, creamy coconut, and sandalwood, this gel formula soothes rough skin with non-stripping, hyaluronic acid-powered suds. If vanilla’s not your thing, try one of the five other scent profiles/skin specialties—like a salty-floral exfoliant or a brightening citrus blend.

Best for Dry Skin: Saltair Body Wash in Santal Bloom

Why it’s worth it: Saltair’s Body Wash in the scent Santal Bloom is not one to miss. This botanical- and butter-rich formula stars soothing monoi oil, antioxidant-loaded kukui oil, and elasticity-boosting cupuaçu butter. Ascorbyl glucoside (a form of vitamin C) and niacinamide step in to brighten and support moisture retention, all while lathering into a rich, satisfying foam. The fragrance is indulgent but soft, never overpowering.

Best Scent: Byoma Hydrating Body Wash

Why it’s worth it: Byoma’s Hydrating Body Wash delivers a creamy, cushy cleanse with every pump. It hydrates deeply with beta-glucan and glycerin, while a squalane-based prebiotic complex helps balance your skin’s microbiome, lock in moisture, and support a healthy barrier. We love that Byoma lists every ingredient and its function right on the bottle—so there’s no mystery around the hard-to-pronounce stuff (looking at you, hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride). Bonus: It smells incredible—like it costs way more than it does.

Best Drugstore: Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash

Why it’s worth it: Dove knows sensitive skin—and it shows in the Deep Moisture Body Wash, a bona fide drugstore diamond. It’s powered by the brand’s patented MicroMoisture complex: tiny droplets packed with reparative ingredients designed to nestle into every nook and cranny of your skin. “These droplets carry emollients and moisturizing factors, like stearic and palmitic acids, that then get deposited into the crevices of our skin,” says cosmetic chemist Marisal Mou. “This is quite unique to a body wash because most have surfactants that attach themselves to the oil and dirt on your skin and wash it away [without doing much else].” The result? Soft, clean, and supremely hydrated skin that stays moisturized for up to 24 hours.

More body washes to consider:

• For people with dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin, Iota’s Best of Beauty-winning Supervitamin Body Wash+ Soothing should do the trick. It’s packed with 15 vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (shout out to chamomile flower and Indian gooseberry) to cocoon skin for long-lasting hydration. The formula’s pH of 5.0-5.5 is ideal for irritated, dry, or acne-prone skin, and the fragrance-free formula means extra gentleness.
• We love the fragrance-free, non-comedogenic La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Wash, which always has our back…and neck, torso, arms, and legs. Philadelphia-based, board-certified dermatologist Michele Farber, MD, previously told Allure that the product is formulated with “shea butter to hydrate, glycerin as a humectant, and niacinamide to soothe.”
• Another strong, anti-acne option, the K-beauty brand Some By Mi brings us the many-lettered AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Body Cleanser. This cleanser is a star at combating excess sebum production that might lead to below-the-neck breakouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I choose a body wash?

When selecting a body wash, consider both your general preferences and your specific skin-care goals and concerns. Keep in mind that, unlike your average bar soap, body washes often contain active ingredients designed to target acne, eczema, and dry skin. “Patients who have acne can use products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide,” says Olga Bunimovich, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Pittsburgh, PA. “Patients with eczema should avoid those same ingredients due to their irritating effect and instead look for moisturizing ingredients, such as natural oils, ceramides, and glycerin.”

Melissa Piliang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Cleveland, recommends steering clear of washes with fragrance, as these can potentially irritate the skin. “They do not enhance the cleansing ability of the body wash, so it is best to avoid fragrance,” she explains. However, if you know you tolerate fragrance in body care well, go for it.

What’s the best way to use body wash?

While it’s tempting to cloak yourself in that delicious, delicious soap, Dr. Piliang warns against overdoing the body wash. Overuse can lead to dry, irritated skin, especially during the winter months when the skin is already stripped of moisture. “Taking hot showers and baths can magnify the problem as the hot water removes even more of the skin’s natural oils,” she explains.

Dr. Bunimovich recommends that you stick to once-daily showers with lukewarm water and use a moisturizer after cleansing to prevent further overdrying of the skin. Also, pay special attention to washing the folds of your skin, as bacteria likes to hang out there. Avoid using body wash as a face wash, though, as it can clog pores and exacerbate acne.

How do I know if I’m allergic to my body wash?

As with any new skin-care product, finding a new body wash may require trial and error. And that error? A potential adverse reaction. Nothing dire, necessarily, but your skin could become irritated or itchy if it disagrees with the formula. Daniel Belkin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously explained that an allergic reaction to a body wash can be different than an allergic reaction to a beauty product. “Usually, allergic contact dermatitis [caused by a beauty product] will present as a red, itchy rash at the site of exposure, but an allergy to body wash is an exception because body wash is used all over and washed off,” he said. “It will, therefore, present as a patchy and diffused rash, probably sparing the face because most body wash is used from the neck down.”

Still, just because you’re noticing redness on your body doesn’t always mean you’re allergic. “Allergic and irritant contact dermatitis are different but can look the same,” Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Hamden, Connecticut, explains. “Irritant contact dermatitis is not allergic in nature. [It] can come from soap-based surfactants that have a higher pH than skin and create irritation to the barrier.”

In any case, if you notice persistent redness or irritation after applying your body wash, stop using it immediately and consider calling your dermatologist to discuss what might be causing your skin’s reaction.

Does body wash expire?

Body washes, like most skin-care products, will expire—but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unsafe to use. “In general, it’s best to discard products that are past their expiration date,” Jim Hammer, a cosmetic chemist and the founder of Mix Solutions, previously told Allure. “Some products may actually last longer [than their expiration dates] and will still be effective for longer than that,” he added. Still, just because they still work doesn’t mean they’ll be unchanged. “They may develop an off color, may not smell as nice, and may not be as pleasant to use.”

Meet the experts

• Daniel Belkin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Hamden, CT
• Melissa Piliang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Cleveland, OH
• Michele Farber, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Philadelphia, PA
• Olga Bunimovich, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Pittsburgh, PA
• Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Jim Hammer, a cosmetic chemist and the founder of Mix Solutions based in Sommerville, MA
• Marisal Mou, a cosmetic chemist based in New York City

How we test and review products

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of best body washes, we considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, fragrance, texture, and skin concerns. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.