Favorite Things 2015: The Best Body Moisturizers, Treatments, and Scrub

It’s day 2 of my 5 Days of Favorites featuring the best in body lotions, potions, and treatments that will make your skin glow. You know that the skin is our largest organ and needs more love than you’re probably giving it, so check out these clever ways to achieve a full-body radiance.

1. Favorite Body Butter Kiehl’s Creme de Corps (shown in the limited edition holiday packaging) $38:

Few creams are as iconic as this one, and for good reason-  this thick, whipped, buttery texture is like a buttercream frosting with a scent to match somewhere between vanilla and almond, with a subtle sweet finish that smells good enough to eat. Mike’s hands were cracking and bleeding from being so dry until he helped himself to my tub in the bathroom. After a few days his hands were soft and back to normal (well, guy normal anyway.) It has been a part of my tummy rub routine this pregnancy too, I use it morning and night to keep my skin soft where other lotions would sink in too quickly and not keep the moisture around that I needed to stop the itching that torments me.

2 Favorite Alternative to a Bath & Body Works Rut Whish Three Wishes Body Butter $24:

If you remember lubing up with Plumeria or Cucumber Melon back in the day, then you’ll go nuts for this grown up version that’s paraben, sulfate, DEA & TEA, petrochemical, and phthalate free. They’re also  Leaping Bunny Certified if cruelty free is your thing. And with scents like Key Lime, Lemongrass, Acai Grapefruit, and Blueberry that are fresh and not overpowering, you’ll be nostalgic for a time when a fruity lotion was your only perfume.

3. Favorite Over The Top Luxury Body Treatment Tata Harper Revitalizing Body Oil $90:  

If you don’t know about Tata Harper’s crazy success story over the past few years from totally unheard of to Beauty Editor fave, it’s time to take note. She’s hand crafting 100% natural products using plant, herb, and flower extracts grown on her very own organic family Vermont farm. Some of her elixirs are $300+ and you’d be hard pressed to find many negative reviews about the line in anywhere. I sampled some of it recently from Vert and (unfortunately) love it. All of it. I was especially impressed by this body oil – the most elegant, decadent, perfect form of hydration I’ve ever put on my body. Not to be all Gwyneth Paltrow about recommending a $90 body oil, but I feel like the benefits can justify the price. It’s crafted from organic oils and fruit and plant extracts without any fillers or throwaway ingredients that some lotions have so it’s 100% nourishing and beneficial. If you’re serious about what you put on your skin, Tata Harper is where it’s at.

4 Favorite Relief for Eczema & Acne Aleavia Body Wash $20:

You might need to brush up on your science to fully grasp how Aleavia’s prebiotics work to balance out the skin’s good bacteria versus the bad. Using bio-stimulants, this wash encourages good bacteria to ‘feed’ on the bad  which makes for a healthy skin ecosystem at the microscopic level which heals ailments like acne and eczema. It’s a natural 7 ingredient formula so it’s safe for kids to use too.

5. Favorite Body Mask  Red Flower Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser and Masque $42: 

If your skin is looking dull, damaged, or dry then a pre-shower 10 minute mask might just clear things up. Red Flower uses healing mushrooms, vitamins, and minerals to bring that neglected skin back to life from head to toe. It’s one of those treatments that’s worth the extra step once you see how radiant and even your skin looks when you use it, and because it’s technically a cleanser for face and body it won’t just sit on a shelf waiting for a singular random use.

6. Favorite Body Scrub Bubble & Bee Peppermint & Vanilla $15:  

I’ve used this for years and I’m so in love with the combo of sweet vanilla and zesty peppermint that gives a blast of unexpected minty coolness on your skin. It’s a little like the feeling of eating an Altiod, but on your skin. It feels awesome and so invigorating with the thick syrupy oils that mix with the salt to exfoliate so completely that my skin feels just like new.