The 15 Best Body Oils

Body oils take your self-care ritual to the next level. But they’re more than just an indulgent treat for your senses. Packed with super-hydrators, soothing anti-inflammatories, and powerful repair ingredients, they leave your skin feeling softer and smoother with a more luminous look. “I think of body oils as a complementary boost and really great at serving as an occlusive to seal in moisture,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch.

Before you go slathering anything on, it’s good to know that body oils should soak into skin, instead of blanketing it, but finding the right one without actually being able to try it can be a challenge. That’s where we come in. We spoke to experts, tested products ourselves, and did lots of research to find the best products. We were most impressed by Mutha’s Body Oil because the certified-organic product works for nearly every skin type.

For more options, find everything from drugstore steals and brightening and firming favorites, to impressive multitasking oils, in our favorite picks below.  

Best Overall

MUTHA Body Oil

There’s an instant wow factor that comes the second you feel the silky orange oil out of the bold, purple mirrored bottle. It feels delightfully rich and luxurious as you smooth over skin, but unlike other body oils which leave skin layered in a blanket of slippery grease, this fast-absorbing oil melts into skin, leaving pampered, smooth, silkiness in its wake. “To the un-obsessed, all oils might seem the same, at least texturally, but the sheen, the texture, the utter luxury of Mutha’s Body Oil is unlike any of the other dozens of oils I've tried,” Tamim Alnuweiri, beauty writer for InStyle shared in her review. The formula is packed with botanical oils, like rosehip, which do a number for skin’s overall hydration — both short and long term. Added bonus: the soft, citrus scent is pleasant and uplifting, completing the feel-good pampering experience.  

Size: 3.4 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Rosehip

Best Drugstore

Vaseline Radiant Body Gel Oil

This bargain bottle is proof that an indulgent body pampering experience doesn’t have to come at an indulgent price tag. It’s formulated with a conditioning blend of cocoa and shea butters that hydrate the heck out of the driest, dullest skin. It’s also spiked with micro-droplets of the brand’s beloved heal-all jelly, which build up skin’s moisture barrier and help skin stay hydrated long term. Budget price tag aside, this replenishing oil feels every bit as indulgent as it’s more expensive counterparts, and leaves skin with a beautiful healthy, glow.

Size: 6.8 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Mineral 

Best Splurge

Chanel The Body Oil

There are few things as indulgent as the feeling you get when spraying yourself head to toe with a bottle of Chanel body oil. It feels like you’re showering yourself in a well-deserved mist of luxurious self-care and it’s hard to put a price on that feeling. It has the same balanced scent as the beloved sister fragrance, Coco Mademoiselle, with warm amber notes, splashes of fruity citrus, calming jasmine and rose, and sweet patchouli, but it’s even softer and more delicate in oil form. The combination of the scent, the luxuriously silky texture, and the stunning sheen that it leaves behind on skin, create an undeniably enchanting body care experience and one that will leave you looking and feeling completely rejuvenated. 

Size: 6.8 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Jojoba

Best Budget

Bio-Oil Natural Skincare Oil

 There’s a reason why this favored bottle of soothing oil has racked up over 100,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and is a go-to for celebrities like Meghan Markle, Kim Kardashian, and Kristin Chenoweth. It works. But not only for the standard conditioning-the-heck-out-of-dry-skin benefits – which for the record, it does impressively well. It also helps to noticeably even skin tone, fade stretch marks, and reduce the appearance of scarring on the skin. “The natural plant oils and extracts in the formula are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory benefits,” dermatologist Dr. Anna Karp (who is a Bio-Oil partner) previously told InStyle. The beloved formula features a blend of soothing oils including chamomile, lavender, and sunflower, along with collagen-boosting vitamins A and E, which create a powerful combination of skin-loving goodness that feels simply divine on skin, and will keep you going back for more. Added bonus: all that skin-coddling magic can be yours for less than ten bucks. 

Size: 2 oz| Scented: Yes | Oils: Chamomile, lavender, sunflower

Best Spray

Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil

 If the thought of a “dry” oil made you raise an eyebrow, you’re not alone. But one spray of this super thin mist is enough to clarify exactly what that means and why it’s so amazing. The fine mist applicator diffuses the oil evenly over your whole body with a few pumps and feels exceptionally lightweight on skin. It sprinkles skin in the most delicate layer of hydration thanks to a super-conditioning trio of argan, olive, and avocado oils, which leaves skin instantly softer. The dry oil also boasts the brand’s signature sweet amber scent, which for many is reason enough to spritz this all over daily. 

Size: 3.4 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Argan, olive, avocado

Best Multi-Tasker

Embryolisse Huile de Beauté

 Here’s a multi-tasking product that impresses across the board, delivering a touch of French luxury head to toe. The texture feels luxe and satiny when you spray it out of the bottle, but instead of sitting on top of skin in a greasy film, it soaks right into it leaving skin feeling noticeably more supple and hydrated. The non-greasy oil is light enough to apply on your face or hair for a dose of dewy, glossiness all over. “It has shea butter, which we all know is the G.O.A.T. moisturizer. It also contains softening lemon oil, regenerative pomegranate seed oil, and apricot oil, which has high levels of vitamin A and E,” Pia Velasco, Senior Digital Beauty Editor at DotDash Meredith, previously told InStyle. “While I use it mainly as a body oil, this product is actually formulated to treat your facial skin and your hair, too,” she added.

Size: 3.38 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Lemon, pomegranate seed, apricot 

Best Scented

UMA Oils Anti-Aging Body Oil

• The expensive price tag.

 You know a product is special when it was originally designed for the baths and massages of a queen. So it’s safe to say this indulgent body oil – made of a scared blend of rose, sandalwood, frankincense, and pomegranate oils – delivers the royal treatment to your skin. “You rarely find a blend of such potent botanicals — individually yes, but not together — so it delivers not only on its promise of beautiful body, but an ultra-indulgent experience for the wearer,” Roxanne Adamiyatt, beauty writer previously toldInStyle. The texture feels light, yet pampering, and is fast-absorbing, disappearing into skin within seconds of rubbing it on. It also does a number smoothing cracks and rough patches on contact, and while the scent is prominent, it’s not over-powering, adding a sensual and exotic aroma that will get noticed for the right reasons.  

Size: 3.4 oz | Scented: Yes| Oils: Rose, sandalwood, frankincense, and pomegranate

Best Anti-Aging

Tata Harper Skincare Revitalizing Body Oil

When a star-studded lineup of A-listers like Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Emma Watson swear by a product, we listen. While it comes with a celebrity price tag, the powerful oil inside the frosted green glass bottle is every bit decadent and splurge-worthy. For starters, it’s superbly clean, bottled in small batches from the brands Vermont farm and is phthalate- and paraben-free, making it safe (and ideal) for expecting mommies. “The body oil features a long list of moisturizing anti-agers for dry skin, including 14 hydrators, nine wrinkle-fighting agents, and four firming ingredients,” Rachel Nussbaum, beauty writer, previously told InStyle. The potent mix of primrose oil and alfalfa flower extract transform skin, dissolving fine lines and wrinkles, and leaving skin smooth, silky, and supple. It’s impressively hydrating, without feeling heavy or greasy, and leaves skin looking noticeably healthier and refreshed, which helps to justify the splurge with each and every application.  

Size: 125 ml | Scented: No | Oils: Primrose oil

Best Firming

Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil

If you’ve ever hesitated to use body oil for fear of leaving your sheets or clothes covered in a film of grease, this fast-absorbing formula is made for you. The lightweight oil soaks into skin impressively fast, leaving skin feeling hydrated and conditioned, instead of suffocated in a coat of grease. The formula is infused with antioxidant-rich seaweed – and is so true to form, you may find seaweed sediment floating in the bottle – which helps to soften and firm the skin. The conditioning oil soothes dryness on contact and overtime even helps visibly reduce the appearance of stretch marks, leaving skin looking healthy, hydrated, and with a pretty, natural glow.  

Size: 5 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Seaweed

Best Brightening

Oui The People Hydrating Body Gloss

Leave it to the brand behind the popular safety razor, designed to deliver the closest, gentlest shave imaginable, to come up with a body oil that offers the same level of TLC to skin that needs it most. “Made with squalane, rosehip, pomegranate, and avocado oils, the body oil has a myriad of benefits — it hydrates, brightens, heals, and firms the skin,” Christina Butan, beauty writer, previously told InStyle. The lightweight oil helps to boost collagen production, leaving skin looking healthier with a natural glossiness that will be remembered. It’s also the reason these bottles keep flying off the shelves and it’s not uncommon to see an extensive waitlist. 

Size: 3.3 oz | Scented: Natural | Oils: Squalane, rosehip, pomegranate, and avocado

Best Clean

Irene Forte Orange Blossom Body Oil

This luxurious oil is a treat for the senses and one that makes your daily body moisturizing, feel more like a pampering ritual, rather than a chore. The delicate blend of orange blossom and pistachio give the oil a supremely balanced scent that is instantly calming. It’s formulated with a cocktail of ultra-conditioning, skin-loving oils including jojoba, pistachio, olive, orange blossom, and grapeseed, which hydrate the heck out of skin. There’s not a trace of stickiness as this silky formula absorbs into skin, turning any trace of dry, flakiness into smooth, hydrated gorgeousness. 

Size: 3.38 oz | Scented: Yes| Oils: Jojoba, pistachio, olive

Best for Dry Skin

Alo Glow Oil

• The scent is strong.

The ingredients used in this formula are equal parts clean and powerful. For starters, there’s the vitamin C super fruit, Amala, to hydrate and give skin that promised glow stamped on the front of the bottle. Then there’s the ever-soothing aloe vera oil which melts into skin and instantly locks in moisture, while also conditioning long term. A shot of turmeric combats inflammation and unevenness, resulting in beautifully smoothed, coddled, pampered skin head to toe. The results on face and body were equally as impressive. The delicate oil is light enough to use as a daily moisturizer under makeup, without adding a greasy film to skin, and hydrating enough to give hair a salon-worthy glossiness that doesn’t leave it slick and weighed down. It’s a versatile, take-with-you-everywhere oil – conveniently packaged in a TSA-friendly bottle – for skin-loving goodness whenever you need it.  

Size: 3.38 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Aloe Vera

Price for Sensitive Skin

Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil

There’s a reason Oprah stands behind this silky body oil, and one slather of the silky antioxidant-rich blend is enough to understand why. “A small amount of this body oil mixed with a splash of water in my palm creates a milky texture that feels buttery-soft when applied to skin,” Claire Harmeyer, beauty writer, previously told InStyle. There’s a blend of power-hydrators at work here, including French plum seed oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil, along with fermented red ginseng to help calm skin and reduce any inflammation. “This magical jar single-handedly turned me into a huge advocate for prioritizing body care. Now, I look forward to lathering the soothing oil onto my skin so much, I make every excuse to shower just so I can indulge in using it afterward,” she added. The fast-absorbing oil leaves skin supple and hydrated, instead of transferring grease stains onto your clothes or sheets. “Oh, and its scent — a delicate mixture of orange blossom and bergamot — is subtle and calming, immediately transporting me to a luxurious spa,” Harmeyer noted. 

Size: 4.2 oz | Scented: Yes| Oils: Avocado, plum seed 

Best for Repair

Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Multi-Repair Oil

Yes, it’s an investment product, but gifting yourself gorgeous glowing skin head to toe, is a hard investment to argue against. The bottle is tiny, but a little drop goes a long way in covering major surface area across your body, and while we definitely tend to save this skin smoothing magic for our face, treating yourself to the full body treatment is well worth the extra drops. Pricey, yet powerful, the repair oil complex features a quartet of rice germ oil, primrose oil, rosehip oil, and camellia oil which deliver mega-moisture to skin, smoothing roughness on contact, and giving skin an instant radiance the second you apply it. The lightweight texture and fresh floral scent (of peony and orchid) give this oil a sensorial effect that is one to be remembered, and helps to justify the spend. With continued daily use, this oil transforms dull, dehydrated skin revealing dewy, plumped glowiness that will make you feel your most beautiful self. 

Size: 75 ml | Scented: Yes | Oils: Rice germ, primrose, rosehip, camellia

Best with Shimmer

Sol De Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Oil

• The long-lasting glow. 

If you could bottle up a tropical getaway into a beauty product, this bottle of shimming gorgeousness would be it. It delivers that sought-after post-vacation glow in seconds and sends your senses on a dreamy – although temporary – mental escape to a land of white sand beaches and a sweet ocean breeze. The deep conditioning oil is formulated with coconut oil, açaí oil, and cupuacu butter, which add a rich and pampering texture that leaves your skin feeling pillow-y soft. The shimmer effect thankfully steers more luminous glow, than shiny glitter bomb, and looks tasteful and sophisticated head to toe. Add in the brand’s signature sweet (but not too-sweet) vanilla, jasmine, and salted caramel scent, and you complete the sensory daydream each and every time you apply it.  

Size: 3.38 oz | Scented: Yes | Oils: Açaí, coconut 

What to Keep in Mind

Texture

Oils have a bad rap for being synonymous with greasy — and some certainly can be. But there are also a ton of quality body oils that feel lightweight and silky on skin, soaking into it, instead of sitting on top of it.

Ingredients

Knowing your skin type will help you find the best oils to use (and to avoid). “Jojoba can be nice to soak up excess oil, as is white grape seed,” Hirsch told InStyle. “Tea tree is generally acne friendly, and moringa is probably my sensitive skin favorite,” she added.

Scent

Since many body oils are made from mixes of different botanicals, they often carry a pleasant, natural scent, which is also one of many reasons why we love using these products. Some have added synthetic fragrances, which is something to look out for if you have sensitive skin. “Take extra care with fragrance for sensitive skin and be advised essential oils are actually themselves a not-infrequent cause of skin issues,” Hirsch told InStyle. 

Your Questions, Answered

How do you use body oil?

For many oils, you can pour them right into your hands and lather all over your body. Just beware that a little goes a long way with body oils (more so than say lotions or creams), so dab a drop on your palms and work it into skin before applying more. Some oils have spray nozzles which you can spray directly onto your body or in your palms and apply from there. Be careful with sprays, as depending on the diffusion of the mist, they can make the surface around you slippery, so it’s best to apply while standing on a towel to avoid creating any accidental slippery surfaces. 

How do you apply body oil after a shower?

The best way to use a body oil is immediately post-shower on damp skin, to lock in all that moisture. You can also apply to dry skin whenever you’re in need of added hydration. Just be sure that if you’re going to layer with other products, like a lotion or cream, the body oil layers last. “They are occlusives, so they mainly function to seal things in, and most things won’t penetrate an oil, so they go on last,” Hirsch told InStyle.

Why Shop With Us

Lindsay Colameo has over 10 years’ experience as a writer, editor, and beauty industry expert for leading beauty publications including InStyle, Allure, and Byrdie. She has tested and expertly reviewed thousands of beauty products, sifting through an ever-multiplying assortment of products, to bring readers the tried, true, and vetted, best-of-the-best across makeup, nail care, haircare, and skincare. She interviewed Board-Certified Dermatologist, Dr. Ranella Hirsch for this story, too.

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