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The right body wash cleanses your skin, yes, but it can also completely elevate your entire shower experience. Shopping for one may seem like one of the simpler beauty choices, but there are a lot of factors to consider before adding to cart. You’ll want to take into account the smell, the price point, whether you need a formula gentle enough for sensitive skin, and if it has specific active skin-care ingredients like niacinamide for extra hydration or the acne-fighting salicylic acid.
Still, there are hundreds of options out there to choose from, so narrowing it down can be a feat. That’s why we curated this list of a few dozen body washes that stand out above the rest. Some feature scents so heavenly that one lather will make you feel like you’re sitting beachside on a tropical vacation, while others get the job done without any added fragrance. There are also the cleansers specially made to treat issues like acne and eczema or multitasking products that be used on the hair, face, and body.
If you’re looking for the best body wash to suit your needs — whatever they may be — you can start by checking out our curated guide of favorites ahead.
Best Exfoliating Body Wash
Best Body Wash For Dry, Sensitive Skin
CeraVe Body Wash For Dry Skin ($12)
A tried-and-true product for a reason, this CeraVe body wash contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides to quell any dryness and leaves out any potentially irritating ones like sulfates and fragrance.
CeraVe Body Wash For Dry Skin
Best Body Wash For Acne
Murad Acne Body Wash ($48)
This sudser from Murad works triple duty to treat body breakouts fast: salicylic acid helps keep pores clear, glycolic acid exfoliates the skin, and green tea extract soothes any irritation and redness.
Best Fragrance-Free Body Wash
Nécessaire The Body Wash ($25)
This Nécessaire body wash features star ingredient niacinamide to reduce inflammation and cleanse the skin without stripping it of natural oils. The best part? It contains no fragrance, so you can suds up without the scent.
Best Body Wash For Hyperpigmentation
Boscia Papaya and Pomegranate Enzyme Exfoliating Body Cleanser
Best Body Wash For Dry Skin
Dove Purely Pampering Coconut Butter & Cocoa Butter Body Wash ($10)
Ever used a cleanser that made your skin feel like silk? That’s the feeling you’ll get from using the Dove Purely Pampering Coconut Butter & Cocoa Butter Body Wash, as it’s made with not one but two types of butters to keep skin hydrated even after you step out of the shower.
Dove Purely Pampering Coconut Butter & Cocoa Butter Body Wash
Best Body Wash For Keratosis Pilaris
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub ($56)
Keratosis pilaris, or KP for short, is a common skin condition that manifests in tiny red bumps on body parts like the backs of arms and legs. To treat them, you need a specially formulated body wash that exfoliates, which is exactly what you get with the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub. It combines chemical exfoliants (lactic acid and salicylic acid, plus fruit enzymes) with physical exfoliants (pumice beads) for an as-good-as-it-gets body buff.
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub
Best Scented Body Wash
Ouai Body Cleanser ($28)
Yes, we love the Ouai Body Cleanser for it’s hydrating, jojoba-rich formula, but we also love that it smells like fresh citrus and a luxurious bouquet of flowers.
Best Body Wash For Eczema
Unscented Curel Itch Defense Body Wash ($10)
If you have eczema, you’ll love the Curel Itch Defense Body Wash. Not only is it completely unscented, but its main purpose is also to reduce itching and skin irritation, and it gets to work fast.
Unscented Curel Itch Defense Body Wash
Best Drugstore Body Wash For Acne
Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash With Glycerin ($10)
There’s a reason dermatologists recommend this body wash to acne-prone patients regularly: the Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash With Glycerin is packed with 2% salicylic acid to fight breakouts effectively but gently — and you can’t beat that price.
Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash With Glycerin
Best Body Wash For Sensitive Skin
Aveeno Skin Relief Fragrance-Free Body Wash ($8)
Aveeno has mastered the art of creating gentle products that don’t irritate even the most sensitive sets. The Aveeno Skin Relief Fragrance-Free Body Wash is no different, and will cleanse your skin without making it feel dry or leading to irritation.
Aveeno Skin Relief Fragrance-Free Body Wash
Best Natural Body Wash
Native Charcoal Natural Body Wash ($19)
The Native Charcoal Natural Body Wash is sulfate free, paraben free, and phthalate free. It’s made with naturally derived ingredients, and the charcoal scent is one of our all-time favorites.
Native Charcoal Natural Body Wash
Best 3-in-1 Body Wash
Jack Black All-Over Wash ($24)
We love this Jack Black All-Over Wash because it takes care of all of your body’s cleansing needs by combining everything — shampoo, body wash, and cleanser — into one hydrating, multitasking product that leaves both the skin and hair feeling baby soft.
Best Gentle Body Wash
Drunk Elephant Kamili Cream Body Cleanser ($20)
There are plenty of body washes out there that let the fragrances do all the talking, but the Drunk Elephant Kamili Cream Body Cleanser actually features a creamy, clean, fragrance-free formula meant to cleanse and balance supersensitive skin.
Best Antioxidant-Rich Body Wash
The Seaweed Bath Co. Hydrating Body Wash ($9)
The organic The Seaweed Bath Co. Hydrating Body Wash creates a moisturizing lather with antimicrobial oil to protect your skin and is formulated with antioxidant-rich spirulina (a type of algae).
The Seaweed Bath Co. Hydrating Body Wash
Best Luxurious Body Wash
Fresh Brown Sugar Bath & Shower Gel ($25)
Luxury doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and the Fresh Brown Sugar Bath & Shower Gel is the perfect example of that. This body wash features a simple blend of lemon and caramel fragrance that’s so good, it’ll leave your bathroom smelling like a baked dessert.
Fresh Brown Sugar Bath & Shower Gel
Best Cream Body Wash
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream ($26)
With its blend of Amazonian butter and coconut oil, the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream is a gentle, tropical-scented cleanser that’ll have you stepping out of your bathroom with supermodel-soft skin.
Best Oil-to-Foam Body Wash
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil to Foam Body Cleanser
Best Conditioning Body Wash
Olay Nourishing Body Wash ($12)
Hyaluronic acid has always been a standout ingredient in skin-care products thanks to its hydrating abilities, but it’s the star of the show in the Olay Nourishing Body Wash, which also features niacinamide to help moisturize and soothe the skin, among a handful of other things.
