Best Body Lotions for Dry Skin in South Africa in 2025

body lotion

Many South Africans suffer from dry, cracked skin. Our selection of the best body lotions for dry skin in South Africa can help alleviate even the driest, most uncomfortable skin.

Our environment wreaks havoc. We’re exposed to strong UV rays from the sun, extreme heat and dry cold. Add air conditioning, heaters, showers, and sweat and it’s no surprise that many of us have dry, irritated skin.

But which body lotions work best to counteract the impact of these harsh elements? What ingredients should you look for in a body lotion?

To understand more about body lotions, see our Q&A below.

Used regularly, our range of professional body lotions will nourish dry skin to leave it soothed and silky.

Overall best body lotion for dry skin

If you’re looking for the best body lotion for dry skin in South Africa, look no further.

This lotion packs a powerful moisture punch, yet is light, quickly absorbed and non-greasy. It leaves skin feeling nourished and smooth but not tacky.

The nutrient-rich blend of Argan, hemp seed and safflower oils supply deep hydration. Dry skin is rehydrated, elasticity improved and skin left feeling supple and looking radiant.

What’s more, it’s great value and is the best hands and body lotion available, so you get two products in one.

Best body lotion for dry, itchy skin

Critical Repair Cream was originally created for stylists suffering from dry hands after days spent washing hair. It’s now a firm favourite with professionals and their clients because it can treat really dry, cracked, ashy or callused skin anywhere on the body.

The paraben-free formula is rich in a blend of safflower, sunflower, jojoba and olive oils that are quickly absorbed.

They nourish and hydrate the skin, protecting it from free-radical damage caused by environmental stressors, but don’t leave it sticky.

Best body lotion for dry skin with SPF

This dual-action moisturiser is ideal for use in South Africa with our scorching, dehydrating sun.

Broad-spectrum SPF 35 protects against the sun’s burning UVB rays and ageing UVA rays that penetrate the skin’s surface to the deep layers.

The formula contains avocado and coconut oils, as well as aloe vera. These ingredients pamper the skin while working to minimise the effects of environmental damage.

It’s ultra-light and dries quickly. It can be used on the body or face and works well under makeup.

Best body lotion for men with dry skin

This lightweight and ultra-moisturising lotion will suit any man who suffers from dry skin. It’s quickly absorbed and it doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy.

It’s formulated with nutrient-rich hemp seed and Argan oils that are naturally rich in fatty acids and vitamin E. Rough, dry skin is left soft, smooth and smelling of an earthy sandalwood fragrance.

MKS eco is the evolution of the Marrakesh brand, which now uses recycled and recyclable bottles.

Best body lotion for dry skin during pregnancy

This non-greasy oil is ideal for your skin during pregnancy or if you have stretchmarks. It’s formulated with a complex blend of super oils that deeply moisturise and rehydrate the skin.

Soybean helps reduce blotchiness and skin tone. Chamomile reduces inflammation. Lavender and rosemary oils are rich in antioxidants, which help improve the appearance of stretch marks, scars and uneven skin tone.

It’s also enriched with vitamins A and E to protect the skin from damage and encourage cell growth.

Best body lotion for dry skin in summer

The high temperatures of summer in South Africa can dehydrate your skin leaving it taut and cracked. This body cream uses the restorative effects of ultra-refined organic Argan oil to replenish lost moisture.

The refining process reduces the oil to a minute molecular structure. This doesn’t compromise its properties but increases the cream’s penetrating power.

The Argan oil is more easily absorbed by the skin, leaving it intensely hydrated and smooth. Vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera add to the cream’s hydrating properties.

Best body lotion for dry skin in winter in South Africa

Whether you live in a wet or dry winter area in South Africa, the elements can wreak havoc with your skin. Discover a skin-smoothing paradise with this ultra-hydrating body cream.

It contains an exotic blend of frangipani and monoi oil (made from the petals of Tahitian gardenias) that intensely nourishes your body. Skin is left soothed, smooth and smelling like a tropical paradise.

It works best when massaged into the skin.

Best body lotion for extremely dry skin

This local brand understands how extremely dry skin can get in South Africa. This body lotion gives relief to the most compromised skin that’s flaky, sensitive and irritated.

A double-moisture action deeply nourishes the skin to hydrate, soothe and bring instant softness. It then creates a protective moisture film on the skin’s surface to protect against environmental damage and further dryness.

You can even use it on thick areas of skin, such as heels and elbows.

Best moisturising body lotion for dry skin

Dry, thirsty skin gets the nourishing boost it needs from a blend of orchid and ginseng extracts in this rich moisturising body lotion.

Orchid is prized for its ability to help skin retain moisture, as well as being packed full of minerals and moisturising compounds. Ginseng helps diminish lines and wrinkles.

It’s rich but easily absorbed and contains no parabens, sulphates or mineral oil. All skin types are left feeling hydrated, smooth and supple.

Best natural body lotion for dry skin

This moisturising soufflé is packed with natural ingredients full of vitamins and minerals that nourish, hydrate and help boost tone, leaving skin soft, supple and radiant.

Kaeso is a professional brand that creates mainly vegan products packed full of natural ingredients, such as ultra-moisturising mulberry and mallow. All products, including this one, are free from parabens, sulphates, propylene glycol, mineral oil and harsh chemicals.

Best whitening body lotion for dry skin

If your skin is dry, cracked or pigmented, try this cream from BCL’s professional spa range.

Citrus and coconut extract help reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation while softening cracked and dehydrated skin.

Argan, jojoba, olive and safflower oils, plus shea butter treat the hands, feet and elbows to intense hydration. It’s thick but non-greasy, and has a fresh citrusy smell.

Q&A

We answer your questions about body lotions and creams for dry skin.

A body lotion is a moisturiser that’s designed for use all over your body. Just like our faces, our bodies benefit from regular hydration to keep skin soft and supple.

Body lotions tend to be richer than face moisturisers and come in the form of rich creams, milks, light mousses and hydrating oils.

It’s used to soften, soothe and hydrate dry, uncomfortable skin. It can help minimise wrinkles, especially on exposed areas of skin such as the chest, and calm irritated skin.

Body lotion supports the skin barrier that can be stripped by harsh environmental elements and cleansing.

Nourishing ingredients restore the skin barrier’s natural defences to help keep the skin’s microbiome balanced and healthy.

A body lotion with a thick texture is usually called a cream. Creams cover the body in a luxurious layer of moisture that can leave the skin feeling a little slippery.

Lightweight milks and lotions are more popular with people who have oilier skin or who simply want a sheer coating of moisture.

Body lotion works most effectively when it’s applied to warm, damp skin after you’ve taken a shower or bath. Skin shouldn’t be dripping wet.

Warm, damp skin is most receptive to the ingredients in your body lotion.

After you’ve towel-dried your skin, add a dollop to your hand (about the size of a R2 coin). Rub your hands together to warm up the lotion.

Massage the lotion into your body in small circular motions. Cover your entire body, including your neck.

For most people, applying body lotion once a day to warm, moist skin is sufficient. If you have extremely dry skin, you may apply it morning and evening. Alternatively, opt for a richer body lotion.

Most body lotions are left to soak into the skin. Some are washed off. Check the label.

There are several ingredients you want to find in a body lotion.

Occlusive emollients create a film to prevent water from evaporating. The most common is petroleum jelly (mineral oil or paraffinum liquidum), squalene, beeswax, acetyl alcohol, silicones (dimethicone), stearic acid, stearyl stearate and lanolin.

Humectants attract water molecules from the environment. They include urea, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, glycerine (or glycerol) and lactic acid.

Lipids are natural fats that help protect your skin barrier, hold moisture and assist with repair. They include cholesterol, ceramides and fatty acids.

Natural moisturising factors work with lipids in the skin to keep the surface supple and smooth. They include amino acids, lactic acid, sodium PCA, various sugars, minerals and peptides.

Synthetic fragrances and chemical ingredients should be avoided not just in body lotions but in all skincare products. Some chemicals can be toxic and may even cause long-term physical damage to the skin.

Avoid plthalates, such as DBP, DEHP and DEP, a class of plasticising chemical.

Look for a lotion without parabens (including methylparabens, isobutylparabens, proplyparabens). These are chemical preservatives.

Also try to choose a lotion without BHA and BHT, synthetic antioxidants used as stabilisers to extend a product’s shelf life.

Stick with one of the best body lotions for dry skin in South Africa and you’ll avoid these and other nasty, chemical ingredients, which can end up doing skin more harm than good.

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