7 Non-Toxic Body Lotion Options To Keep Your Skin Moisturized

I’ve had this debate with my beauty editor friends over the years about how to balance using “clean,” non-toxic body lotion over high-performance products that may contain unnatural ingredients. One point that continues to come up again and again is that non-toxic body lotion will cover about 80-90% of your skin, while personal care products you use for your face may only cover around 10% of your body. 

With this logic, I like to use non-toxic body lotions and stick with facial skincare and beauty products that might still use safe, man-made ingredients in their formulas. Something that we talk a lot about in the beauty industry world is that, just because it’s “natural,” doesn’t always mean it’s safe for your skin. For example, poison ivy is natural, but if you rub it on your skin, you’re screwed! 

When I was testing out non-toxic body lotions for this blog post, I ran into this exact issue—I tried a non-toxic body lotion that was “free from all the bad stuff,” but I broke out in a crazy rash about five minutes after I had applied it to my body. The culprit was the Avalon Organics Body Lotion in Nourishing Lavender. This certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, preservative-free, dye-free, phthalate-free, and sulfate-free formula caused chaos on my skin. And while yes, I have sensitive skin, I’ve never really broken out in hives/a rash from a body lotion before. 

I believe the reason that I got a big rash from this formula was because it is loaded with lime oil and lemon peel oil. Both of these oils can wreak havoc on your skin (see here and here), and should probably be avoided if you have sensitive skin (or even if you don’t have sensitive skin). I know this formula comes in an unscented version, which might be safer to use, but I’m not going to buy it again to find out!

So, all that’s to say, “natural” doesn’t always mean it’s safe for your skin. But since body lotions cover the dermis, which is your body’s largest organ, it’s important to look for products that will deliver deep moisture without causing further harm. Body butter, body cream, and lotion moisturize your skin to help it look and feel healthy and smooth. However, not all body lotions are created using the same ingredients. Non-toxic body lotions free your skin from potentially harmful chemicals that may get absorbed into your bloodstream.

Since these creams usually contain organic ingredients, you can also think of them as natural body lotions. They might not always be fragrance-free, but their ingredient list tends to be free of synthetic fragrances. To ensure you’re purchasing a natural, non-toxic body lotion that’ll work to hydrate and moisturize your skin, you may want to look for something that contains:

• Aloe vera
• Cocoa butter
• Coconut oil
• Hyaluronic acid
• Jojoba oil
• Sunflower seed oil

Luckily, we’ve rounded up some of the best products that check these boxes. Keep reading for the best non-toxic body lotions currently on the market.

7 Best Non-Toxic Body Lotion

The Honest Company Hydrating Face + Body Lotion

Available on Amazon ($12)

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Mainly because I don’t use a ton of Honest Company products. I haven’t tried many in my years as a beauty editor/writer. This pick was the perfect texture. It wasn’t too thick, nor was it too thin, either. It does a great job of hydrating my skin but soaks into my skin pretty fast. 

I like that it is fragrance-free and doesn’t irritate my skin. It comes in three other scents, but I haven’t tried them. The packaging says that you can use this on your face too. But I probably wouldn’t because it has too many oils in it that I know will clog my pores and make me break out. The price point for this one is great at $10 a tube. And I like that it’s just your bare-bones moisturizer that you can safely use every day.

Blossom Essentials Moisture Restore Lotion

Available at Amazon ($30) | Also available at Blossom Essentials

This is my latest favorite non-toxic body lotion. I love it for a million reasons. The texture of the lotion is the perfect combination of lightweight yet super hydrating. It’s not as thick as, say, the Necessaire Body Lotion (see below). But it’s not as thin as the Osea Undaria Collagen Body Lotion (another pick below). It rubs onto the skin pretty smoothly, and I feel like a little goes a long way. Talk about deep moisturization.

Another thing I love about this formula is that it’s completely fragrance-free and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin at all. I’m blown away by how fragrance-free this formula is, haha. Like, I can’t smell anything! It’s great! You’ll find hydrating ingredients like ceramides (my skin’s personal fave), hyaluronic acid, squalane, and Pro Vitamin B5. The formula does not leave a greasy feeling on your skin whatsoever. That’s probably because it’s free of mineral oil.

The only complaint I have about this formula is that it doesn’t dry down as quickly as some of the other formulas on my best non-toxic body lotion list. However, I think I need to be using a bit less whenever I apply it. A little goes a long way and maybe I don’t need as much as I’ve been using.

Another big issue is the price. This pick costs $30 per bottle, which is obviously on the more expensive side for a body lotion. If you are someone who really prioritizes non-toxic body care and wants to invest in a formula that is super clean and also very non-irritating, I think that this pick is worth it. Like I mentioned above, a little goes a long way. So I do think this bottle could last you a while as well.

Weleda Skin Food Nourishing Body Lotion

Available on Weleda ($19)

This formula is impressive. The texture is a mix between thick and thin, and it soaks into the skin really nicely. I’m guessing that this body lotion was based off the brand’s best-selling product, the Weleda Skin Food. The OG skin food is a lot thicker than this formula. And I can imagine was a bit difficult to use as a body lotion. This new formula, however, glides over my skin beautifully and absorbs pretty quickly. 

This is kind of random, but I really like the shape of the bottle. And I think it looks really nice on my bathroom counter. I also like that it only costs $14. The biggest issue with this body lotion is that it has a pretty heavy fragrance. On the bottle, it says that the “parfum” is derived “from natural essential oils and/or plant extracts.” Which could be true, but could also not be totally true. Unfortunately, many brands like to hide sketchy ingredient behind the term “fragrance (parfum),” so it’s hard to tell. But considering Weleda is pretty clean all-around, I think this is safe to use. And I would consider it a non-toxic formulation. 

Cocokind Sake Body Lotion

Available on Cocokind ($23)

If you haven’t already noticed around here, I’m kinda obsessed with Cocokind (here is my Cocokind review). And the Cocokind Sake Body Lotion is no exception. Compared to a few other lotions on this list, the Cocokind Sake Body Lotion is a bit thicker. It’s not super thick by any means, and I like that it soaks into my skin pretty fast. 

Not only is the bottle super chic, but the formula has many good-for-your-skin ingredients, too. For example, it contains sake, which is a fermented rice wine that’s jam-packed with enzymes and probiotic sugars. The sake can help to very gently exfoliate your skin to reveal smoother, softer skin over time. Additionally, it doesn’t contain fragrances, so it’s great for sensitive skin. 

ATTITUDE Body Lotion for Sensitive Skin

Available on ATTITUDE Living ($17)

This brand came on my radar about a year or so ago, when they sent me their Oceanly Plastic-Free Makeup to try out. I ordered the ATTITUDE Body Lotion to test out and was very pleasantly surprised by this formula. I got the unscented version (it comes in three other scents). And I noticed that it does smell slightly of soothing oatmeal—but in a good way. It’s certainly nowhere near strong enough to irritate skin in any way. 

The texture of this formula is somewhere in between thick and thin. It’s another lotion that soaks into my skin beautifully after the shower. I can see this one being added to my rotation for a while. It’s EWG-verified, contains 98.9% naturally sourced ingredients, and is dermatologically tested, too. 

Something else I like about this brand is that it’s all about reducing plastic waste. This bottle does use plastic. But I think the brand might change that somewhere down the line. For example, they currently sell Body Butter Bars that are completely plastic-free. This pick is a little bit on the pricier side, but the bottle is big, will last you a while. And I think the price is pretty fair for what you get! 

Nécessaire The Body Lotion

Available on Necessaire ($30)

This pick is slightly on the pricier side. But for good reason—you’ll find ingredients like niacinamide, five different peptides, and facial-grade oils that are rich in vitamins A, C, E, and F and omegas 6 and 9. It has firming properties, as well as moisturizing and strengthening the skin barrier, too. 

I like that this formula is on the thicker side. It’s perfect for cold weather or when your skin needs that extra hydration. It will keep your skin hydrated for a long time. I love that it’s fragrance-free and free of all the nasties. That being said, because it’s a bit thick, it does take a little longer to soak into the skin, compared to a lighter lotion. However, that doesn’t bother me, as I normally prefer a thick lotion for my super dry skin, anyway! 

OSEA Undaria Collagen Body Lotion

Available on OSEA ($48)

This is for the peeps who like a thinner-consistency body lotion. The Osea Undara Collagen Body Lotion is very thin but not watery, and smells exactly like grapefruit. It absorbs into the skin extremely quickly, and contains vegan collagen and hyaluronic acid to boost skin and add extra hydration, too. 

I don’t really love using this pick on my hands because it leaves a bit of a film. However, when I apply it to my body, I don’t really notice the film at all. I like that this is scented but doesn’t irritate my skin, and I appreciate all the clean ingredients in this formulation, too. 

This pick from Osea is definitely on the pricier side. Because of this, I wouldn’t purchase this one if you prefer a thicker body lotion. If that’s the case, I would opt for the Osea Undaria Algae Body Butter. However, if you like a thin body lotion that smells like grapefruit and absorbs quickly, so you can get out the door fast, I would recommend this non-toxic body lotion from Osea. 

If you’re reading this blog post, I can bet that you’re also into the best non-toxic sunscreens and non-toxic perfumes, too. Check out our favorites!