My house is so cold in the winter that I always skip body lotion, but these 6 shower oils keep my skin soft and nourished

Despite being pretty lazy when it comes to sticking to any kind of routine, beauty or otherwise, there is one thing that I’m pretty religious about and that’s applying a decent body lotion after my shower. To me, skipping this step would be like not applying moisturiser after cleansing my face—truly unthinkable. And yet I find myself writing this piece in the depths of British winter with totally un-moisturised limbs following my morning shower. Why? Because, frankly, it’s absolutely freezing right now and all I can think about when I step out of the warm water is getting into my clothes as fast as humanly possible.

However, having skipped the non-negotiable part of my body care routine for a couple of weeks now I have noticed the impact that it’s had on my skin. My usually smooth legs are starting to feel dry and a little scaly (delightful) and everywhere just generally feels a little tight and dehydrated. That was until I decided to switch out my usual body wash for a shower oil. Packed with nourishing ingredients, hydrating oils, and skin-softening extras, I’ve been testing out a whole host of shower oils that promise to keep skin supple, soft and hydrated—without the need to layer on any additional moisturiser once I’m dry. But not all shower oils are created equal.

Ahead are the 6 best shower oils that have earned a permanent spot in my bathroom this winter.

1. L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil

It will come as no surprise to anyone that the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil is at the very top of my list of the best shower oils. I have used this cult product for years and years. My mum introduced it to me originally when I still lived at home and honestly, it’s so good that I don’t reserve it purely for the winter months. Formulated with sweet almond and grapeseed oils, this stuff is like a golden nectar that glides onto the skin and then transforms into velvety milk once the water hits it. It gently lathers over skin, providing rich hydration and filling the bathroom with a decadent almond and vanilla scent. It’s honestly mouth-watering and adds a real sensorial element to a morning shower, even on the occasion when I’m in an enormous rush. Plus, my skin always feels so soft and elasticised after showering with this.

2. Naturium The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Wash

Naturium is one of my favourite skincare brands thanks to its affordable and efficacious formulations, and its body care offering is just as brilliant. Not only is this bottle of body wash absolutely enormous (half a litre of cleansing anyone?) but the product inside is truly wonderful. Half of the formula is glycerin, a humectant which helps to hold water in your skin, but it also contains plant-derived squalane for added hydration, apple extract for moisture and a whole host of linoleic-rich oils. It starts out as quite a thick oil-gel texture and then lathers up into milky foam to help cleanse the skin without stripping away any much-needed moisture to leave skin glowing. Plus, the pump dispenser is so handy in the shower and I wish that more brands would package their shower oils like this.

3. Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil

I first discovered this product one summer after dealing with some particularly bad sunburn that had left my skin feeling quite irritated and inflamed. (I know, I know—quite the rookie error.) Truly, even standing beneath running water felt irritating, but this soothing shower oil provided comfort and relief. It’s formulated with coconut and sunflower extracts, which not only help to soothe, but also help with elasticity in the skin—reducing that tight, stretched feeling and helping everything to feel more supple. Plus, it has a patented Skin Barrier therapy which effectively helps to create a slight shield on the skin and protect it against bacteria and other nasty aggressors that can get in when your skin is broken or vulnerable. It isn’t the most luxurious of shower oils I’ve tried, but it’s practical and works.

4. Rituals The Ritual of Jing Shower Oil

Typically I’m a morning shower person and tend to opt for an evening bath if I want to relax or unwind. However, not everyone has a tub and sometimes, to be frank, I can’t be bothered to wait around for one to run. On those occasions, this shower oil not only offers up all of the skin-hydrating benefits that I look for in such a product (thanks to a whole array of nourishing oils and vitamin E) but it transforms your shower into a spa-like experience. There’s calming sandalwood, sleep-inducing lavender and subtle warmth from sweet almond oil which all combine to create a dreamy and grounding fragrance. It’s lucky that you can skip the body lotion after this because you’ll want to slip immediately into bed.

5. Sol de Janeiro Delícia Drench Shower Oil

Basically, all of Sol de Janeiro’s products go viral due to the incredible scents, and Delicia Drench is no exception—it’s a sweet yet woody violet and amber fragrance that smells so, so good. However, it’s the incredible moisturising benefits of this shower oil that make it worth raving about. Formulated with bacuri butter which is rich in amino and fatty acids, prebiotic hibiscus to care for the skin’s microbiome and a blend of botanical Brazilian oils for moisture that lasts, this shower oil will leave even the driest of skin feeling silky-soft and supple.

6. Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil

I have used this shower oil for years and, undeniably, it's the scent that keeps me coming back time and time again. If you've ever smelt Nuxe's iconic Huile Prodigieuse dry oil then this stuff smells exactly the same. It's a warm and creamy floral scent with hints of sweet vanilla that will transport you from your morning winter shower to somewhere sun-soaked and tropical. Infused with a soft and subtle golden shimmer, it cleanses, hydrates and leaves limbs visibly more luminous after use. And that expensive-smelling fragrance? It lingers for hours afterwards—so you could even skip your perfume along with your body lotion!