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Body wash is an essential skincare product
— and lathering up with the right one can seriously upgrade your daily self-care routine. But buying an effective, high-quality body wash doesn't have to break the bank. Even if you're dealing with issues like dry, acne-prone or
sensitive skin, there are plenty of excellent under-$20 body washes out there that rival luxury formulas — and you can find them at your local Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target or Rite Aid.
In the
Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, our scientists and chemists are constantly testing the latest skincare innovations to help you achieve soft, beautiful skin, from
body lotions to anti-aging serums to
eye creams. To find the best body washes, we run a series of tests
both in the Lab and with consumer testers. First, we use state-of-the-art skin imaging tools to measure skin hydration levels. Then, we send the body washes home with real consumer testers to get feedback on ease of application, lather, scent and, of course, the feel and appearance of skin after use. In our most recent test, we spent over 90 hours on in-Lab testing and parsed through 520 consumer surveys to find the best body washes on the market. Check out our picks below, a
mix of GH Beauty Lab test winners, GH Seal Stars and editor favorites.
A quick look at our top picks:
1
Best Overall Drugstore Body Wash
Deep Moisture Body Wash Dove
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2
Best Hydrating Drugstore Body Wash
Daily Moisturizing Body Wash Aveeno
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3
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Dry Skin
Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash Dove
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4
Best-Smelling Drugstore Body Wash
Mango Splash Body Wash Tone
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5
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Acne
Body Clear Pink Grapefruit Body Wash Neutrogena
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So don't settle for any old soap: Instead, stock up on one of these top-rated drugstore body washes that smell good all day long while keeping you under budget (our expert-vetted picks start at just $5!).
1
Best Overall Drugstore Body Wash
Dove
Deep Moisture Body Wash
2
Best Hydrating Drugstore Body Wash
Aveeno
Daily Moisturizing Body Wash
3
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Dry Skin
Dove
Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash
4
Best-Smelling Drugstore Body Wash
Tone
Mango Splash Body Wash
5
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Acne
Neutrogena
Body Clear Pink Grapefruit Body Wash
6
Best Aromatherapy Drugstore Body Wash
Degree
Maximum Recovery Body Wash & Soak
7
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Sensitive Skin
Eucerin
Skin Calming Body Wash
8
Best Foaming Drugstore Body Wash
Dove Beauty
Deep Moisture Shower Foam
9
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Smoother Skin
Olay
Fresh Outlast Body Wash
10
Most Refreshing Drugstore Body Wash
NIVEA
White Peach & Jasmine Body Wash with Nourishing Serum
11
Best Skin-Softening Drugstore Body Wash
Olay
Ultra Moisture Shea Butter Body Wash
12
Best Unscented Drugstore Body Wash
Cetaphil
Ultra Gentle Body Wash Fragrance Free
13
Best Drugstore Body Wash for Shaving
Nivea
Foaming Silk Mousse Body Wash (2-Pack)
14
Best No-Rinse Drugstore Body Wash
Love Beauty and Planet
Radical Refresher Cleansing Body Mist
15
Best Exfoliating Drugstore Body Wash
Caress
Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash
How we chose the best drugstore body washes
For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has been testing skincare products in order to make the most informed and scientifically tested recommendations to our readers. In our most recent test of body washes, we evaluated 24 products, spending over 90 hours on in-Lab testing and tallying the responses from 520 consumer
surveys. To test body washes, we first label-mask the bottles to eliminate bias. In the Lab, our chemists use state-of-the-art tools like the Corneometer device, which measures skin hydration levels to gauge a product's ability to moisturize (or dehydrate) skin. Our panel of at-home consumers also tries the products in order to evaluate attributes like application, lather, scent and look and feel of skin after use. Our experts made the picks featured in this guide based on this data,
and also considered GH Seal holders, editor favorites and dermatologist-recommended products.
What to look for when shopping for a body wash
It's easy to just grab and go when you're shopping for a body wash, but our experts recommend taking a closer look at what you're buying. We tapped Monica Li, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at the University of British Columbia, for her thoughts on how to find the best body wash for your skin type:
✔️ Prioritize the right skincare ingredients: For intense hydration, hyaluronic acid restores hydration at the skin surface while glycerin boosts moisturization effects, says Dr. Li. Ceramides help support a healthy skin barrier. For sensitive skin, look for colloidal oatmeal, which delivers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, she says.
✔️ Choose scents wisely: Those with sensitive skin should avoid fragrance formulas in general, says Li. It can increase skin irritation, intolerance and possibly even allergic contact dermatitis. Our Beauty Lab suggests that those with sensitive skin check out lightly scented products, like those from Aveeno, or seek out “unscented” or “fragrance-free” products from a brand like Cetaphil.
✔️ Find the right formula for your needs: Though totally up to personal preference, body washes in pumps and bottles allow for ease of use and better hygiene, since you can toss it in a gym bag or move it to another bathroom in the house without worrying about contaminating the formula, Li adds. If you're interested in soap bars, know that they are also "alkaline in nature, which are harsh and not compatible with the low pH of our skin surface," she says. "They can cause skin irritation and compromise a healthy skin barrier."
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Danusia Wnek, a chemist in the GH Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab, oversaw the testing methodology behind this article. She has spent over seven years testing skincare products, including but not limited to
night creams, neck creams,
facial oils and moisturizing creams, while
weighing in on the benefits of skincare ingredients like vitamin C,
retinol and niacinamide. Her experience in
operating specialized skin evaluation lab equipment means she can gauge changes in skin moisturization, firmness and facial features like wrinkles and texture to compare the before and after of product use. She also regularly polls our consumer testing panel on their purchasing and product use habits.
Beauty Director April Franzino has over 15 years of experience researching, writing and editing makeup-related content utilizing the expertise of top industry professionals such as makeup artists and cosmetic chemists. She is an expert in all makeup product categories, including eye, lip and face makeup; tools; professional services and more. April works closely with the GH Beauty Lab to coordinate makeup product testing and translate test results into best-in-class compelling, factually accurate science-backed content for GH.
April Franzino Beauty Director April (she/her) is the beauty director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day, where she oversees all beauty content.