Grooming Experts Tested Over 75 Body Washes—These Are Their Favorites (2024)

In our rigorous testing process for our annual Grooming Awards, seven of our testers unanimously voted Nivea's Sensitive 3-in-1 body wash as the best in its class. One tester said, "[It's] a creamy body wash that keeps your skin clean and deeply moisturized. It’s lightly fragranced, so it won’t irritate sensitive skin or compete with your cologne."

Our editors with sensitive skin also found that Nivea's was the rare body wash that didn't cause breakouts or redness after using it consistently. That's thanks to its star ingredients: almond oil and bamboo extract, which provide added moisture while soothing skin. But even with its gentle formula, we found that Nivea still cleaned our skin effectively. We found that it wiped away grime and sunscreen as strongly as any soaps we've tried.

What makes this the very best overall is that you don’t have to have sensitive skin to reap the benefits of this wash. If you do, you’re going to love the creamy texture and gentle lather. But if you don’t, you’ll still love how well this wash cleans your body while still leaving your skin soft and moisturized, never dry or tight-feeling.

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I first learned about this paradise-in-a-bottle soap when I was testing body washes for our 2022 Men's Health Grooming Awards, and I've been restocking it in my shower caddy ever since. First, it dispenses a pearly, rich gel that just looks super luxurious. Inside is a beautiful blend of starflower oils, meadowfoam, and sweet almond that cleans, hydrates, calms, and leaves your skin with a tropical, fruity aroma that smells like a five-star resort, and the scent stays on your skin for hours after you've used it.

For most days I use Oribe's body wash in lieu of a cologne, since it stays on my skin so long after showering. I've received tons of compliments on my "perfume," which is why I've been an Oribe fan ever since. No wonder Barry's Bootcamp stocks Oribe's Côte d'Azur in all of its locker rooms.

As if you couldn’t tell by the name, this scent from Harry’s was inspired by coastal woodlands and comes to life through notes of cypress, sandalwood and driftwood (with a dash of citrus). Harry's body washes have been a standby favorite amongst Men's Health editors for a few years now. One tester noted, "The scents of the shoulder gel fade quickly, especially when competing with the strong smells of deodorant and cologne."

But even though this body wash isn't all overpowering, it has lasting power. One tester received more compliments using this body wash than any other fragrance he's used. "It feels luxurious and feels my skin soft," he said. "It feels like a good spa day than a necessary bathing ritual. I don't mind the cycle of lather, rinse and repeat when the repetition feels fun and indulgent."

Read more: Harry's Body Wash Review

Old Spice has been around for decades now, and for good reason. We love that the cleaning power of this body wash is top-notch. It contains twice the amount of moisturizer as comparable soaps, leaving skin cleansed without feeling tight and over-stripped. “It’s preventing moisture loss, but also adding more to help the barrier trap hydration even better," said dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD. Plus, it has no irritating parabens or dyes and our testers with sensitive skin conditions like eczema found that it didn't irritate their skin, which is rare for a lot of drugstore body washes we've tried.

Beyond its cleaning capabilities, Old Spice's Gentlemen's Blend smells amazing, too. Its new lavender formula gives it a fresh scent and our testers found the smell especially relaxing. "The scent is fresh when using it, but doesn't linger on skin, which is ideal for irritation-prone types," one tester said.

Read more: Old Spice Gentleman's Blend Body Wash Review

Our testers noted that two-in-one body and hair cleanse has a strong cardamom and cedarwood (read: really woodsy) scent that lasts for hours after hopping out of the shower. That's great if you want a multi-purpose body wash that also functions as your cologne.

"It leaves your skin smelling expensive, but not overpowering," said one tester. "At the same time, it makes your skin feel clean without making it too dry." That's thanks to its sulfate-free formula. Plus, its pump dispenser makes for easy application. And while it's marketed as a shampoo as well, we recommend using a separate hair wash. Some testers said the formula didn't play nice with their mane.

If there is such a thing as status body wash, this would be it. Aesop, the purveyor of uber-luxe hand soaps dispensed at five-star hotels, also makes some premium cleansers for the rest of your body. Take this Coriander Seed wash, which our editors report has a rich, earthy scent, which one editor says, "smells like money."

"Keep this in your shower to impress anyone who might see it," says another tester, "Even if it's just you." Plus while our other fragrance-heavy body washes irritated some of our testers with sensitive skin, this one did not. That's because it's sourced from natural ingredients like coriander seed oil, glycerin, and castor oil, so you can feel good about putting it on your body.

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If you want a low-cost body wash that you can restock over and over again without breaking the bank, then Method's classic body wash is your guy. Our testers found that the Cedar + Cypress soap offered a lot of value for the price point. It contains naturally derived ingredients (sodium lauryl sulfate, citric acid, etc), which provide the thorough clean that we want from an everyday wash.

One tester found that the soap's outdoorsy scent "made me feel like I just came back from a hike, even though all I did was wake up and stumble to the shower." Though other testers noted that its Pacific Northwest fragrance was too strong and woodsy for them, and competed with their colognes. Still, Method's body wash is hard to beat in terms of value.

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If you look for a tingly, fresh feel in your body wash, this cleansing gel contains menthol and eucalyptus to deliver it. The lather is rich and conditioning, but still effective at stripping away excess oil. It’s perfect for after a long run or a day out in the sun.

The ingredients in this formula are more like something you’d find in body washes twice the price if not more. There’s the aforementioned menthol and eucalyptus, of course, but also ultra-moisturizing coconut oil, vitamins E and B5 to help strengthen and protect your skin, witch hazel to help naturally deodorize and also clarify skin and ginseng to give it an invigorating effect (beyond the minty tingle). Compare it to other luxury washes you’ve tried and we found that it stands up and sometimes even exceeds it.

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Use this body wash to soothe super dry skin—even eczema. It works because it contains a combination of the specific ceramides that are predominant in the skin and replenishes them to build up your skin barrier, according to Dr. Zeichner.

Honestly, skin barrier support is important for everyone, not just those with dry skin. Using this wash, even if you don’t have chronic dry skin, is a great way to bolster your skin’s protective barrier, which is why our testers loved this creamy, ultra-soothing wash even if they didn’t have dry skin. There’s also niacinamide and hyaluronic acid in the formula to aid in calming and hydration, respectively. If you do suffer from chronic dry skin, however, this wash is a must. Our testers noticed a near-immediate improvement in their dryness and inflammation, with a compounded effect the longer they used it.

The BW1 body wash is void of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates and creates a rich foam that soothes the skin. As for the scent, we'd be hard-pressed to find anything more pleasant at the moment. It's the perfect amount of sophistication without being too overbearing, which means you'll smell amazing only to those who come within close contact.

Look, we understand that it can be hard to justify such a high price for a body wash, but if you’ve ever used a luxury body wash, you probably know what a difference it makes. With washes like this one, the lather is richer and the formula doesn’t strip your skin and make it feel dry or tight after you use it, which is a sign that it’s stripped away all the natural oils on your body. That sort of clean takes time and care (and money) to formulate, which is why you typically get that feeling with cheaper body washes that use harsher cleansing agents. If it’s any consolation, we suggest saving this body wash for extra special occasions (the cologne-like smell is perfect for date night prep).

For those a part of the sensitive skin tribe, Necessaire has you covered with this perfect fragrance-free body wash. The brand's offering is designed to clean without any of the overpowering scents or irritants that can cause flare-ups or discomfort. Instead, it's formulated with gentle, soothing ingredients that clean without stripping away your skin or leaving it feeling bone-dry.

Our editors who can't handle strong scents found this one to be the most straightforward, yet effective option for them. They didn't experience any breakouts or redness like with others tested. Instead, it has a luxurious lather that glides smoothly on. Plus, the nozzle that pops up lets you easily control the amount dispensed into your hand or washcloth.

Body scrubs can be helpful for smoother skin, but too harsh for sensitive skin or daily use. This new body wash is the best of both worlds. It has silica and jojoba beads to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells, charcoal for a deep clean, and argan oil to leave your skin moisturized. And it's all in a smooth formula that won’t upset sensitive skin.

There’s no shortage of exfoliating body washes out there, which come in handy to not only treat rough, dry patches on your body but can also help control ingrown hairs and other bumps, but the reason our testers love this one so much is the combination of physical exfoliating power from the jojoba beads and the deep moisturization that comes from the argan oil in the formula. Exfoliating can potentially lead to irritation, but since this one also moisturizes, we never felt any. Instead, our skin felt incredibly smooth—not to mention very, very clean.

Is It Ok to Use More Than One Body Wash?

The short answer: yes! Having a few different body washes in your rotation can be beneficial based on when and why you would use them. Many washes that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, for instance, shouldn’t be used every day because they can be harsh on skin. Other reasons you might want to change up your body wash include the weather outside, how dry or sweaty your skin is, whether you just worked out, whether you’re showering in the morning or at night, or just what scent you’re in the mood for.

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