I’ve Been Reaching for These Soothing Body Creams to Calm My Sun-Stressed Skin

If you tend to skip body cream in the warmer months, then this affordable formula is brilliant as it has the slip of a body serum with the hydration of a classic cream. The star ingredient is cica, which is known for its calming properties, and I found it particularly comforting after long days outdoors when my skin tends to get a little red and itchy. Despite the name, it is actually quite rich in texture too and is also brimming with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and hydroxy stearic acid to help strengthen and restore the skin barrier. I noticed with this one that my skin immediately felt more comfortable after applying it, but having kept it up regularly, I’m most impressed with how smooth and supple my skin feels overall.

Whenever my skin feels genuinely stressed-out rather than just dry, this is the cream I reach for. Developed for sensitive skin, it’s a Korean formula that is packed with ceramides to reinforce the skin barrier while helping to reduce moisture loss over time. The cream looks rich when it comes out of the tube but melts surprisingly well as you massage it in, creating a cocooning layer without feeling greasy. Plus, my sister, who has the most sensitive and eczema-prone skin, swears by this for calming and hydrating irritation. It’s a dependable option that works well for body and face and offers reassurance when your skin has been through a lot.

This feels more like elevated skincare than a traditional body lotion. The silky serum feels delightfully cooling on the skin and sinks in almost immediately—ideal if you’re applying in the morning before you get dressed. Although there are lots of ingredients in this, and there is vitamin C, which very sensitive skin types might need to be wary of, I loved just how healthy this made my skin look over time. Especially after sun exposure when my skin tends to look quite dry and dull, the combination of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid was great at soothing and restoring hydration while the vitamin C adds a little glow, along with antioxidant support. It won’t replace a rich body butter if your skin is severely dehydrated, but if you’re looking for brighter, more even skin, then this is brilliant stuff.

Despite being really good at applying SPF, I was really sad that I slightly burnt my shoulders a few weeks back after a long day outside. Of course, a classic after-sun was my first port of call, but in the days that followed, when my skin started to feel flaky, tight and generally miserable, this was the cream that I reached for. It has a satisfyingly rich consistency that immediately cushions dry areas without feeling overly heavy. And it’s packed with ceramides and hydrating ingredients, so it focuses on strengthening the skin barrier too. I particularly like applying it at night so it can really sink in, but I think that anyone with excessively dry skin will love using this. It's practical rather than luxurious, but sometimes dependable skincare is exactly what's needed.

This body cream isn’t just about soothing your skin; it’s an invitation to slow down and calm your mind too. The whipped butter has a beautiful, cushiony texture that melts beautifully into the skin—and feels so much more expensive than the price tag—while the magnesium gets to work soothing tired muscles and limbs. This is great if you’ve been walking lots or had long days out, as it really does help your skin to recover overnight while the calming lavender and vanilla scent soothes the senses. It feels like an added bonus that by morning my skin felt velvety soft and smooth too.

This feels tailor-made for skin that's had one too many afternoons outdoors. It contains mint molecules for an instantly cooling effect that helps to take the heat out of the skin, alongside a complex of oat, wheat germ and rosehip oil to calm and strengthen. The gel-serum texture is wonderfully refreshing and helps to reduce that slightly tight, irritated feeling that comes after sun exposure, insect bites or simply being outside all day. And it really does sink in quickly, leaving behind a soft sheen rather than any noticeable residue. It's one of the few body products I genuinely enjoy reaching for in warm weather because it feels so weightless.

There are a few people with very sensitive skin in my family, so Aveeno's oat-based formulas have long been a staple in my bathroom, and this soothing lotion reminds me exactly why. This contains oat extract, which works brilliantly to calm skin that's feeling itchy and uncomfortable, while the lotion itself has a silky consistency that spreads easily over larger areas. This version also has the added bonus of having a calming lavender fragrance that helps you to unwind after a long day too. Bonus points for the pump applicator too, which makes it so easy to dispense the lotion without a mess.

Like everything that Byoma does, the focus of this body cream is to support and strengthen the skin barrier—but this has an added focus on reducing sensitivity alongside keeping moisture levels balanced. The formula is totally fragrance-free, and it has a rich, buttery texture that feels so comforting on the skin. It's enriched with a tri-ceramide complex, oat extract and shea butter, so it's really ticking all the boxes for strengthening, soothing and hydrating skin. I find it particularly useful after shaving when my legs can feel really dry and reactive, but it's so easy to apply that you can slather it on whenever skin needs another hit of calming moisture.

If you're in the midst of a flare-up or your skin is sending out a real SOS, then this nourishing cream is a bit of a rescue remedy. It's brimming with a tonne of barrier-supporting ingredients and calming natural ingredients like soothing calendula, calming oat extract and moisturising olive squalane, which work to reduce redness and discomfort in the skin while keeping it comfortably hydrated. I think this would be a particularly good body cream to pack if you're going away somewhere hot, as it really helped to take down dryness and leave skin looking soft, supple and healthy. It's undoubtedly one of the more premium options here, but the thoughtful formula makes it feel worth the investment if your skin is prone to flare-ups.