The Body Shop Body Butter

Whether it’s the sun or cold air, genetics, age or stress, our skin is bombarded with elements that can leave it dry and less than glowing. Luckily, there are products to help us protect and safeguard our skin from all the things that can harm it. Our editors and a panel of moms tested The Body Shop Body Butter (in various scents), focusing on everything from effectiveness and texture to ingredients and value. The result: They approved.

Long a favourite for their cost, ease-of-use and quality, The Body Shop Body Butters smell delicious, too. The butters contain good stuff like shea and cocoa seed butter, soybean oil and beeswax, all of which are known to have positive effects on skin, especially when used regularly. The butters are thick, and a little goes a long way, which makes them very cost effective. Testers all agreed that the creams spread easily and absorb quickly into the skin,  leaving little to no residue behind. Our lab testing found that even after six hours, skin felt soft and moisturized, with no need to reapply.

It’s important to keep in mind that all but one of The Body Shop Body Butter formulas are pretty heavily scented, and smells can range from fruity and citrusy to floral and earthy. They’re great if you like fragrant creams, but if you’re scent-averse or have a sensitivity to fragrance, you should opt for the unscented one. The butters also contain parabens and three types of alcohol (cetearyl alcohol, lanolin alcohol and benzyl alcohol). That said, none of our editors or testers had any flare-ups, irritation or skin sensitivity issues with these butters, and they all agreed that the quality of The Body Shop Body Butters is the same or better than other creams they've used.

The Body Shop Body Butter comes in a sturdy flat, round tub, in travel and full sizes. They pack away easily in small bags, and because the creams are thick, they keep their form until application. The screw-on lids are easy to manoeuvre and feel secure. Another plus? Our lab pointed out that the tubs aren’t filled to the top with the cream close to the lid, so there's less chance of messing up the container.

FINAL WORDIf you're looking for a body cream that will last throughout the day, The Body Shop Body Butter may be just what you need. Across the board, our parent testers loved the butters' fragrances, texture, ease of application and how great their skin felt after using it—in fact, one mom said that her skin felt "instantly soothed." Though our testers thought the scents might make them a sweet-smelling, parent-only indulgence, they all agreed that The Body Shop Body Butters are worthy of the Today’s Parent Approved seal.