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Ria Bhatia profile imageRia Bhatia

Decadent and deeply nourishing, body oil is the missing piece of your body care puzzle. If you wish to cop smooth, soft, and glowing skin, ditch body lotions and try these body oil blends instead

A woman applying body oil on her neck and shoulder

Body lotions (or body creams) have been endorsed as the holy grail for hydration—from television commercials to drugstore beauty aisles. Body oils, however, have been missing from the body care conversation despite being integral to  India’s Ayurvedic tradition. 

Body oil can be a game-changer for dehydrated and lacklustre skin. While body lotions are generally water-based and lightweight, body oils are packed with fatty acids, emollients, and occlusives. The former offers  non-sticky hydration that only targets the upper layers of the skin; the latter penetrates deeper, alleviating dryness entirely. Given their  composition, body oils warm up easily, making them ideal for a  body massage. 

Some formulas can feel greasy or stain clothes, but modern lightweight body oils fix that with fast-absorbing textures and clever ingredient blends. Below, find the best body oils in India in 2025 for every skin type and mood.

Body oil products India from Aminu placed on a book by the swimming pool
Photograph: (Instagram.com/aminu.life)

Aminu Vitamin C Body Oil: The best body oil for daily wear 

This vitamin C-laden body oil can replace all the body care products—think body serum, lotion, and butter—owing to its formulation that fuses chemical actives with potent, pure seed oils. Expect glowing, well-moisturised, and resilient skin upon regular use, since this body oil contains vitamins C and E, ceramides, bakuchiol, olive squalane, argan oil, and meadowfoam seed oil. Its herbal, invigorating scent is a plus. 

Priced at ₹1,350

Available at aminu.life 

A picture of Forest Essentials body oil, a glowing skin essentials India
Photograph: (www.forestessentialsindia.com)

Forest Essentials After Bath Body Oil: The best Ayurvedic body oil after a bath

Those who enjoy glistening, soft, and supple post-shower skin, often turn to this Ayurvedic oil. The lightweight blend, in multiple variants, features avocado oil, apricot oil, Ashwagandha and other fragrant botanical extracts depending on the chosen formula. It is particularly suited for daytime application, absorbing quickly and leaving a subtly fragrant finish that feels fresh throughout the day. Priced at ₹1,850

Available at forestessentials.com 

The best body oil skincare routine from Bio Oil
Photograph: (Instagram.com/kstylte)

Bio Oil: The best body oil for mature skin 

A classic body oil, trusted across generations, and favoured by public figures such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Bio Oil serves as a body oil designed for multiple concerns. It nourishes deeply while helping reduce fading scars, pigmentation, marks, and dryness.The award-winning formula contains vitamins A and E, calendula oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil, though it also includes s mineral oil—a point of consideration for ingredient purists. 

Prices start at ₹625

Available at nykaa.com 

One of the best hydrating body oils from Palmers
Photograph: (palmers.com)

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil: The best body oil for dry skin

An underrated drugstore essential, this body oil for Palmer’s combats dryness from the first application. Enriched with cocoa seed butter, sesame seed oil, vitamin E, and rose extracts, the blend restores cracked, dehydrated skin while remaining lightweight. It is particularly effective during winter months and remains one of the most accessible entries among the best body oils in India.

Priced at ₹1,000

Available at nykaa.com 

Best hydrating body oil that also works for the hair from OUAI
Photograph: (Instagram.com/ouai)

OUAI Rose Hair & Body Oil: The best multipurpose body oil for hair and skin 

This body oilcaters to multiple needs—from taming split ends and strengthening nails to moisturising dry patches. Lightweight and quick-absorbing, it carries an uplifting rose fragrance suitable for any time of the day. Formulated with sunflower, shea, rose, and apricot oils, it leaves skin delicately scented and comfortably hydrated. 

Priced at ₹3,600

Available at sephora.in 

Top-most hydrating body care products in India from Moroccan Oil
Photograph: (Instagram.com/moroccanoil)

Moroccan Oil Dry Body Oil: The best dry body oil for oily skin 

For anyone curious about dry body oil, this formula offers a clear example. Unlike heavier blends, a dry oil is ultra-lightweight and disappears almost instantly upon contact with the skin. This particular body oil is supercharged with argan oil, olive oil, and avocado oil, and carries the brand’s signature nautical fragrance. It hydrates effectively while doubling as a balmy base that extends a perfume’s longevity, earning its place among the best body oils for humid weather in India. Priced at ₹3,420

Available at tirabeauty.com 

a bottle containing the best body oil derived from pure coconut milk oil
Photograph: (Instagram.com/dearist)

Dearist Coconut Milk Oil: The best body oil for head-to-toe use 

This coconut body oil captures the essence of freshly extracted coconut milk for both external and internal nourishment. Whether incorporated into a daily body care routine or used as a kitchen staple, it remains uncompromising on hydration. The cold-pressed, 100 per cent extra virgin oil carries a soft tropical aroma. Slightly thicker in consistency than most blends, it promotes balanced scalp health and smooth, nourished skin. It can function as a make-up remover and a body massage oil, or can even be used for oil-pulling rituals. 

Priced at ₹600

Available at dearist.com 

The best hydrating body acre products from Sol De Janeiro from India
Photograph: (Instagram.com/soldejaneiro)

Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Firmeza Body Oil: The best perfume body oil to depuff the skin

Sol De Janeiro’s cult-favourite Bum Bum Cream has a companion in this slick, antioxidant-rich perfume body oil. Quick-aborbing and richly scented, it softens and firms skin through Brazilian olive oil, caffeine, and vitamins C and E. The result is visibly smoother, more supple skin with a lasting tropical fragrance—a highlight within the category of luxury body oils India. Priced at ₹5,340

Available at nykaa.com

Best hydrating body oil in India from L'Occitane
Photograph: (Instagram.com/loccitane)

L’Occitane Almond Shimmering Body Oil: The best shimmer body oil

For a radiant, sun-kissed finish, L’Occitane’s shimmer body oil expands the brand’s beloved Amande range. Retaining the warm, nutty scent of almond oil, the formula blends castor seed oil, sunflower oil, and vitamin E to deliver long-lasting moisture. Finely milled shimmer particles illuminate the skin without any heaviness, resulting in a refined, natural glow. 

Priced at ₹4,700

Available at tirabeauty.com 

Frequently asked questions on body oils

Which oil is best for body massage?
Conventionally, carrier oils like coconut oil and sesame oil have been go-tos for body massage. Today, however, the market offers refined, quick-absorbing and lightweight body oil blends—perfect for daily use. Some of the best oils for body massages are Forest Essentials’ After Bath Body Oil and Aminu Vitamin C Body Oil.
How to use body oil after a bath for glowing skin?
To achieve glowing skin, pat your body dry after a shower; however, make sure your skin is slightly dewy. Next, warm up the body oil between your palms and massage in circular motions all over your body. This way, the oil will get absorbed into the deepest layers of your skin, leaving it looking healthy and glowing.
When to apply body oils for dry skin in winter?
To nourish and soften dry skin in winter, make sure to use a slightly heavier body oil such as Dearist’s Coconut Milk Body Oil or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil. During winters, it can be helpful to warm up these oils a little and massage them into the skin in circular motions for better penetration and lasting hydration. 
Which Ayurvedic body oil works for all skin types?
Ayurvedic oils from brands like Forest Essentials, Shankara Naturals, Purearth, and Kama Ayurveda—with clean, natural ingredients—can be used by all skin types. 
What are the benefits of body oil versus body lotions?
While body lotion is lightweight, non-sticky and quick-absorbing, and can be worn during the day as well, body oil is richer, with higher amounts of emollients and humectants that provide deep, lasting hydration. 

Ria Bhatia profile imageRia Bhatia
Ria Bhatia is the associate beauty editor at The Established. She explores beauty and wellness through industrial, cultural, and social lenses, with bylines in Femina, ELLE India, Harper’s Bazaar India, Masala UAE, and VOGUE India.

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