WOMEN'S HEALTH (1.28.25) The 9 Best Firming Body Lotions For Tightening, Toning, and Brightening Skin
- Tina Gomez
- May 16
- 1 min read
You’ve probably been using body lotion since middle school, and firming formulas look and feel roughly the same. They’re applied the same way, too; just massage a dollop into the skin, let it dry for a bit, and you’re good to go on with your day. A few key features, though, are what can separate a good option from a great one, and this is what you’ll want to consider when shopping for the best firming body lotions.
Ingredients
For Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist also with Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, certain ingredients are a must if you’re looking to tone and improve the skin’s texture. “Many ingredients, such as retinol, bakuchiol, and peptides, can stimulate new collagen formation and protect existing tissue to maintain youthfulness: firm, elastic skin,” she says. “They also help encourage more rapid changeover of the cell cycle, which can make crepey skin look smoother and gives the appearance of firmness.”
Keep an eye out for known temporary tighteners, too, caffeine being chief among them. “I tell patients to look for creams that contain caffeine and/or fruit extracts that temporarily firm the skin,” says Quynh-Giao Sartor, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist with Westlake Dermatology in Houston. She’s also a fan of power plumpers and moisturizing ingredients, like hyaluronic acid. “Humectants such as hyaluronic acid can increase skin turgor (elasticity) and hydration but must be paired with an emollient base,” says Dr. Sartor. “Otherwise, these humectants can dehydrate dry or mature skin.”
