Summer Fridays Makes the Best Body Lotion for Dry and Itchy Skin That I've Ever Tried

Even though I could do without the bone-chilling temperatures that winter brings, I generally don't mind the gloomy and gray season apart from one issue: low humidity. I hate how shockingly dry it becomes in my New York City studio apartment (quite literally—I get zapped by static pretty much every hour), and I hate even more how dry my skin becomes as a result. Moisturizers and serums seem to evaporate as soon as I apply them, and my arms and legs get so flakey and itchy that I sometimes scratch them to the point of bleeding.

I've tried everything I could think of to compensate for the low levels of humidity in my apartment, from buying humidifiers and stocking up on hydrating mists to trying rich body creams that could help seal in moisture on my skin. After testing five different body lotions over the past month, nothing has moisturized my skin as well as the Summer Fridays Summer Skin Nourishing Body Lotion. With Sephora reviewers calling it the body lotion of their dreams and the only one they'll ever buy, I had to see for myself if it was worth the hype.

To buy: Summer Fridays Summer Skin Nourishing Body Lotion, $27; sephora.com and net-a-porter.com

Compared to other body lotions that I've put through the wringer, the Summer Fridays pick scored top marks on everything I consider when trying a good body cream, like ease of absorption and level of hydration. The most annoying problem with rich body lotions is that they can leave skin looking greasy, but that has never happened with my Summer Fridays tube so far.

The formula is lightweight enough to be soaked up by my arms and legs quickly after showering, while leaving my skin feeling soft, supple, and moisturized all day thanks to plant-derived cocoa and shea butters plus antioxidant-rich grapeseed, argan, linseed, and rosehip oils. In addition, other hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, ceramides, and glycerin all work to strengthen and protect the skin barrier and hold moisture to it.

After using the Summer Fridays body lotion for weeks, my arms and legs have never felt more nourished, soothed, or comfortable, and it has stopped my skin from itching every night. It even smooths dry skin and rough patches on my elbows, knees, and knuckles, rendering the Aquaphor or Vaseline I usually keep close at hand useless. And while it might sound pricey, the best part is that a little goes a long way—I only have to use about a quarter-sized dollop for each of my legs.

Users on Sephora's site love that it smells like a tropical vacation thanks to notes of coconut, vanilla, and almond, and I wholeheartedly agree. It's my new favorite body lotion of all time, and I don't think I could survive winter without it. Shop it now at Sephora or Net-a-Porter for $27.