6 natural oils and butters that help keep skin hydrated
When your skin feels dry, tight, or rough, reaching for a moisturizer is an obvious first step. But have you ever wondered what actually helps your skin hold onto moisture?
Natural oils and butters can play an important role in keeping skin feeling soft, smooth, and nourished. While they don't add water to the skin on their own, they can help reduce moisture loss, soften the skin, and support the skin's natural barrier.
Here are six skin-loving ingredients that can help give your skin the nourishment and moisture it needs.
🌿 Hemp Seed Oil
Deeply Nourishing + Barrier-Supporting
Hemp seed oil is a lightweight oil naturally rich in essential fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6. These fatty acids help condition the skin and support its natural moisture barrier.
Because it's lightweight and easily absorbed, hemp seed oil can help nourish dry skin without leaving behind a heavy, greasy feeling.
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Lightweight • Fast-absorbing
🌻 Sunflower Seed Oil
Softening + Moisture-Locking
Sunflower seed oil is rich in linoleic acid and naturally contains vitamin E, making it a wonderful conditioning ingredient for the skin.
It helps support the skin barrier and can reduce the amount of water lost from the skin's surface—helping skin stay feeling soft and moisturized.
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Lightweight • Barrier-loving
🧈 Shea Butter
Deeply Moisturizing + Protective
If your skin is craving something rich and comforting, shea butter is a classic for a reason.
This luxurious plant butter contains a variety of fatty acids that help soften and condition the skin. Its rich texture also helps create a protective layer over the skin, helping to seal in moisture and reduce water loss.
Shea butter is especially lovely for areas that tend to become extra dry, such as hands, elbows, knees, and feet.
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rich • Long-lasting
🥥 Coconut Oil
Softening + Moisture-Locking
Coconut oil is a rich, nourishing oil that helps soften the skin while reducing moisture loss from the skin's surface.
Its emollient properties make it particularly useful for dry-feeling skin, leaving it feeling smoother and more conditioned.
Because coconut oil is richer than some lightweight facial oils, it's especially popular in body-care products where deep conditioning is desired.
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Rich • Protective
🍫 Cocoa Butter
Rich + Protective
Cocoa butter is one of those ingredients that makes you think "moisturizing" the moment you feel its rich, creamy texture.
As a naturally rich emollient, cocoa butter helps soften rough-feeling skin and forms a protective layer that helps seal in moisture. This makes it especially useful in products designed for dry or very dry skin.
And, of course, there's something wonderfully indulgent about moisturizing with an ingredient that comes from the cocoa bean!
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rich • Long-lasting
🥑 Avocado Oil
Nourishing + Conditioning
Avocado oil is a rich, nourishing oil containing fatty acids and vitamin E. It helps condition and soften the skin while supporting the skin's natural moisture barrier.
Its richer texture makes it particularly well suited for body-care products intended to leave dry skin feeling supple, smooth, and nourished.
Hydration level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rich • Nourishing
So, Which Ingredient Is Best for Hydrated Skin?
The answer depends on what your skin needs—and that's the beauty of combining different oils and butters.
Lighter oils, such as hemp seed and sunflower seed oil, can provide conditioning and barrier support without feeling overly heavy. Richer ingredients, such as shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil, provide more substantial emollience and help create a protective layer that reduces moisture loss.
And remember: hydration isn't just about adding water. It's also about helping your skin keep the moisture it already has.
Look for moisturizers that combine humectants, water, oils, and butters to approach hydration from multiple angles. Together, these ingredients can help skin feel softer, smoother, and more comfortable.
The takeaway?
Healthy-looking, hydrated skin doesn't have to be complicated. A thoughtful combination of nourishing plant oils and rich butters can help support your skin barrier and keep that soft, moisturized feeling around a little longer.
what moody products can help keep me hydrated?
Light → Medium Hydration
Limited Edition | Hydrating | Nourishing
This summer collection features a moisturizing Body Lotion, a nourishing Body Wash, and a Foaming Body Scrub in a limited time scent.
Citrus White Tea is a citrusy essential oil and fragrance blend with bright lemongrass and mandarin top notes and mellow base notes of tea and ginger to bring you balance and peace.
4 oz net wt jar, 4 fl oz bottles
Limited Edition | Hydrating | Nourishing
Gingered Peach is a soothing-yet-spicy blend of ginger, juicy peach and black tea.
This fall collection features a moisturizing Body Lotion, a nourishing Body Wash, and a Lip Balm. Buy the bundle and get the lip balm FREE!
.15 oz lip balm, 4 fl oz bottle, and/or 4 oz net wt jar
Best for oily to normal skin types.
Non-Greasy | Medium Hydration | Skin Softening
This Body Lotion is formulated with an aloe and sunflower oil base for a medium level of body hydration. Scented with Black Amber Lavender fragrance.
4 oz jar
medium → deep Hydration
Best for normal to dry skin types.
Non-Greasy | Deeply Hydrating | Skin Softening
This Body Cream is formulated with an exotic blend of passionflower, coconut, shea, aloe and cocoa to bring you the perfect non-greasy, yet deeply moisturizing body cream for daily use. Scented with Coconut Sandalwood.
4 oz jar
Best for normal to dry skin
Dewy Soft | Tightening | Medium to High Hydration
This silky body cream uses fair‑trade, wildcrafted shea butter plus a blend of herbal extracts and essential oils for luxurious hydration.
4 oz jar
deepest Hydration
Best for normal to dry skin.
Soothing | Hydrating | Restoring
This natural body butter features calming Calendula. It absorbs quickly to provide soothing, powerful hydration. Scented lightly with a new honey fragrance.
4 oz jar
Best for dry or chapped skin.
Ultra Hydrating | Thick | Deeply Nourishing
This natural cocoa & shea whipped body butter will provide deep intense hydration to soothe and protect dry, sensitive, red chapped skin.
8 oz jar
Best for chapped and ultra dry irritated skin.
Hydrate | Protect | Soothe
A skin salve body balm for dry, chapped, cracked skin. The best body balm for eczema and sensitive skin.
2.5 oz twist-up tube