Hempz Lotion and the Original 1998 Herbal Moisturizer

Hempz has made the same kind of bottle since 1998. That year the brand launched its first product, the Original Herbal Body Moisturizer, with the goal, in its own words, of sharing the power of hemp seed oil. TSG Consumer Partners, which later took a stake in the company, says Hempz pioneered hemp-based beauty in the US, and that it backed entrepreneur Rick Hough, whom it had backed before at Pureology.

As for what hemp seed oil does in a lotion, Hempz says it gives quick hydration, smooths rough patches, and has an omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid profile similar to the lipids already in skin. It also gives the lotion a smooth slip, which the brand says helps the fragrance spread evenly. Hempz lotion is known for exactly that: a thin, fast-sinking texture and a scent that hangs around.

The Original is still the bottle people picture, the scent the brand says started it all. But there are now many scents, and newer bottles add ingredients like collagen boosters, ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

The first grid is eight Hempz lotions, scent by scent. The second grid is eight richer body creams and butters from other brands, for skin that needs more than a light lotion.

My tip for any body lotion: apply it within three minutes of stepping out of the shower, on skin that is still damp. You lock in the water already on your skin, and a thin lotion suddenly feels much richer.

All eight of these are 17 ounce pump bottles, and all of them are ultra-light and fast-absorbing, as Hempz describes them. The base is always hemp seed oil and shea butter. What changes is the scent and the extra ingredient.

The Original adds ginger root extract. Triple Moisture adds yangu oil and apple fruit extract, and it is the one I would buy for winter hands. Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon smells like a vacation, which is exactly how the brand sells it. Pomegranate is juicy with a little ginger, and Juicy Peach Slices is the sweetest of the lot.

Then three newer bottles with added care. Sweet Jasmine & Rose has a collagen booster and is the most floral. Cucumber & Aloe adds ceramides and vitamin B3, which help protect the skin barrier, and it smells clean and green. Ocean Breeze adds hyaluronic acid, and it is the fresh one.

A trick with a pump bottle: one pump per leg, one per arm, and half a pump for your hands. It is enough, and it saves you from the sticky, over-applied feeling.

What I would skip: the fruity scents if you also wear perfume. They are strong, and they will argue with anything floral or woody you put on after.

A light lotion is lovely until it is January. This grid is for skin that needs more.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is the rich, fast-absorbing one I would give anyone with truly dry or rough patches, and it works on face and body. Kiehl's Crème de Corps is the classic body lotion with squalane, now in a refillable bottle. Sol de Janeiro Delícia Drench is a deeply moisturizing body butter, and the brand says it supports the skin barrier. Summer Fridays Body Butter Balm Vanilla is a rich cream with hyaluronic acid that smells like warm vanilla.

Then the ones with a job beyond moisture. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is the famous one, with caffeine-rich guaraná, made to leave skin looking tighter. Nécessaire The Body Lotion has five peptides and 2.5% niacinamide, and the fragrance-free version is a relief if scent bothers you. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Pink Dream is for uneven tone, and Rare Beauty Find Comfort has niacinamide and claims 24 hours of hydration.

A pairing that works: a light lotion in the morning under clothes, and a richer cream at night when nobody minds a little extra shine.

What I would skip: the AHA cream on freshly shaved legs. Acids and a new shave together can sting.

I think Hempz lotion is at its best as an everyday lotion, the bottle by the shower that you do not have to think about. It sinks in fast, it smells good, and the hemp seed oil gives it a nice slip. When your skin gets properly dry, move up to a cream from the second grid at night rather than piling on more lotion. And always apply it to damp skin. That one habit matters more than any ingredient on the label. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Clinique Moisturizer Guide and Tarte Blush, From the Original Cheek Stain to Today.