The three minutes after a shower are when body cream works hardest. Skin is still damp, so a rich cream locks that water in instead of sitting on a dry surface.

Augustinus Bader The Body Cream is the most polished texture here, rich but never greasy. Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter is built on shea butter, olive oil and honey, and it is the one I would reach for on elbows and shins that look ashy by December. OSEA Undaria Algae Body Butter and the Kopari Jumbo Ultra Restore Body Butter are both thick, generous jars for the whole family to share. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Comforting Body Cream smells faintly of honey and suits very dry skin. Sol de Janeiro Delícia Drench Body Butter is the playful one, and kai Body Butter carries the brand's clean gardenia scent. SALT & STONE Bergamot & Hinoki Body Cream smells like a cedar sauna, which is exactly right in November.

A pairing tip: if you use a scented cream, keep the shower wash unscented, and the other way around. Two strong scents on top of each other rarely end well.

What I would skip: thick body butter on freshly shaved legs. Wait until the next morning, or use one of the oils below instead, which sting less.

Body oil is the step people skip because they picture greasy sheets. The good ones sink in quickly and leave skin looking polished rather than slick, and they do a lot on legs that go flaky under tights.

The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil is the one most people know, and it earns that because it works on hair and body alike. MUTHA Body Oil was formulated by founder Hope Smith while she was pregnant with her first son, and it is rich in seed oils. OSEA Undaria Algae Body Oil pairs with the butter above if you like to match. SALT & STONE Santal & Vetiver Body Oil is woody and a little smoky, good for evening. Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil and the African Botanics Nourishing & Restorative Body Oil are dependable everyday choices. Hanni Good Aura Weightless Body Oil is as light as the name promises, and the Monastery Lapiz Matte Body Oil absorbs almost instantly, which makes it the one for getting dressed straight away.

How to use it: press oil onto damp skin before you towel off, then pat dry. You use half as much and it spreads like a lotion.

What I would skip: a shimmer body oil for everyday dryness. Save the sparkle for a party, and let these do the daily work.

Start with the cleansing oil and turn the water down. That alone changes how your skin feels by bedtime. Add one cream from the middle row for the nights your shins and elbows feel rough, and one oil for mornings when you need to get dressed fast. Give it two weeks before judging, because dry skin takes a little while to settle. If you still itch after that, a quick chat with a dermatologist beats buying a fourth body wash. And keep a small tube of cream by the kitchen sink, because hands dry out first and they are the easiest place to start.