The 20 Best Body Washes To Keep You Smelling Fresh

According to Jergens, the main function of body wash is to clean the skin by ridding it of dirt, oil, sweat, and makeup. However, many of today's body washes do much more. In addition to cleaning, they may also exfoliate, hydrate, nourish with vitamins and oils, or leave a delightful fragrance on the skin. 

Of course, when we shower, the goal is to come out of it smelling fresh and clean. We also want that oh-so-clean feeling to last all day. Who wants to smell stale before even making it to work? The best way to ensure a long-lasting scent is to buy quality body washes that are proven to make your skin smell, feel, and even look amazing. There is certainly no shortage of great body washes that can achieve this. You only have to know where to look.

When searching for the best body washes for you, you must consider your favorite scents, your skin type, and your budget. You may also think about the ingredients in a product, how it is manufactured, or who backs the brand. All of these things will bring you closer to finding your perfect body wash match.

Body wash is one of those products that many of us take for granted. We always have one or two bottles in the shower, but we are only vaguely aware of where we got them and how long we've been using them. Of course, this is a generalization. Some of us take our body care much more seriously, but some of us have been using the same generic brand since high school. 

Finding a new body wash when we're ready for a change can be overwhelming. So many of them are released each year by trusted brands, celebrities, organic small businesses, and new companies.

When creating this collection, we considered your needs by compiling products that have gone viral on social media, and by looking at reviews from buyers across a multitude of websites, and advice from skincare professionals. We made it our job to find the 20 best body washes that have a long-lasting scent and real cleansing abilities that are sure to make you feel and smell cleaner after each bath or shower.

Molton Brown London's Bath & Shower Gels are known for their long-lasting scents that keep customers coming back. In a review on Amazon, one satisfied customer wrote, "Molton Brown's Shower Gel is among the strongest scented body washes I've purchased. I often find that, with lower-to-mid cost washes, the smell isn't particularly pungent and quickly dissipates after the shower."

Though the price is on the higher end, you can't find a body wash with better reviews than this one.

Purchase Molton Brown London Bath & Shower Gel at Molton Brown London for $35.

If you're looking for something at a more reasonable price point, many of Native's Natural Body Wash products, especially their Coconut & Vanilla scent, are regarded as the best. A Walmart reviewer put it best stating, "The minute I opened the Native body wash I fell in love with the light coconut & vanilla fragrance. It's not at all overpowering. The body wash's clear color is an indication that it's made with wholesome ingredients such as water, coconut oil, and salt."

Purchase Native Natural Body Wash, Coconut & Vanilla at Walmart for approximately $9.

When the price isn't an issue, people flock to the Sol De Janeiro site which offers its iconic Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel. Made with Cupuaçu butter, coconut oil, and açai oil, Sol De Janeiro describes its body wash as having "notes of pistachio and salted caramel [that] bloom in your shower to awaken your senses."

Purchase Sol De Janeiro Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel at Sol De Janeiro for $56.

Dry skin needs special care in the shower. Hot water can cause the skin to lose natural oils that are important for healthy skin. The best way to combat this is to use a body wash that helps protect and replenish them like the Ouai Body Cleanser for Dry Skin. This body wash uses hydrating ingredients and a mixture of fruity and floral notes for a heavenly experience.

Purchase Ouai Body Cleanser for Dry Skin at Ulta Beauty for $28.

If your skin is not only dry but itchy too, you should be using a body wash that targets this problem. One great option is Kopari Beauty's Coconut Hydrating Body Wash with Aloe and Sea Kelp. According to Ulta Beauty, this body cleanser is "packed with skin-loving ingredients like organic coconut water, organic aloe vera juice, and sea kelp." These ingredients all help to restore moisture and calm irritated skin.

Purchase Kopari Beauty Coconut Hydrating Body Wash with Aloe and Sea Kelp at Ulta Beauty for $20.

Mature skin can also benefit from some extra hydration. Hempz Triple Moisture Herbal Whipped Creme Body Wash is an ultra-hydrating product that smells amazing and protects your skin with antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamin C. An Ulta Beauty review raved about Hempz, saying, "The Hemptz line never misses. This lathers so nicely and my skin feels soft and hydrated. The scent is very similar to VS Love Spell. Will definitely repurchase."

Purchase Hempz Triple Moisture Herbal Whipped Creme Body Wash at Ulta Beauty for $19.

It can be difficult to find a body wash that is made for sensitive skin that also smells good. Many delicate body washes either smell like nothing or smell too earthy. Blu Atlas's Body Wash, which is available in two incredible scents, regularly receives positive reviews for its natural ingredients that are gentle on sensitive skin and its delightful, lasting scent.

Purchase Blu Atlas Body Wash at Blu Atlas for $25.

The St. Ives Radiant Skin Exfoliating Body Wash is perfect for morning showers. As one Amazon reviewer said, it has a "nice lather and makes skin feel clean and soft. ... This fragrance is ideal. It's fresh, bright, citrusy and just the clean scent you want when you hop out of the shower."

The fresh orange-infused scent is invigorating enough to get you going in the morning and it will stay with you throughout the day.

Purchase St. Ives Radiant Skin Exfoliating Body Wash at Target for $3.99.

For evening or night showers, we recommend the Indie Lee De-Stress Body Wash. This product, which is made with the oils of patchouli, lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary, helps you unwind after a long day. A Nordstrom reviewer noted, "... this body wash smells so good but also has been a game changer with calming down after a long shift. My skin has changed into a glow and even tone since using these products."

Purchase Indie Lee De-Stress Body Wash at Nordstrom for $24.

Depending on what side of the internet you frequent, you might already be familiar with the Cremo No. 10 Silver Water and Birch Body Wash. This viral body wash is quickly being sold out at stores, which @officiallyalexisb shows on her page. Commenters under the video indicate that the body wash smells like Silver Water Mountain cologne by Creed which is sold for $345 to $1,685 depending on the size of the bottle.

Purchase Cremo No. 10 Silver Water and Birch Body Wash at Cremo for approximately $10.

We love a body wash that does more than just make us smell good. The OGX Smoothing + Coconut Coffee Exfoliating Body Scrub not only smells delightful, but it keeps our skin nice and smooth too. As mentioned by a Walmart reviewer, "This is one of the best-smelling coffee body washes I've ever used. It exfoliates and leaves me smelling absolutely delightful. I have purchased this at least 5 or 6 times as they're fail-proof for the scent!"

Purchase OGX Smoothing + Coconut Coffee Exfoliating Body Scrub at Walmart for approximately $6.

For many, clean beauty ingredients are a necessity in anything they use on their body. Today, it isn't too difficult to find products with clean ingredients, but it can be hard to figure out which is the best among them. The Seaweed Bath Co. Hydrating & Cleansing Body Wash certainly rises to the top in this category. It is suitable for sensitive skin, comes in seven heavenly scents, and is very affordable.

Purchase The Seaweed Bath Co. Hydrating & Cleansing Body Wash on Amazon for approximately $8.

Living sustainably is important if you care about this planet. Using Zero Co's Bodywash is one way that you can smell fresh — like mandarins and chamomile, to be specific — while also cutting down on your plastic use. The Zero Co mission is to "stop a total of 3 million water bottles worth of plastic going to landfill." And their goal is to do it by the end of 2023.

Purchase Zero Co Bodywash in Mandarin, Finger Lime, and Chamomile at Zero Co for approximately $21.

On TikTok, @skincarebesti calls Method's Simply Nourish Body Wash the "best body wash ever," especially when it's used in tandem with Sol De Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream after the shower. This liquid body soap is made with simple ingredients that keep any skin type perfectly hydrated, nourished, and squeaky clean. It's also very affordable, so no matter what the size of your family is, you won't break the bank.

Purchase Method Body Wash Simply Nourish at Target for approximately $8.

A good floral-scented body wash cannot simply be passed by. The Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel may be among the best of them. This is confirmed by a review on Lush that says, "This is hands down one of the greatest if not the greatest fragrance lush has to offer. It's like walking through a field of delectable roses on a beautiful spring day. My children will use this product and so will their children."

Purchase Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel at Lush for $25.

If florals aren't for you, the Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Shower Gel is equally as magical, but with fruity notes. Philosophy describes its popular product as a refreshing hair and body wash that can also be used as a bubble bath. So, you won't only fall lin love with this product because of its scent, but also for its versatility in the tub.

Purchase Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Shower Gel at Ulta Beauty for $22.

When you're searching for a true multi-purpose body wash, look to Dr. Bronner's brand. According to @rosebaby40 on TikTok, Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap in peppermint is among the "best body washes that will make you smell good all day." Additionally, it is known as an 18-in-1, meaning it can be used to clean your body, your hair, the dishes, the laundry, the floors, the family dog, and much more.

Purchase Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap Peppermint at Target for approximately $10.

Many body products claim to soothe the mind and calm anxiety, but the Tatcha Forest Awakening Hinoki Body Wash truly delivers on this promise. According to Sephora, it is formulated with "hinoki wood essential oils known to contain phytoncides [which are] chemical compounds emitted by trees scientifically proven to improve well-being." This body wash is best used when you are looking to clear your head and reset.

Purchase Tatcha Forest Awakening Hinoki Body Wash at Sephora for $34.

Celebrities are putting out their lines of body products at a rapid-fire pace. With so many different celebrity-backed products to choose from, and many of them being only so-so or outright disappointing, Ashley Tisdale's body care brand called Being Frenshe is like a breath of fresh air. Per Frenshe, "wellness [doesn't] have to be complicated, expensive, or inaccessible." Among the brand's best-loved products is the deliciously scented Being Frenshe Renewing Body Wash in Cashmere Vanilla.

Purchase Being Frenshe Renewing Body Wash Cashmere Vanilla at Target for approximately $11.

Sometimes we need a body wash that offers a more powerful clean. If you are susceptible to fungal or bacterial infections, Purely Northwest Tea Tree Oil Foot & Body Wash can help keep them at bay. According to Walmart, the antifungal wash "helps eliminate itching, dryness, burning, and excessive odor associated with sweating and common skin problems such as Athlete's Foot, toenail fungus, Ringworm, Tinea Versicolor, and Jock Itch."

Purchase Purely Northwest Tea Tree Oil Foot & Body Wash at Walmart for approximately $30.