Luscious Body Butters

Your skin-softening regimen is about to get a lot more indulgent, thanks to a flurry of sumptuous body butters. These yummy creams -- also called balms or souffles -- put the luxury back into your moisturizing routine.

• They're often packed with fragrant essential oils, which leave delicious scents lingering on your skin but don't evaporate in heat or cause a reaction like perfumes can.
• They contain less water and more oils than standard lotions, so limbs stay wonderfully silky all day long. "Body butters are amazingly rich and luxurious, like something you'd find in a spa," says David Klass, cofounder of Archipelago Botanicals.
• With fragrances such as cucumber, orchid, and papaya to choose from, they're the ultimate summer treat. Apply immediately after showering or bathing to seal in moisture -- your skin will thank you.

1. Archive Gardener's Greenhouse Whipped Body Butter Clover Honey ($15.50) contains macadamia nut and shea butter to leave even the driest skin supple.
2. Archipelago Sugar Butter for Body Brown Sugar & Vanilla ($25) not only smells divine, but keeps skin smooth with sugar, a natural exfoliator.
3. Elizabeth Arden Red Door Revealed Body Butter ($17.50) has the same sweet orchid scent as Arden's signature fragrance, plus vitamin E for conditioning.
4. Irene Gari Cosmetics Cucumber Body Butter ($5.99) smells garden fresh, and includes avocado for extra moisture.
5. Calgon Aah...Spa! Tropics Whipped Body Souffle ($6.95) gently exfoliates with papaya and mango extracts while hydrating with cocoa butter.