Cetaphil Tops ShopSmart's Tests of Body Lotions

~ Most Store-Brand Lotions Fell Short Against Pricier Name Brands ~

YONKERS, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- All body lotions are supposed to moisturize but some come with bigger promises like "long-lasting relief."  But do these products really live up to their claims?  The October 2011 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, names Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion the winner in the magazine's test of 14 name- and store-brand body lotions.  Walmart's Equate Moisturizing Lotion, a copycat of our top pick, was the only store-brand that stood out in our tests.

"Store brands typically do well in many of our other product tests," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart.  "However, their performance in our test of body lotions was mostly underwhelming."

To determine which lotions worked best, ShopSmart tested formulas from Aveeno, CeraVe, Cetaphil, Eucerin, Gold Bond, Jergens, Lubriderm, Nivea, Suave, and Vaseline and store brands from CVS, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.  Many of brand-name lotions did a good job and left skin slightly more moisturized after five hours than the others we tested.   Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, $10.50 for 16 ounces, was tops in our tests, and Walmart's copycat Equate Moisturizing Lotion, $6.50 for 16 ounces, did well too.  ShopSmart also found a bargain buy in Suave Advanced Therapy Body Lotion, which costs $3.25 for 18 ounces.  

When it came to store brand lotions, most of the products ShopSmart tested didn't match up to pricier name bands.  In fact, the least effective lotion we tried was Target's Up & Up Extra Healing Moisturizer.  Yet some name-brand formulas also failed to impress our testers including CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion, $13.75 for 12 ounces, Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin, $6.75 for 21 ounces, and Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion Fragrance Free, $8 for 16 ounces.

Another surprise in ShopSmart's test of body lotions was the number of ingredients each of the products contained, with some containing as many as 33.  Some like water and aloe are familiar, but you need a chemistry degree to understand the others.   Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion, $10 for 18 ounces, was noted for having the fewest chemicals.

To find out more about body lotions, including other top choices, pick up the October 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine, available on most newsstands.  The report also features moisturizing tips from a top dermatologist and a label decoder, which identifies potentially irritating ingredients found in body lotions.

About ShopSmart magazine:
Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports' celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and "best of the best" lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org

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ShopSmart is now available 10 times a year. Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

SOURCE ShopSmart Magazine