Heat plays havoc and cold can be a calamity for our skin. Ever-changing weather and heating levels zap the moisture from our outer layers. Dark skin, in particular, can quickly become very dry, flaky and “ashy”. But a good moisturising regime can achieve beautiful, polished skin all year long.

Moisturising is essential to keep skin hydrated. Moisturisers work by trapping and holding water in the skin to work their smoothing magic. Here’s a rundown of five of the best lotions for black skin.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion

A stalwart of the body lotion market, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion has been available since the 1970s and remains a bathroom cabinet essential.

Palmer’s is a rich, creamy moisturiser made from pure natural cocoa butter. The lotion is quickly absorbed by the skin and is loaded with Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant which soothes irritation.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion will hydrate for 24 hours and is the ideal everyday moisturising solution for dry, sun-damaged skin and can help reduce scars and eczema flare-ups.

Sunny Isle Lavender Whipped Shea Butter

Straight out of the Caribbean, Sunny Isle Lavender Whipped Shea Butter is infused with 100 per cent Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Sunny Isle is the only brand of castor oil approved for export by the government of Jamaica and the seeds used to create the produce are grown by rural farmers on the island.

Sunny Isle Lavender Whipped Shea Butter replenishes dry, sensitive skin and can also be used to nourish dry, crunchy hair. It also rejuvenates minor burns and fades spots and blemishes.

Johnson's Baby Lotion

Surprised at its inclusion on this list? Don’t be. Johnson's Baby Lotion is the number one choice for so many dark-skinned women ahead of more expensive products that it simply had to be included.

As black skin tends to be oilier than that of other races, Johnson's Baby Lotion is light, won’t clog your pores and after all, is formulated with baby’s tender skin in mind. Pears Baby Lotion is the perfect product for those who have really sensitive, delicate skin.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion contains colloidal oatmeal and shea butter to relieve the most irritated, itchy, dry skin. The lotion absorbs quickly and its fragrance-free formula will prevent and protect dry skin for 24 hours.

Clinically proven to improve skin within one day and with significant benefits visible after just two weeks, Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion will leave your skin soft, hydrated and healthy-looking.

Ingram’s Camphor Cream

First formulated in South Africa in 1937, Ingram’s Camphor Cream soothes, repairs and protects chapped skin. The cream is also effective in soothing the irritation caused by sun and windburn.

Ingram’s Camphor cream can help relieve cracked skin on the hands, knees, elbows, heels and any other area of dry skin. It has a non-greasy formula but is incredibly rich and creamy. Camphor cream is great for oily skin and can help control acne.