If there is one thing I look forward to during the Christmas season, it’s the bath and body limited-edition holiday offerings of certain cosmetic companies. The scent, packaging and quality are guaranteed top-notch so they can stand out from the competition and become premium gift items.

Top of my wish list? Body moisturizers that help ease the discomfort of very dry skin on heels, elbows, hands, legs and arms, which gets worse during the colder months.

Variations

Leading the horde is The Body Shop’s Christmas collection. I always hoard the entire Cranberry set and also the Vanilla and some of the Ginger. Although TBS comes out with the same three scents every year, there are always variations. For instance, last year’s Spiced Vanilla got a thumbs-down for me, as the floral and spice mix ruined the creamy vanilla. This year’s Vanilla Bliss is more delicious to the nose.

You can count on TBS to have potent scents that bring the holiday cheer to the home. Although its sets are beautifully packaged, do not be shy about breaking them apart and giving them piece by piece as gifts to loved ones. Reserve the sets for immediate family and closest friends.

For those who cannot be bothered to wrap gifts, buy the smaller cubed sets like the Satsuma or Chocolate.

The store’s consistent bestsellers are the Body Butters, which have matching soaps, scrubs and lotion. When they are layered on, the fragrance acquires greater staying power.

Hand creams are also in demand, as well as lip balms, which are a necessity for dry, cracked lips.

Bestseller

Kiehl’s Crème de Corp, meanwhile, is out with a limited-edition packaging designed by Kenny Scharf, in which 100 percent of the net profits will go to various children’s charities.

The bestseller is the Crème de Corp Body Butter, which smells like Crème brûlée or yema. It penetrates the thickest of dry skin like the heels, soles of feet and knees. But if you want a full body moisturizer that’s not so rich, pick up the CDC lotion, which has a very mild scent that will not clash with your chosen cologne.

There’s also Zen Zest, whose packaging is now at par with Bath and Body Works. Its very reasonable price tags enable many to buy the whole Christmas package without having to divvy it up as separate items. The light fragrances for men and women are suited for the tropics and can be worn all year round. My favorite scent is Day Dream for women and Sport and Rush for men.

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