Body/ Natural Skin Care

Lotions vs Creams vs Body Butters: Differences And Which One To Use?

Updated: January 23, 2022

(This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here)

Lotions vs Creams vs Body Butters: Differences and which one to use?

Lotion, cream, and body butter are the types of skincare products that you use every day.  They help to moisturize skin and has skin healing properties. But, are they all same? Let’s take a look at what are lotion, cream, body butter and how they are different from each other.


What Is The Main Difference Between Lotions, Creams, And Body Butters?

The main difference between a lotion, cream, and body butter is that they differ in their texture and the ingredients used in creating each of them.

A body lotion is the lightest and has a runny texture, while a body cream is thicker than a body lotion but lighter than body butter and also has a creamier consistency. And body butter is the heaviest among the three and has a rich butter-soft texture with no amount of water.

The body lotion has the highest water content, whereas body cream has less water than body lotion and more oils, and body butter is made using essential oils, carrier oils, and butter. The body butter also lasts the longest in comparison to the other two.

See also  Top 10 Easy Anti-Aging Essential Oil Recipes You Must Try

What Are Body Butter?

Lotions vs Creams vs Body Butters: Differences and which one to use?

Body butter is used for replenishing dry, parched skin and softening dry patches on your body. With key components being oil and butter, they have the thickest consistency and penetrate deeper into the skin to heal the damaged, dry areas. Unlike lotions and creams, body butter has the lowest or no water concentration, thus giving them that rich texture.

They are often made with rich hydrating ingredients such as shea butter, cocoa, and mango, which is why they are chock-full of fatty acids and essential vitamins. Due to these components, they deliver more long-lasting hydration than any other moisturizer. They also leave an oily finish which is perfect for repairing chapped and cracked skin.


What Are Creams?

Lotions vs Creams vs Body Butters: Differences and which one to use?

Body creams are used for keeping skin well-hydrated along with soft and supple. They have a somewhat heavy texture as it contains less water content and more oils but not enough to leave the skin oily and greasy. But they have other moisturizing ingredients as well.

The cream creates a protective barrier for moisturizing skin and solves mild dry skin issues. Hence, it works best for people who neither have oily skin nor extremely dry skin. They have a creamy texture, and since they have a few oils in their formulation, it takes a bit more time to get absorbed into the skin than lightweight moisturizers.

See also  9 Easy Homemade Face Mask for Acne You Probably Didn't Know

What Are Body Lotions?

Lotions vs Creams vs Body Butters: Differences and which one to use?

Body lotions are used for keeping skin moisturized, although they don’t deliver as much hydration and moisture as a body butter. Thus, it works the best for people with oily skin. As formulated with more percentage of water and less oil, body lotions are lightweight moisturizers and have a runny and watery texture.

However, they have both emollient and humectant properties to keep skin hydrated and protect the natural skin barrier. Also, thanks to their texture, they get absorbed fastest into the skin, but their lasting power isn’t as long as creams and butter.


Which One Should You Use – Body Butter Or Cream Or Body Lotion?

Deciding whether to use a body lotion, body cream, or body butter depends all on the skin type and the weather condition. If you have oily skin and live in a tropical climate, your best option is to use a lightweight moisturizer with more water content and few oils, indicating a body lotion.

And if you suffer from mild dryness, you would need a richer alternative to lotion, which will not make your skin look greasy or oily. Then the best option here is to opt for a body cream.

Lastly, one should go for body butter if they have extremely dry skin and need to heal their flaky and itchy skin or live in a colder climate. Usually, a lotion works best for the summers and cream and butter for the winter.

See also  DIY Body Lotion With Shea Butter, Aloe Vera And Glycerin

How Is Whipped Body Butter Different From Body Butter?

There isn’t any drastic difference between whipped body butter and non-whipped body butter. The key component mixture of oil and butter is only whipped in the former one to create a lighter texture.


Can Body Lotions Be Used On The Face?

All body moisturizer, in comparison to face moisturizers, tends to be more thick and greasy. And people with dry skin may seem to not have any side effects when body lotion is applied on the face, but oily skin people have higher chances to irritate the skin and clog the pores, leading to an acne breakout. Hence, it is not advisable to put body lotion on the face for anybody.


Is It Good To Use body butter Every day?

Body butter is suitable to use any time and any day. If you have dry skin, using body butter every day is highly recommended, but you can also use it to treat dry patches on skin whenever needed.


Is It Good To Use Body Lotion every day?

Using any variant of moisturizer depending on your skin type on a daily basis is essential. So, if your skin requires just a bit of moisture, then applying body lotion every day can be beneficial.


 

You Might Also Like

No Comments

Leave a Reply