Trying to decide between choosing a body butter vs lotion can be overwhelming. The key difference between the two is in their ingredients: body butter contains butter and various oils like coconut, or jojoba, while the lotion is often a combination of water and oils. While many go straight for body butter as their standard body treatment, you might not be grabbing the proper skincare product to get the job done right.
The components of natural body butter are all high in nutritious vitamins and fatty acids, which help to nourish and revitalize your skin and improve healthy skin complexion. On the other hand, lotion boosts hydration in your skin, prevents flaking and dullness, and creates a protective layer of moisture that lasts all day.
We have already stressed the importance of moisturizing your skin everyday, it’s also important to use the right treatment for your skin’s condition. Moisturizing can help keep your skin clear of acne, soft and subtle, and help fight signs of aging.
Lotion is the best choice for individuals who desire a light moisturizer that won’t clog pores or feel heavy and greasy, and there are countless brands to choose from.
Body butter, much like lotion, moisturizes the skin and provides it with a healthy, firm appearance. However, unlike the thin, lightweight consistency offered by body lotion, many users of body butter prefer its thick consistency.
Benefits of Body Butter vs Lotion
Body Butter
Body Butter is primarily made with butters and oils without any water added. This kind of product will normally be a little thicker and may take a little longer to absorb into the skin due to those ingredients.
Benefits
- Deep, intensive moisturizing
- Ideal for rough or extremely dry skin
- Ideal for the hands, feet, elbows, and knees
- Best used in a dry climate where moisture can escape from the skin
- Thicker formula, packed with butter and oils
- Low water content
Body butters can provide some anti-aging benefits, and many brands contain antioxidants. They can reduce the appearance of stretch marks, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Body butters actually create a protective barrier around the skin, protecting it from dirt, dust, and other contaminants. This protective barrier also seals in a significant amount of moisture and prevents the skin from drying out too quickly.
Vitamins C, A and E can often be found in many brands of body butters, as well as omega-3s, which have been known to fight inflammation. All these vitamins contribute to soft, healthy skin.
Body butters are considered food grade items. This means they can be purchased in bulk and stored for years on end – without losing their moisturizing properties.
Lotion
A typical recipe is 70-80% distilled water, 3-5% stearic acid, 3-6% emulsifying wax, and the rest is oil and butter. Those ingredients are heated and combined with a stick blender.
Benefits
- Lightweight moisturizing
- Ideal for slightly dry skin
- More hydrating and non-sticky
- Great for use in hotter, more humid climates or seasons, as they tend to absorb quickly and won’t ‘sit’ on the skin
- Lighter formula, easily spreadable
- Absorbs quickly into the skin
- Higher water content
- Some contain SPF
Body lotions tend to have a higher water content so they’re generally lighter in texture and more easily absorbed. However, because of the high water content, lotions aren’t as long lasting as oils or body butters.
In addition to rehydrating dry skin, the vast majority of lotions offer a pleasant or neutral scent that is appealing to the senses.
Body lotions don’t provide penetrative moisture, so if you have super dry skin that needs special attention, it’s best to go with body butter vs a lotion.
Body Butter vs Lotion: What’s Best for My Skin?
The simplest solution all depends on your skin concerns.
If you’re in search of a deeper remedy to dry, coarse skin, body butter is your remedy. Because body butter is thicker, it tends to remain on top of your skin longer and works to decrease the loss of moisture from your skin. This shielding barrier will keep you more moisturized, for longer.
If you require a light, daily moisturizing – you’ll want to use body lotion. This lighter formula is ideal for larger area applications too, since it tends to spread more easily and absorb faster.
As a rule of thumb, lotions usually work well on oily areas of the skin and body butter works best on dry areas of the skin. Lotions lubricate and quickly soften the skin. While body butter will stay on the skin longer, helping to prevent loss of moisture and deeply moisturize overtime.
The main cause of dry skin can be from a variety of factors such as weather, nutrition, the frequency of washing, and dehydration. When the natural oils and water are lost or sapped from our skin, our precious epidermis becomes rough and dry. In order to protect the skin’s moisture levels, you’ll need to apply a deeply moisturizing body butter for super dry skin, or slather on a lighter fighter for daily use: body lotion.
The fact of the matter is that using body butter versus body lotion is really just a personal preference. Whether you’re considering body butter vs lotion, make sure you’re using on the healthiest formula you can find, and checking those ingredient labels for shady ingredients. Beware of synthetic fragrances and dyes in body butters and lotions. They can be irritating to your skin.
Never compromise health for beauty, and always select a simple body butter or lotion that’s free from parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals, silicones, and toxic preservatives.