Body Butter or Body Lotion (or Both)

 

We all know that skincare goes beyond face and neck, and includes skin on all other body parts too. Moisturization is an essential part of skincare.  As facial skin is thinner and more exposed to elements, it needs higher and different level care, of course, but skin elsewhere also needs pampering of hydration and moisturization.  

Imagine your hands looking all chapped and feet looking callused? Or your arms looking so dry that even the mildest of scratch causes dry white lines! The basic fact is that skin all over needs moisturizing care.

There are many products that help you give your skin the moisture it needs. Moisturizer or body lotion, skin creams, and body butters are some such products. 

Body lotion and body butter are hugely popular for body skincare. However, many people can’t figure out whether they should use a body lotion or a body butter to moisturize skin.

Are you too confused whether to apply body butter or body lotion to give some much needed tender loving care to your skin? Confused what exactly differentiates a body butter from a body lotion?

Here is a lowdown to help you choose between body butter and body lotion. Actually, some of you may use both, as you will fnd out reading further. 

What’s Body Butter

A body butter is a dense and thick moisturizing formulation specially formulated for dryness prone skin zones. It has nil or nominal water content (unlike creams or lotions) and is ultra rich in natural nut and seed fats like oils and butters - cocoa butter, mango seed butter, shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil etc. All these have healthy fatty acids that are excellent skin nourishers and help skin retain its moisture by reinforcing skin’s lipid barrier.

Body butter formulations are often enhanced with flower or fruit or leaf extracts such as banana, aloe vera, and nargis. These may also contain essential oils like lavender, lime, orange and mandarin, and vitamins like A & E etc. Extracts, essential oils and vitamins add their own benefits like antioxidant protection, lipid barrier strengthening, and glow boost etc.

Body butters deliver intensive moisturization benefits to skin. These have skin softening and hydrating properties that help reduce dryness. Body butters also help lock in skin’s moisture by enhancing skin’s protective barrier that in turn reduces hydration loss to keep skin softer for longer.  Body butters also help with soothing, brightening, firming and rejuvenation of skin, depending on the active ingredients in a specific formulation.

What’s Body Lotion

A body lotion is an emulsion blend of oil and water. Emulsion i.e. a colloid of two liquids that otherwise do not mix.  Body lotions are thinner in consistency and less greasy in feel as compared to body butters (which have no water). Body lotions are faster absorbed by the skin as compared to body butters that tend to soak in slowly. 

Like body butters, body lotions also have seed oils, plant butters, plant extracts and vitamins beneficial to skin. Body lotions too hydrate, moisturize and protect the skin.

Where body butters are specifically for dryness prone skin, body lotions are formulated for sll skin types – oily, normal and dry. The main job of a body lotion is to keep skin hydrated and moisturized. Yes, even oily skin needs hydration and moisture. A body lotion comes handy when you have to choose how much hydration and moisturization your skin needs.

Who should opt for body butters

Remember, a body butter has lots of healthy fats. Those with very dry skin – arms, legs, thighs, tummy, back, shoulders, hands, knees, feet and elbows – should definitely opt for body butters. Also those who have their skin go rough and itchy in winters also should use body butters. 

Body Butters are not meant for facial skin.  For face, you should use skincare products formulated for facial skin – face creams and serums, mainly.

Who should opt for body lotions

If your skin just needs regular hydration and softening, use a body lotion. Also if your skin is normal or oily, and you want it to feel smooth and lush without any hint of greasiness, use a body lotion. If your skin is dry but not flaky, itchy or parched, you can use a body lotion meant for dry skin. Remember, body lotions have less fat than body butters but they pack in water that your skin likes to soak in.

Body lotions come in several hydration levels – ultra light, moderate and intensive - to suit different skin types. 

Who should opt for both, body lotion and body butter

If your skin is ultra dry in some areas and not so dry in some others, you should use both body lotion as well as body butter. 

For example, some people have soft skin on arms and legs but elbows and knees may be rough and hard skinned. We recommend using a body lotion for arms and legs, and treating knees and elbows with body butter.

Or, if your hands go callused and wrinkled in winters, pamper these with a lush body butter and don cotton gloves after massaging it in. You will notice the difference soon enough.

Point to remember 

 Body butter or body lotion, whatever product you choose, it should be completely without mineral oils (also mentioned as petrolatum, liquid paraffin, baby oil), parabens, synthetic colours and silicones. You do not want anything on your skin that can possibly compromise your holistic wellness.

How to Use Body Butters

After shower or bath, take a small amount of body butter and apply it gently on the skin. Massage with soft, soothing strokes till it gets absorbed into the skin. It may take a few seconds. Be patient, the reward will be lush skin.

How to Use Body Lotions 

Apply on skin areas – arms, legs, back, shoulders, hands, feet, tummy etc - that need moisturizing.  Gently massage in with fingertips. For best results, apply immediately after shower/bath. 

For body lotions, we recommend WOW Skin Science Body Lotion Range

WOW Skin Science offers a premium range of body lotions with premium cold pressed oils and butters, and other pure active ingredients for healthy benefits. You can choose one to match your skin’s hydration needs.

 WOW Skin Science Shea & Cocoa Butter Body Lotion gives intensive moisture and hydration suitable for all skin types, including thirsty and parched skin.  It has been powered with Shea & Cocoa Butters, Argan & Sweet Almond Oils, Beetroot Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, and Vitamins B5 and E. Its non-greasy and quick absorb formulation wipes away every trace of dryness to leave the skin satiny smooth and richly nourished.  Regular application helps the skin retain hydration, repair damage, boost collagen and soothe inflammation.

WOW Skin Science Aloe Vera Body Lotion is a lightweight moisturizer for oily skin. Formulated to provide ultra-light, non-greasy, soothing and long-lasting hydration with intensive anti-aging qualities. It contains Aloe Vera Extract, Argan & Almond Oils, Shea & Cocoa Butters, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins B5 & E for healthy hydration, moisturizing, soothing and rejuvenating skincare.

WOW Skin Science Coconut Milk Body Lotion is formulated to provide balanced, non-greasy, long lasting hydration to parched skin. Powered with Coconut Milk Extract, Argan Oil, Shea & Cocoa Butters, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins B5 & E that work as a team to retain hydration, repair damage, boost collagen and soothe inflammation for silkier and smoother skin.  

All WOW Skin Science body lotions are totally without mineral oils, parabens, silicones, colors or polyethylene glycol (PG).   

For body butters, we recommend WOW Skin Science Body Butter Range

WOW Skin Science offers a spectacular range of body butters with premium cold pressed oils and butters, and other pure active ingredients for healthy benefits. 

WOW Skin Science Arabica Coffee & Cocoa Body Butter – For sensitive skin prone to redness – Powered with Coffee Extract, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, & Aloe Vera Extract. 

WOW Skin Science Rainforest Body Butter with Tucuma & Cupuacu Butter – For deep moisturization and intensive dryness protection – Powered with Tucuma & Cupuacu Butters (from Brazilian Amazon Rain Forests), Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Moroccan Argan Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Pro Vitamin B5.

WOW Skin Science Banana Pulp Body Butter – For softening rough and dry skin – Powered with Banana Pulp Extract, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Mango Body Butter – For softening and revitalizing dull skin – Powered with Mango Seed Butter, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Citrus Body Butter – For refreshing, nourishing and brightening benefits – Powered with Shea Butter, Orange Essential Oil, Mandarin Essential Oil & Lime Essential Oil. 

WOW Skin Science Moringa Body Butter – For hydrating and softening skin – Powered with Moringa Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil & Aloe Vera Extract. 

WOW Skin Science Himalayan Rose Body Butter – For hydrating, toning and enhancing skin – Powered with Rose Water, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract  & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Raw African Shea Body Butter – For delivering ultra-rich moisture to parched skin – Powered with Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Raw Argan Body Butter – For nourishing & protecting aging, dry skin – Powered with Moroccan Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Rich Olive Body Butter – For skin softening hydration – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

WOW Skin Science Nargis Body Butter – For hydrating & softening dry skin – Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Nargis Extract, Aloe Vera Extract & Vitamin E.

All these body butters are completely free of mineral oils, parabens, synthetic colours and silicones.