What is the Difference Between Body Cream, Body Lotion, and Body Butter?

All too often, people focus their skincare efforts on their face, neglecting to give their body the TLC that it deserves. 

So, today, Nubi is going to talk you through one of the most important aspects of caring for the skin on your body; moisturizing. We’ll be taking a look at some of the different body moisturizing products out there, explaining the differences between body lotion vs body cream vs body butter. Once you’re done reading, you’ll know exactly which one to pick to keep your skin looking soft and supple from head to toe.

Why is it so Important to Keep Your Body Moisturized?

Just like every other part of your body, your skin cells need moisture in order to properly function. Your body naturally produces plenty of moisturizing compounds while it’s young. However, this slows down with age. This is why it’s so important to turn to moisturizing products to keep your skin hydration levels topped up.

Since the skin on the body is much thicker than the skin on the face, it may not show signs of dryness or dehydration quite as quickly. However, once it does, it can sometimes take even longer to relieve dryness on the body compared to the face. This is simply because thick skin isn’t quite as conducive to product penetration. As a result, you could be dealing with the associated flaking, peeling, and itching for quite a while if you fail to regularly moisturize.

Of course, moisturizing your body isn’t solely about keeping dryness at bay. It also helps to slow down the visible signs of aging while preventing the appearance of body acne. It will keep sensitive skin feeling soothed and happy too.

So, now that you know why it’s important to moisturize your body, let’s take a closer look at the different products that can help you to do just that.

What is a Body Lotion?

One of the biggest differences between a body lotion vs body cream vs body butter is consistency. Body lotions are usually water-based, which means that they’re the lightest in texture out of all three.

Body lotions tend to contain humectants and emollients. They lack the heavier occlusives that body creams and body butters are infused with. This is why they feel much thinner and runnier. 

This is great for people with oily skin as a body lotion absorbs extremely quickly, without leaving a residue behind. However, people with dry skin may not find a body lotion to be moisturizing enough.

What is a Body Cream?

When it comes to texture, body creams sit in between body lotions and body butters. Again, many are water-based, but they do also have a fair bit of oil content. This helps to thicken them up and make them more moisturizing.

A good example of a high-quality body cream would be the Nubi Hand & Body Cream. It has water as its base but it contains an even blend of humectants, emollients, and occlusives as well. We’ve also infused our body cream with sea salt, which is packed with skin-loving minerals.

What is a Body Butter?

Body butters are the thickest of the moisturizing products for the body. They don’t contain as much water as a body lotion or a body cream. Instead, they’re primarily made up of oils, fats, and plant butters.

Many body butters, including Nubi’s Deep Body Butter, are infused with humectants. However, their main focus is on emollient and occlusive ingredients, just like the shea butter in our formula. 

This is why a body butter is so effective at moisturizing dry skin. It will form an additional layer over the surface of the skin to prevent moisture from evaporating. At the same time, it will also keep fragile dry skin feeling protected.

Body Lotion vs Body Cream vs Body Butter: Which One Should You Pick?

So, when it comes to the body lotion vs body cream vs body butter decision, which one should you go with?

In order to make the right choice, you need to first know what your skin type is. If you have dry skin, then you’ll need either a body cream or a body butter. It all depends on how dry your skin actually is. If you’re already at the stage where you’re dealing with flaking and itching, then a rich body butter would be your best bet.

On the other hand, if you have oily skin, a body butter will likely be too thick and greasy for you. The way in which it creates a seal over the surface of the skin could end up clogging your pores and contributing to body acne. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need a lighter formula, such as a body lotion or even a lightweight body cream.

Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t use more than one moisturizing product on your body. After all, certain areas of the body are more prone to dryness than others. For example, you may want to use a body cream on the majority of your body, but dab a body butter onto dry elbows and knees. Pay attention to how your skin feels on different parts of your body. This will help you to match it with the perfect products.

Other Ways to Care for the Skin on Your Body

Making the right choice between a body lotion vs body cream vs body butter is important. However, moisturizing isn’t the only aspect to consider when it comes to caring for the skin on your body. Let’s take a look at some of the other things that you can do to give your body a healthy-looking glow:

Regularly Exfoliate

Exfoliation is key when it comes to maintaining a balanced complexion. This applies to your face as well as your body. However, as mentioned above, the skin on the body is significantly thicker than the skin on the face. This means that your facial exfoliants wouldn’t have much of an effect on your body.

That’s where Nubi’s Exfoliating Body Scrub comes in. It has a sea salt base, with salt being a fantastic natural exfoliant. 

Not only will a salt scrub like ours help to clear your body of dead skin cells, which will immediately leave it feeling softer and smoother, but studies show that salt scrubs can also improve skin hydration levels. Again, this is down to how they remove the layer of older cells that lie on the surface of the skin. This then means that any products you subsequently apply, be it a body lotion, a body cream, or a body butter, will be able to dive straight down into your skin without having to deal with any dead skin cell obstacles.

If you’d like to give our body scrub a try but are still on the fence about whether you need a body cream vs body butter, check out the Nubi Body Care Set. Not only does it contain our Exfoliating Body Scrub, but it also boasts our Hand & Body Cream and our Deep Body Butter. You’ll be able to treat your skin to all three of our exquisite body care products while also saving yourself some money by purchasing them as a set.

Healthy Showering Practices

As much as you may love a steamy hot shower, those high temperatures aren’t doing your skin any favors. In fact, hot water can severely dry the skin out, making it advisable to opt for a lukewarm temperature instead.

It’s also essential that you use a gentle soap while you’re washing your body. Many soaps are infamous for containing harsh surfactants that strip away the skin’s natural lipid layer. They leave the skin feeling vulnerable and dry. Choose a gentle formula instead, so that you can still cleanse your skin but without potentially damaging it.

Once you’re done in the shower, step out and gently pat your body down with a soft towel, but don’t completely dry yourself off. Whatever your decision may be when it comes to body lotion vs body cream vs body butter, the best time to moisturize your body is while your skin is still damp. This allows your moisturizing product to trap in excess water, which will leave your skin looking plump and dewy.

Protect Your Body From Sun Exposure

The sun’s UV rays are extremely harmful. You probably already know how they can lead to skin cancer, but they’re also responsible for accelerating the skin aging process. This means that the more sun exposure your skin has, the faster you’ll experience everything from wrinkles to sagging to discoloration.

The sun also dries the skin out in a big way. Sure, you can reach for your thick body butter to replenish lost moisture, but if the damage is allowed to continue then your skin won’t improve much.

There’s no denying that it’s much easier to remember to apply sunscreen in the summer months. After all, this is when you can feel the heat of the sun beating down on you. However, while UV rays may be at their most harmful in the summer months, they’re present and problematic year-round. Although you won’t need to apply sunscreen to any parts of your body that are covered over with thick layers in the winter, chances are that your hands, and possibly even your neck, chest, and legs, are still exposed. This means that they will need protection.

So, whatever your decision may be when it comes to body lotion vs body cream vs body butter, make sure that you layer a sunscreen over the top. If you find that applying a sunscreen over your body butter leaves you feeling too greasy during the day, then use a body lotion or a body cream instead. You can then turn to your body butter in the evenings. This way, you won’t need to top it off with a sunscreen.

Flaunt a Body That Looks Smooth and Silky Soft With Nubi

While body lotions, body creams, and body butters all work to moisturize the body, they do so in different ways with different ingredients, making it important to pick the product that best suits your skin. Once you’ve decided on which your skin needs, go with one of Nubi’s formulas so that you can rest assured that you’re pampering your skin with nothing but the finest of ingredients.

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