What Is the Difference Between Lotion and Body Butter?

Name: WOW Skin Science
Brand: WOW Skin Science
Rating: 5 (42257 reviews)

March 26, 2021

5 mins

Andela Patrnogic

Body butter vs body lotion... What is the real difference? Read which product is the best fit for your skin type.

Moisturizing is an essential, yet often skipped step in any skincare routine. We say skincare because your body is exactly that - skin! It may not seem as important, but your skin is your largest organ, and works hard to protect it from outside irritants all day, every day.

It's time to treat your skin with the last step of an ideal skincare routine, moisturizer! Depending on your skin type and weather, you can go for different types of moisturizers specifically made to replenish the body. Get glowing with this handy body lotion vs body butter guide!

What Is My Skin Type?

Your skin is your largest organ and biggest protection against outside irritants, so it can quickly adapt to changes in weather, hormones, and your skin type (yes, your skin type can change!) Boost your beauty routine by using products tailored to your skin needs. Here are some key points to help you figure out your skin type:

If you have tight, itchy, and flaky skin, then you might have dry skin. This means that your skin naturally doesn’t produce enough moisture due to genetics, weather, hormones, and/or stress. On your body, this might manifest by being dry and flakey on parts of our body like arms, legs, etc. Combat this by treating your skin with hydrating ingredients like aloe vera, shea, and cocoa butters that nourish, and help retain moisture to keep skin hydrated and soft for longer.
If you have greasy and sticky skin that’s prone to breakouts, then you might have oily skin. This means that your skin is overproducing sebum (skin’s natural oils) that can clog your pores, leading to pesky pimples and dark spots scarring. You will need to combat this excess sebum by using body washes that gently cleanse, and rehydrate your skin with moisturizing products to promote balanced skin. Drying your skin out with harsh products will only encourage oil production! The same goes for your body, even if there isn’t as much of a sheen, you can still have oilier skin on the rest of your body.
If you consistently deal with redness and irritation, then you may have sensitive skin. People with this kind of skin don’t react well to certain skincare products that contain harsh chemicals or ingredients they’re allergic to. Having sensitive skin usually manifests through rashes and other kinds of skin conditions. For you all, it’s best to stick with gentle and natural products to soothe your sensitive skin rather than irritate it, and skin barrier strengthening ingredients like Pro-Vitamin B5, Moroccan Argan Oil, Vitamin C to repair and fight free radical damage. Find what your skin likes and stick to it. Less is best!

When you figure out what kind of skin type you have, it brings so much clarity in terms of what products to use! Now, let's break down what moisturizing options are out there to soothe and nourish all skin types.

Lotions vs. Butters

It can be overwhelming to choose the right moisturizer for your body’s skin. There are two main products that you can use - body lotions and body butters. The biggest difference between the two is that the lotions are a much lighter consistency, and body butters are thicker and longer lasting. Let's break it down!

Body Lotion for All Skin Types

For everyday lightweight hydration, body lotions are a great option for slightly dry, normal, combination, and oily skin types. It provides moisture without being too heavy, sticky, or greasy on the skin.

If you're new to the body moisturizing game, lotions are a great place to start because the thinner consistency is easier to blend into the skin, and provides a lightweight hydration that you can barely feel. If you hate the feeling of lotion on your body, and have issues with moisturizer not fully absorbing into the skin (leaving white streaks for a long time), then try out our body lotions!

Shea & Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Lotion is plant-powered by Shea butter to nourish and retain skin's moisture, cocoa butter to improve skin elasticity, and argan oil to soothe and soften the skin. This deep hydration formula delivers intense moisture with fast-absorption.
Coconut Milk & Argan Oil Lotion features argan oil to soften and retain skin's moisture, plus nourishing coconut milk to soothe and hydrate. It delivers medium hydration, meaning it nourishes without leaving a heavy feeling on the skin.

Moisturizing Body Butters

WOW Skin Science has body butters for all skin concerns, made with a beautiful blend of shea butter, sweet almond oil, and aloe vera extract. These nourishing botanicals deliver deep hydration to soothe, soften the skin and retain moisture. Body butters are thicker, meaning it seal's in skin's moisture for long lasting hydration, making this a good body moisturizer for dry skin. Check out our body butters for anti-aging, and soothing extremely dry and sensitive skin:

Sensitive Skin

WOW Skin Science Body Butter Nargis features raw nargis extract to help soothe sensitive skin.
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Banana Pulp has, you guessed it, banana pulp extract, which helps repair, soften, and strengthen your moisture barrier to protect against outside irritants.
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Himalayan Rose features floral rose water to soothe, hydrate, and smooth uneven skin texture.

Anti-Aging

WOW Skin Science Body Butter Citrus features orange essential oil to protect against free radicals, and fight signs of aging. Mandarin essential oil helps promote collagen production and brighten for an even skin tone. Lime essential oil helps repair damaged skin for holistic skin healing, and a mood-boosting scent!
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Arabica Coffee & Cocoa is one of the best energizing body butters that boosts blood circulation from coffee extract for a radiant glow!
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Vitamin E features rejuvenating vitamin e nourish, repair damage, and smooth skin texture.
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Moringa is infused with magical moringa, which absorbs easily to boost skin's radiance and give you a gorgeous glow. It is rich in nutrients like vitamin A (retinol), which helps renew and boost collagen production, vitamin C to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles, plus vitamin E to help repair skin damage and restore natural radiance.
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Stretch Care is our unique formula to tackle stretch marks and scars! Plant-powered by lavender essential oil to soothe the skin, sea buckthorn oil to renew and smooth skin texture, plus rosehip and calendula oil to brighten dark spots + scars, while strengthening skin structure for more resilient, firm, and clear skin support.

Dry Skin

WOW Skin Science Body Butter Rich Olive features extra virgin olive oil to protect, nourish, and hydrate your skin.
WOW Skin Science Body Butter Mango is infused with scrumptious mango seed butter to help revive skin from its damaged state.

Body Oil

One last option for moisturizing your body is our Thai Massage Oil! If you really hate the feeling of product on your skin, this nourishing oil will sink in quickly and leave long lasting moisture. Oils are a great way to hydrate oilier (to promote balance) or more textured skin rather than dry or normal skin types!

Pro-Tips to Keep in Mind

While what kind of body moisturizer you end up using is a very personal choice, there are some basics to applying these moisturizers so you can make the most of these dream creams.

The first pro-tip is to always choose a moisturizer that doesn’t sit on top of your skin after application. This can depend on what kind of skin type you have and what your body best absorbs-- butters, lotions or oils.
A pro-tip you may not think of when it comes to moisturizing, is to exfoliate first! Depending on your skin type, you can exfoliate around 1-2x a week with our Ubtan Face & Body Scrub to remove the top layer of dead skin cells, and help your skin properly absorb any lotion, body butter, or oil that you apply topically. This will help penetrate the hydration further into your skin layers for longer lasting moisture.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is to apply these products to your skin when it's slightly damp. This means that after you shower, you should be applying moisturizers directly onto damp skin. These kind of products are made to seal in moisture that is already there, so drying your skin off will mitigate its moisture sealing affects. A good idea is to keep your body moisturizer in your shower so that you can apply it quickly after you bathe!

All in all, it is very important to understand how your skin reacts to different kinds of products; what kind of treatment are you looking for-- to brighten up skin, to ultra-moisturize, to lighten stretch marks, etc.; and how to get the most out of using this product through remembering application basics. Body lotions, butters, and oils all have their own unique benefits and ways to be used, it is ultimately up to you to figure out what it is that you want to achieve. Good luck!

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