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Lotion or Creams?
Body lotions and creams have long helped smooth, moisturize, and repair dry skin. But with so many products on the market, including butters and whips, how do you find the one that works for you? What’s the difference? And what’s best for your skin type?
Cream and lotion defined
It basically boils down to viscosity, or thickness. Simply put, lotions are lighter with more water content and less oil. Creams are heavier, with more oil content and less H20.
Then, there are body butters. These are on the thick end of the spectrum.
Body butter is a cream which includes shea, cocoa, mango, or palm butters. They’re generally a thick cream and may also include essential oils and other oils, such as coconut and avocado oils.
What’s better for hands
Suffering from dry skin on the hands is common. This can be due to daily habits, occupational duties, and increased contact with chemicals, such as washing detergents or household cleaning products.
Hands are also exposed to more frequent hand washing, which can cause dryness and roughness.
Thicker formulas, like creams or butters, can help counteract this by giving the skin more hydration.
What’s better for the face
For the face, a noncomedogenic preparation is key. Noncomedogenic means pores won’t get clogged, which is very important for the face, especially in folks who are acne prone.
Lotions work best on the face for all skin types. The exception is the lips, where butters are a great option. Their viscosity lends itself to that area.
Dry Skin
For dry skin, thicker formulas tend to be best. Depending on the level of dry skin you have, different products may do the trick.
If you have almost a normal skin or slightly dry skin, you can use a lotion. If you have medium dry skin, you can use a cream. And if you have very dry skin, you can use a body butter.
Many people with very dry skin or eczema will use a body butter, especially at night, so their skin can heal over the 8 hours when they sleep.
Body butter contains more oil, while lotion has the most water content. A good tip is to look for the term “non-greasy” on the label.
Combination Skin
When it comes to combo skin go with lotion. Whatever your skin type that light exfoliation is key to help the moisturizer penetrate the skin.
For Conditions
Lotions are generally not thick enough or contain too much water to be of benefit to those with eczema. Moisturizers show beneficial effects in reducing flares and severity of eczema.
Psoriasis
Moisturizers are believed to improve the effectiveness of treatment of psoriasis. Active ingredients, like vitamin E, help decrease severity. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.
Individualized solutions based on shared decision-making between health professionals and patients are important for successful psoriasis treatment.
Go for cream or ointment for psoriasis on the body. When it comes to psoriasis on the scalp, go for a lotion.
For acne, lotion, lotion, lotion. If you’re acne prone, creams would be too thick and likely occlude your pores, leading to further acne breakouts,” she says.
The only time I would say that someone shouldn’t use lotions, creams, or butters is on broken or damaged skin. In this case, ointments, which are petroleum-based, are best until the skin is healed.
Takeway
Lotions, creams, and butters all contain preservatives that can cause allergic and irritant reactions on broken or inflamed skin. On the other hand, ointments don’t.
Otherwise, everyone should apply a lotion, cream, or butter to help keep their skin moisturized and skin barrier healthy.
When it comes to moisturizing the skin, there are a lot of products out there. Lotions are on the thinnest end of the spectrum, butters are on the heavy side, and creams are right in the middle.
With a bit of trial and error, you can find the product combination that’s right for you. When in doubt, talk with a dermatologist.
Hydration Moisturising Cream | 75ml
Ideally formulated especially for the face as it is totally absorbed and will not block the pores of the skin. The Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Oil will both nourish and replenish the skin. It can also be applied to any other area of the body which is abnormally dry.
2. Hydra-Lac Body Lotion | 150ml
Hydra-Lac is a non-irritant, fragrance-free, non-greasy body lotion which is rapidly absorbed when applied. It contains an advanced formula for the treatment of problems associated with skin roughness and scaling. The 12 % Sodium Lactate not only hydrates but also retains skin moisture for prolonged periods, especially with over-exposed areas such as the arms and legs.
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