Stop! Before you reach for the wrong jar or tube or bottle, know the difference between your most loved moisturizing and skin care products. All products for skincare are not created equally. For example, there are several basic types of skin care products: body butter, lotion, and body oil. Not one can claim ‘best in class’, however. The reason being is that they are each geared toward differing skin needs.
Viscosity Plays a Big Role
The thickness, or viscosity, of those three skincare products has a lot to do with how and where you use them. The richest and thickest is body butter. In the middle is lotion. And at the lightest end is body oil. When applied to your skin, they each feel very differently. Now let’s really take them apart and look at them individually.
Body Butter – Highest Viscosity
Body butters are best at locking in moisture. They give your skin a protective barrier that is the strongest possible. They’re also referred to as being the most occlusive. They are most beneficial on skin that is considered delicate or dry. Body butters are also useful in dry climates because the skin loses moisture so rapidly. In winter months, when mother nature can leave your skin dry and cracked, this is the time when body butter really shines. The top, and most beneficial body butters are typically mango, cocoa butter, and shea.
In addition to being good for your skin, body butters also carry added benefits exclusive to the plant from which they are derived. For example, cocoa butter not only helps protect against metabolic and environmental toxins, it can help the body resist free radical damage, promote cardiovascular health, and may even lessen the chance of some cancers.
In the Middle – Body Lotion
For people that lean more toward oily skin, or skin that isn’t as dry as others, lotion works purely for moisturizing. Particularly in humid seasons or climates, you want to use something that won’t sit on your skin, but is absorbed quickly. Body lotions are perfect for this purpose. Any number of people have begun creating their own lotions through the use of body butters, essential oils, and carrier oils.
Body Oil – The Lightest
And finally, at the lightest viscosity, are body oils. You may hear them referred to as being emollient. This means that they nourish and soften the skin. They’re easily absorbed because they closely mirror our skin’s natural oils. They can, however, cause breakouts in certain individuals, because they are not water-based. Ergo the word “oil”. Skin oils, in general, don’t usually clog pores. They’re easily absorbed. Unless, of course, you are acne prone. In this case, anywhere on your back, chest, or face (that is prone to acne breakouts) should avoid oil. Even if it’s supposed to be beneficial, as in this case. Body oils are best used when applied after a bath or shower on damp, warm skin. They are also more geared toward people with rough, dry skin. In addition to being a skin care product, they are also used for massage treatments.
Plant Guru has numerous 100% natural products with which to create your own, custom-made lotions, oils, and butters for personal skincare. Our products are high-quality but affordable, and easily ordered online. See why more and more individuals are turning toward 100% natural essential oils, body butters, and carrier oils with which to improve their lives. Shop Plant Guru today.