In this blog, we have talked about the tips and benefits of keeping our face protected with face moisturizers. Now we will talk about body moisturisers, as they are equally important. It helps protects our skin from the variety of environmental factors we are exposed to daily. Although body skins are less likely going to be sensitive, it is actually dryer than the face. You might have noticed on many occasions, such as the change of season, after a hot shower, after swimming or sunbathing your body skin starts to feel rough, flaky, and itchy. This is because your body skin is thicker, and the size of the skin cells is bigger too. Skin cells act as a barrier, smaller skin cells mean there are fewer routes for chemicals or water to enter and exit. Thicker skin means it takes more for products to sink in and hydrate. As a result, we might realise that our body skin is less likely going to be sensitive to products but is often dryer than the skin on our face.
There are many reasons that contribute to dry skin, such as age, genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyles. While age and genetics are out of our control others can be controlled. For example, try to reduce the times of turning on the heater or have it blow right at your body during winter, as it will dry out your skin quickly. During hot summer days, turning on the AC will also dry out your skin. You can try placing a glass of water beside yourself to reduce the water from your body being pulled away. Drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated and consume a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables. Try reducing your alcohol consumption and avoid smoking. Also try not to take hot steamy showers, as a hot bath does dry your skin out quickly. Here are some of the basics, what is more, important is applying moisturisers and keeping them hydrated.
It is best to apply body moisturiser at least twice a day, but unlike face moisturiser, you can apply it as many times as you want throughout the day to keep it moist. Our skin especially on our arms and legs does dry out quite quickly as they are exposed to the environment more, so it is normal to feel dry during the day. If that is the case, apply moisturizers and keep them hydrated. However, like face moisturisers or any other skincare products, there is no such thing as one size fits all. Your skin conditions or due to external environmental factors, your body skin might have different levels of dryness and therefore you will need to apply different products to solve the problem. Body moisturiser there are 3 different types:
1/ Body Lotion
Body lotions are formulated with mostly water and some oil, making them the best fit for all skin types. It moisturizes oily skin perfectly but if you have dry skin, it may not moisture your skin as well as body cream or body butter. Body lotions contain vitamin E and essential fatty acids that keep you hydrated while protecting your natural skin barrier. Due to its high water content, it absorbs into your skin quickly, therefore for the best result, it is advised to apply it after the shower.
2/ Body Cream
The body cream is like body lotion, which is made up of water and oil, but it is thicker than body lotion as the proportion of oil is higher. If your skin is dry and flaky, body cream will be a better option than body lotion. As the oil ratio is higher, it takes a longer time for the cream to be absorbed into the skin, in general, it will take around half an hour for it to sink in.
3/ Body Butter
Body butter is the thickest formulation of body moisturizers. The main difference between body butter and body lotion or cream is that it is formulated with little water only. Instead, it is packed with oils, butter and other hydrating ingredients to lock in moisture by creating a protective barrier on the dermis. Carrier oils used can help carry the essential ingredients and deliver them to deeper layers of the skin. Essential butter that is with fats and minerals derived from natural ingredients that help provide long-lasting hydrations, boost collagen production, and firm skin while purifying it. Common essential butter is derived from cocoa, shea, palm, and mango. Due to its thickness, it will take a longer time for it to sink in, therefore it is best to do it before bedtime and leave it overnight for the best outcome.
Body lotion, cream and butter are formulated with different consistency and ingredients ratio. So it is best to choose one that fits your skin type. Moreover, due to climate changes, you might find our skin conditions changes so that you might be using different products across the year, and that is very normal. Body lotions work better in summer while creams and butter work best during winter. What works best for your skin will depend on how moist or dry your skins are. Although this is a general guide, it is not a must, it all depends on your skin condition. For mild dryness, body lotion should help fix the problem while for extremely dry skin you should go for butter. While body cream works well if your skin is neither moist nor bone dry.
[…] importance of body moisturizers and the differences between them has been discussed here. It is also important to know that for it to be beneficial, applying the right time and the right […]