Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

What is the Difference Between Body Butter and Body Lotion

The key difference between body butter and body lotion is that body butter has a thicker and creamier consistency, whereas body lotion has a high water content and a more liquid consistency.

Both these skin care products help you to get smooth, hydrated skin by protecting it from dryness and long-term damage. The choice between a body butter and a body lotion depends on your skin’s needs. You can use body butter when the skin is drier than usual and body lotion for regular use.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Body Butter  
3. What is Body Lotion
4. Body Butter vs Body Lotion in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Body Butter vs Body Lotion

What is Body Butter?

Body butter is an intensely hydrating skin moisturizer. It is thicker and has thick moisturizers like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, macadamia, almond butter, and coconut oil. Some are even infused with essential oils. Because of their thickness, they are stored in jars from which you can scoop out the desired amount.

Body butter has special ingredients like emollients, which soften the skin, and humectants, which add moisture to the skin. This unique formula in body butter helps you to recover from dry or rough skin by creating a defensive barrier over the skin and locking in moisture, providing nourishment. They give you soft, smooth skin and also reduce excessive dryness in your elbows and knees. The moisture it provides makes the skin healthy-looking and luminous. Since body butter penetrates deep into the skin, they give you immense hydration. They also reduce the signs of ageing, scars, cellulite, wrinkles, and creases on your skin, plus they heal sunburns, eczema, and rashes.

You can apply body butter after you take a shower and pat dry your skin. Apply a generous scoop of body butter directly to your skin, paying special attention to your elbows, knees, hands, and feet. After that, massage it using firm strokes until it is fully absorbed. If one layer of body butter is not enough, you can always apply a second layer. It is best if you can apply this at night and leave it overnight. In this way, it will have more time to get soaked onto your skin well.

What is Body Lotion?

A body lotion is a moisturizer that can be used all over your body. Body lotions provide hydration and nourishment. Its purpose is to stop moisture from leaving the body and to absorb moisture so that the skin will remain soft, hydrated, glowy, and smooth. These lightweight body lotions are best for normal to oily skin so that there won’t be any excessive oily feeling. Other than hydration, body lotions also soften your skin and prevent itchiness and calluses. They also help you to smell good and stay fresh all day long.

Body lotions should be applied just after taking a shower when your skin is damp. Take a small amount of body lotion to your hands and rub it between your palms to warm it up. Then apply it on your skin using circular motions. For dry skin, you need to use a thick, creamy lotion with glycerin, refined petroleum, lanolin, and alpha hydroxy acids. A light body lotion is suitable for normal skin, while a light, non-greasy, and oil-free body lotion is suitable for oily skin. Some lotions may clog your pores and may cause allergies such as redness, itchiness, rashes, and breathing trouble due to synthetic chemicals and fragrances used.

What is the Difference Between Body Butter and Body Lotion?

The key difference between body butter and body lotion is that body butter has a thicker and creamier consistency, whereas body lotion has a high water content and a more liquid consistency. You can use body butter when the skin is drier than usual and body lotion for regular use.

The below infographic presents the differences between body butter and body lotion in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Body Butter vs Body Lotion

Body butter is an intensely hydrating skin moisturizer. It has a thick consistency, so it provides effective hydration. It is difficult to apply on the skin and not fast absorbing because of its low water content. A body lotion is a moisturizer that can be used all over your body. It has a thin consistency, so it’s easy to apply and absorb onto the skin. It also has less possibility of clogging your pores, unlike body butter. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between body butter and body lotion.

Reference:

1. “12 Amazing Benefits of Body Butter for Dry Skin.” We Heart This.
2. “Top Tips On How To Use Body Lotion.” Nivea.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Woman taking cosmetic product from container” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Person Pouring Plastic Tube Bottle” (CC0) via Pexels