What is Body Butter?
Learn how to use body butter to deeply nourish and moisturize your skin!
Types of Body Butter
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Body butter typically contains one of the following: cocoa butter, shea butter or mango butter. Here are some of the most important differences between these three ingredients:
- Cocoa Butter: This butter is high in Vitamin E and natural antioxidants that help hydrate and soothe your skin. Because it is so powerful, it is one of the most popular types of body butter.
- Shea Butter: Shea butter is made out of nuts from the African shea tree. It is high in Vitamins A and E and also contains fatty acids. It is a great option to keep your skin soft and moisturized all day long.
- Mango Butter: Like cocoa butter and shea butter, mango butter contains more fatty acids, making it one of the most useful moisturizers of the three. It is a natural emollient that can help you keep your skin soft and soothe it when irritated.
How to Use Body Butter
Another great quality of all body butters is that they are easy-to-use and serve many purposes. Read the following ideas for some inspiration as to how you can use them to achieve your personal skin goals!
- If you’re looking to relax, try a body butter infused with lavender. This type of body butter can help relax your senses while you drift off to sleep and deeply moisturize your skin overnight.
- Use body butter immediately after you shower to deeply moisturize your skin and prevent moisture loss. If you shave, applying body butter to your skin afterward can also help moisturize your skin and prevent dryness. Learn more about avoiding dry skin after showering here.
- If you experience dryness on common trouble spots—examples include elbows, knees, and ankles—regularly apply body butter to these areas. This can help to improve your skin's texture and prevent future dryness.
- Are you pregnant? Apply body butter to keep your skin moisturized and reduce the chances of getting stretch marks throughout your pregnancy.
- For fresh and luxurious moisturizing for your skin, try a body butter infused with rose essence.
- If you have very dry hands or feet, use body butter as an overnight treatment to help improve your skin overnight. To do so, apply a thick layer of body butter to your hands and feet. Then, cover them with gloves or socks to prevent the moisturizer from rubbing off. Remove your gloves or socks in the morning and rinse off any excess product that is left over.
- If you spend a day outdoors, apply body butter after your fun day in the sun is over. This can help you to avoid dryness from everyday exposure to the outdoors. For an invigorating boost, try a citrus body butter that may remind you of summer.
- Are you prone to acne or breakouts? Avoid using body butter on your face in either of these cases. Since body butter tends to be very thick, it can clog your pores if you have acne-prone skin.
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Body Butter vs Lotion
At this point, you may be asking yourself a very understandable question: "what is so special about body butter?" On the surface, it may seem to be the same thing as body lotion. In reality, there are quite a few differences between the two, including the following examples:
- Body butter is thicker than lotion. This makes it great for deep moisturization.
- Since body butter is a heavier product, it's a great choice to use right before bed or during a relaxing spa day. On the other hand, lotion is more effective as a long-lasting daily moisturizer.
- Body butter tends to contain thick butters and oils—such as shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter—compared to lotion.
- Lotion tends to have a lighter formula, so it's great for daytime use. Since it is a lighter product, you may need to apply it more times throughout the day than you would with body butter.
- Lotion tends to contain more water and less oil than body butter contains. This is why lotion tends to be a lighter formula that absorbs faster.
Key Takeaways
- Body butter is a thick cream that is deeply moisturizing. It can help you protect your skin from dryness as well as rough or patchy skin.
- Body butter typically contains a combination of naturally derived butters like cocoa butter, shea butter, or mango butter.
- Body butter is thicker than lotion, making it great for nighttime application. Since lotion is lighter than body butter, you may prefer it for daily use.
