Body Butters are one of our most popular goodies and our customers come back for more...but we get a lot of questions about why we also offer lotions...things that make you think...🤔
Aren't they the same thing?
Do I need a lotion too?
What *is* a body butter anyway?
Glad you asked :)
Body butter vs. lotion vs cream
The main difference between a true* body butter and a lotion is that body butter contains only oils and butters while a lotion or cream contains water that has been mixed into an emulsion.
So which do I want?
Well, it depends on what you are trying to achieve...
Body butters contain, only oils and butters, so they are heavier and thicker and feel more like a balm or a salve. They typically have a bit of a greasy initial feel to them, but because the fatty acid profiles of the ingredients we use closely match your own skin's, they soak in deeply and provide intensive, long lasting moisturization and are best suited for dry patches or chapped areas of the body like the elbows, hands, legs, feet. Because they do not contain any water, body butters are completely natural and preservative free.
✨Butters are excellent when applied at night before bed or just after stepping
out of a shower to lock in moisture. A little bit goes a long way.
✨Body butters that have been whipped may melt in very high temperatures (like in your car during the Summer or on a sunny windowsill), but this doesn’t impact their effectiveness- just their appearance.
Lotions, on the other hand, are water based. They are an emulsified mixture of butters, oils, waxes, water, and sometimes water-based botanical extracts plus a preservative to keep them from growing mold and bacteria when stored unrefrigerated🤢. The water in lotion formulations gives them a lighter, creamier, and faster absorbing texture.
✨Lotions are great to keep at your desk or in your purse for use throughout the day or to use over your whole body daily. Since they don’t leave your hands as oily feeling, they are perfect for active hands.
✨A cream is simply a lotion with a higher percentage of oils (less water) which makes it thicker and slower to absorb into skin, but longer lasting.
Note that manufacturers don't always follow the cosmetic dictionary rules...you will occasionally see products labeled “body butter” that are technically thick water containing emulsified lotions or creams. A true body butter does not contain any water or water-based ingredients.
So choose based on what you want for any given situation...long lasting and intensive vs. light and fast absorbing.
Which do you prefer? We love (and use) them both!
Get our intensive moistruizing body butters HERE
Get our every day hand and body lotion HERE