SKIN CARE DIARIES: Body Lotion vs Body Cream

by - October 08, 2019

I don't know about you, but for me summer is a time when I can be a little bit more devil-may-care about my skin care because the warmer weather and the higher humidity tends to be great for my skin type. However, as the seasons change and we find the temperatures dropping and the weather getting a little bit more unpredictable, I know that my skin tends to go through a bit of a period of chaos, especially the skin on my body that has been a little bit neglected and left to its own devices all summer. I like to think I'm pretty good at caring for the skin everywhere other than my face than I used to be, but I started noticing that I use both lotion and cream in different ways at different times, so I thought now was a good time to get into the difference between lotion and cream and how to choose the right product for your needs. 

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I decided to feature the two products that I personally reach for on a daily basis for this post because... they're what I personally use and honestly what I would really recommend if you're looking for effective products that are pretty well suited to pretty much anyone. CeraVe products are obviously a staple in my routine (as you may know if you follow this blog) but the products I reach for the most consistently are the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Lotion. Both contain ceramides, of course, to help maintain your skin's barrier, as well as hyaluronic acid which acts as a humectant to draw and hold hydration into the skin. 

I actually have a tub of the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream* on my nightstand. It's available with a pump top - which I highly, highly recommend picking up. It's a couple bucks more at the drugstore, but it makes a huge difference when it comes to ease of use and the pump tub does come with a little bit more product. I tend to keep a bottle of the CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion* in the bathroom as well as on the shelf underneath my coffee table so that I can have it at hand to slather on when I'm just sitting on the couch watching TV. I'm a little bit obsessive with keeping my hands hydrated, so I tend to keep pump bottles of CeraVe lotion in the places that I tend to be sitting still so I can just massage them in whenever it occurs to me. 

Left: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Right: CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

Ultimately, lotions and creams do serve the same purpose. Both are used to keep skin moisturized, keeping it soft and preventing it from getting dry and cracked. The really difference is in the viscosity based on the ratio of water to oil in the formula, which means that though they're for the same thing, one can be preferable to the other based on skin type, body part, skin concern, and just personal taste. 

Body lotion has a higher water content than body cream, which makes it less viscous. Ultimately, because the oil is the moisturizing component of the formula, lotions aren't going to be as moisturizing but they will absorb more quickly and feel less greasy on the skin. Personally, I definitely use lotion on my hands throughout the day, keeping them hydrated with a formula that isn't going to make them greasy and render me incapable of doing things like turning a doorknob. I also like to use a lotion when I get out of the shower while my skin is still wet. This is actually a really good tip if you struggle with dry skin on your body. While your skin is still damp, you can actually trap that hydration in the skin by creating a barrier on your skin, which helps to reduce trans-epidermal water loss. Honestly, just pat your skin with a towel so that you're not straight up dripping and then just slather your body in lotion. It can feel a little bit weird and slimy at first, I'll admit, but trust me, your skin will be super soft and hydrated until your next shower and that's so very worth it. 

Body cream is much heavier and more viscous owing to the higher oil content - generally a ratio of 50/50 water to oil. Because oil is what's actually moisturizing your skin, this means that a body cream is going to pack more punch and really help with those stubborn dry areas but is going to feel heavier on the skin and leave behind a greasier feel. (However, I do find that the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream does tend to sink in more quickly than a lot of other creams I've tried and doesn't render me completely useless after I apply it.) For me, body cream is what I use before bed to almost give my skin an overnight treatment. I like to rub it into my hands, feet and elbows to really make sure that those areas don't get dry and cracked. I also quite like to use body cream in the winter on my legs,  because I find that the dryness of the air can really make my skin feel itchy and uncomfortable if I don't amp up the moisture a little bit more during those months. Honestly, I feel like for those stubborn areas a cream like this one can be great for anyone, but if you have dry to very dry skin this will probably feel a bit like a miracle product. 

So what's the takeaway here? I personally think that both lotion and cream are beneficial to have in your routine regardless of skin type and it's just a matter of when and how you use the products that will allow you to get the most out of them. If you do suffer with very dry skin, it's probably worth it to invest in a really rich cream like this CeraVe one and just use it all the time to just really maintain that hydration. But for most of us, I think that a good rule of thumb is to spend the days with your lotion and the nights with your cream. And, like I said, I really think that you can't go wrong with the CeraVe Moisturizing products, especially people with sensitive or eczema prone skin who might struggle with finding a product that isn't irritating.

I hope that I offered some good insight into what type of product to choose and maybe some good tips that can help you maintain healthy, hydrated skin as the days start to get colder!

Thanks for reading!

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