Written by OSEA Staff | Published on: July 25, 2024
Between body oils, lotions, butters, and balms, it seems like there are countless skincare products made to keep you moisturized. But how are you supposed to use these products? Can they be layered? Are they suitable year-round?
Say goodbye to dry, flaky skin and hello to a nourished, supple barrier. Below, we’ll explore the advantages of using body oil, balm, lotion, and butter, when they’re most useful, and what ingredients deliver the best results.
The Different Benefits of Body Oil, Balm, Lotion, and Butter
What Makes These Products Different?
Whether you’re applying body lotion or oil, it’s best to know what benefits these products offer so that you can get the most out of your moisturizer. All of these products contribute to improved hydration, but they do so in different ways:
- Body Lotion: Body lotion is a lightweight product with a fairly thin consistency. Its lightness allows it to sink into the skin more quickly, leading to faster results for dry skin. Body lotions are water-based, so they are easy to spread and effective at drawing moisture into your skin.
- Body Oil: Oils are lightweight and penetrate the skin quickly, although not as quickly as lotions. Their primary advantage is creating a barrier over your skin’s natural moisture barrier to prevent water loss.
- Body Butter: Body butter has a thicker, creamier consistency and an oil-based formula. It is meant to penetrate the skin more thoroughly, nourishing and hydrating deeper layers of the skin. Body butter provides soothing, rich hydration while supporting your natural moisture barrier.
- Body Balm: The thickest of these skincare products is body balm. Balms act as a skin protectant and barrier that locks in moisture while deeply hydrating your skin.
When Should You Use These Products?
While skincare products can generally be used whenever you need them, some have different formulas and benefits that can be helpful to use based on seasonality. Body lotion is best used for combating seasonal dryness or quickly moisturizing parched skin in hot, humid climates.
Cool climates also call for specific needs. For mature skin, or dry skin year-round, opt for thicker body butters and oils that can reintroduce moisture to your skin and support the moisture barrier. Our Anti-Aging Body Balm is specially formulated to soften, firm, and hydrate skin with ingredients like coconut oil and passion fruit seed oil. This balm smooths out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving your skin glowing.
What Ingredients Should You Look For?
The most effective skincare products are rich in vitamins and minerals and utilize skin-friendly, naturally-derived ingredients. For lotions, look for formulas containing hyaluronic acid for attracting and maintaining moisture, ceramides for strengthening the moisture barrier, and white lupin for visibly contouring, firming and improving skin elasticity. Our Undaria Algae™ Body Lotion is a lightweight, hydrating lotion packed with hyaluronic acid, peptide and replenishing Undaria seaweed for instant hydration.
There are many oils you can use to obtain soft skin. Our Undaria Algae™ Body Oil is packed with a refreshing botanical oil blend of passion fruit seed, rice bran, acai, and babassu oils, as well as sunflower seed, sesame seed, and grapefruit peel oil. This rich, but never greasy natural blend relieves dry skin for a firmer, more toned look.
When it comes to body butter, shea butter is king. This ultra-hydrating ingredient melts into your skin for lasting hydration. Our Undaria Algae™ Body Butter, formulated with whipped shea butter and ceramides, is clinically proven to provide 72 hours of hydration*. Transform dry, cracked skin into silky, youthful, and healthy-looking.
Your body balms should contain many of the same ingredients as body butter and oil. Look for ingredients such as coconut oil, passion fruit seed oil, and safflower seed oil. The Anti-Aging Body Balm contains these nourishing and moisture-holding ingredients, as well as Alaria Esculenta Seaweed, which helps make skin appear more elastic and firm.
At OSEA, we take pride in formulating all of our products with safe, vegan, cruelty-free, and scientifically formulated ingredients. You can trust that our skincare products are free of harmful ingredients like parabens and synthetic fragrances for effective, evidence-based hydration.
*Based on a third-party consumer perception & clinical study conducted over 4 weeks on 32 women ages 37-65.
