Body Oil vs. Lotion

When it comes to beauty routines, the skincare regimen is the most important.

The care and keeping of your skin will not only support and elevate your overall appearance and make you feel amazing, but it will also help keep your skin – the largest and one of the most significant organs – healthy and effectively functioning as your protective shield.

So, how can you best support your skin?

With so many thoughts centered on the body oil vs. lotion discussion, it can be hard to really know which route will deliver the hydration, nutrients, and care your skin deserves.

Which Is Best for You?

When determining whether body oil or body lotion will be a part of your skincare routine, it ultimately comes down to personal preference. But it’s important to evaluate both products and really understand which is best for your skin.

Lotion for Body

Lotions are mostly composed of an oil and water mixture – with most lotions consisting of over 50 percent water – and a waxy substance called an emulsifier.

Almost all lotions are great at penetrating the surface of the skin to deliver and help the skin maintain moisture. However, because of this, most lotions – unlike oils and some creams – are not great at absorbing into the skin right after a shower. (If you have tried to lather on lotion after a nice warm shower, only to be left feeling annoyed and uncomfortable because you had to wait several minutes for the lotion to absorb before putting on your clothes, you completely understand this.)

Lotions are loved because of their creamy texture and their ability to hydrate the upper layers of skin – soothing dry skin in between showers.

Keep in mind that not all lotions are created equal or with the safest ingredients.

• Some skin experts warn against ‘phantom’ ingredients that can expose your skin to harmful substances and dry out your skin more than hydrate it.
• The emulsifier – the component that keeps the oil and water bonded together – is usually a lab-manufactured chemical.
• Lotions usually contain preservatives to prevent bacteria and mold from growing on near the water molecules. While most brands are not using parabens anymore, several preservatives can still be highly-allergenic.

Overall, a lotion can be a beneficial component to any skincare routine, but understanding the ingredients and how your skin reacts is the most important factor in deciding if lotion should be your go-to product or not.

Oil for Body

Body oils are made of other oils and do not require the addition of water, an emulsifier, or preservatives.

Body oils are effective at sealing in moisture after your skin has absorbed water from a shower.

Since body oils are a natural skincare product, they absorb quickly because they mimic the natural lipids found in our skin. Research has shown that this similarity in structure encourages our top layers of skin to treat the body oils as their own – prompting quicker repairs to the skin’s moisture barrier and more efficient oil production.¹

Body oils aren’t without their cautions, however.

• Some commercial body oils can still contain harmful, toxic ingredients. Before you buy any skincare product, it should be best practice to read the label and only invest in products that are made with fewer, better ingredients.
• Most body oils get their scents from pure essential oils, but you should beware of body oils that contain citrus oils like lemon and grapefruit. When exposed to UV light, these oils can cause burns.
• A good to know tip: Even though body oils don’t need preservatives, they should contain an antioxidant, like vitamin E, to prevent rancidity and increase shelf life.

Body Oil Uses

They may be growing in popularity now, but body oils have been a skincare favorite for centuries. From Cleopatra to Marie Antonette, and millions of women throughout history and modern times, body oil is/was the source of soft, healthy, supple skin that also delivers a wide-array of other uses, such as:

• Stretch mark prevention and reduction
• Massage oil
• Bath oil
• Lip moisturizer
• Cheekbone highlighter
• Split end and frizzy hair treatment
• Manicures (soften cuticles)
• Pedicures (cure dry, cracked feet)
• Much more

Want to Give Body Oil a Try? Discover a Breakthrough Body Oil Infused with Gotu Kola

Offering an effective alternative and more multifaceted product than over-the-counter lotions and moisturizers, ReTone Body Oil is a complete formula combining a fusion of essential oils, vitamins, and Gotu Kola to reach beneath your skin and support strength, elasticity and firmness.

Gotu Kola – known as the herb of longevity – has some of the most amazing skin rejuvenating properties and is proven to boost antioxidant activity, support collagen production, increase blood circulation, and prevent swelling.

While ReTone Body Oil is acclaimed for its ability to fight aging, maintain a youthful glow, and breathe free without a greasy residue, this quick absorbing body oil can also prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks and scars.

Above all, ReTone Body Oil is made with your utmost safety in mind. Composed of naturally occurring substances, and never containing any artificial coloring or mineral oils, it will leave your skin feeling clean, balanced, protected, and bright.

Resource:

¹COSSMA. Cosmetic Oils in comparison: penetration and occlusion of paraffin oil and vegetable oils. Accessed October 6, 2018.
https://www.probotanic.com/pdf_istrazivanja/ulje_jojobe/Primena%20biljnih%20ulja%20u%20kozmetici.pdf.