Body Butter Vs Body Lotion

When it comes to keeping my body moisturised, I find myself unable to stay loyal to one brand or formula. And with some many different products on the market I find myself constantly asking what's better Body Butter or Body Lotion? And what is the difference between the two. So today I'd thought I'd compare my body butters against my body lotions and see which ones make a difference and if the difference in formula is noticeable or not.

If like me you get confused between the two, I'm going to explain it for you. Body Butters come in tubs instead of bottles and are thicker in consistency than a lotion. It's the main reason they don't come in tubes or bottles; they're just to thick to pump/squeeze out. And whilst it's no different to a using a lotion the fact that you have to put your fingers inside the pot to get it out can be quite annoying. It's annoying not because we're lazy but because it means we get it all up our nails and once it's there it's ridiculously hard to get rid. You can gurantee that you'll still be scraping it out from under your nails a good couple of hours afterwards.

Now Body Lotions are a lot thinner in consistency and do come in tubes or bottles more often than not. Because they are thinner, a lot of people think they don't give the skin as much moisture as a body butter does. They do, you just need to know when your skin needs a body butter or a lotion. I always use a butter in the autumn/winter months as that's when my skin gets drier and you may notice this as well. A lot of it is the weather but other factors include extra clothing, lack of sunshine and central heating. That's why when it gets to September, I break out the body butters. And then in the spring/summer I move onto to lotions as they are lighter and my skin doesn't need them as much as my skin has improved.

Now when it comes to choosing the right body butter, it's all about your skins needs. If you have dry skin, look for one aimed at dry skin. If you have sensitive skin then a sensitive one is what you need. Or if you're like me and just want skin to be moisturised then you can use most. My two favourites are the Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter and Superdrug's Own Brand Cherry and Macdamia Butter. I always thought the Righteous Butter was quite thick in consistency but the Superdrug Body Butter is even thicker, almost solid in the tub. They both take quite a while to soak into the skin which is why I only use it when I feel my skin needs it the most. If you don't like the idea of using something like this in the morning then I'd recommend a lotion in the morning and a butter just before you're getting into bed as it gives it a good chance of soaking in and not transferring everything.

And that leads me onto body lotions. As I said during the warmer months I love using the lotions as they are thinner in consistency and don't take forever to sink into the skin. As with butters you can buy ones to help with specific skin needs but as they are thinner these special formulas aren't always necessary. My two favourite lotions are the Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Lotion and The Palmer's Coconut Spray Lotion. The Garnier lotion is slightly thicker in consistency to some other lotions I've tried but then it's aimed at dry skin so a thicker formula is sometimes necessary. It smells absolutely divine but does take longer to sink into the skin yet again because it's aimed a drier skin. The Palmer's on the other hand is thin in consistency, sinks in quickly and smells like heaven. Plus it comes in a spray so it's definitely a quicker way to moisturise.

I find the Palmer's is best to use on my arms and the Garnier is better for my legs. I think it's because I'm always rubbing excess facial product on my hands/arms and occasionally excess hand cream. Whereas my legs are always covered whether I'm at work or at home and I think that dries them out quicker. The Garnier being thicker means that my legs get some proper nourishment and I always use this before bed so nothing gets wasted on trousers. The Palmer's being thinner means it sinks in quicker and is perfect for a quick spritz as you're getting ready in the morning.

Overall they're all good products and all do the same thing in the long run but have different consistency's and the occasional extra ingredient. And when it comes to purchasing one it's all about what you're body needs and personal preference.

Have any of you tried any of these? Do you have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments.