I seem to get asked this questions at most craft fairs I attend. I like explain body butter this way: Think of body butter as a thicker, super-strength lotion. A little body butter goes a long way. While it is true that lotions and body butters can share many of the same ingredients, the major difference is water. Body butter has no water added to it, so you applying only the oils. These concentrated oils are very effective at moisturizing stubborn areas that are severely dried out (feet, elbows, cracked hands, and patches of eczema). Also because body butter has no water, it does not require any chemical preservatives and lasts a long time in comparison to lotions.
One example is our basic lavender body butter, it contain two main butters:
- Shea butter aids in skin elasticity which reduces wrinkles and blemishes due to collagen it contains. It is also high in vitamins a, e and f and contains essential fatty acids.
- Mango butter moisturizes your skin while providing beneficial vitamins. It is especially helpful for people suffering from skin disorders like psoriasis & eczema. We use it for both in our house.
*Our body butters are formulated to have ultra-moisturizing properties without leaving your skin feeling sticky or oily.
Why the strange name “Body Butter”?
The “butter” in its name has two origins. First, more often than not it may contain a butter as an ingredient (not dairy butter) but Shea, cocoa, mango, almond, and many more butters. Each of these have different properties that benefit your skin so chose one for your appropriate need. Secondly, it contains thicker oils or butters that solidify at room temperature. Once applied to your skin, they warm and start to melt like butter (see the image above).
What are benefits of using it?
There are several different reasons to use body butter. First and foremost, it is very effective at combating stubborn dry areas or soothing skin irritation/itching from eczema. It coats and seeps into your skin locking up the moisture and prevent skin cracking and pain. This becomes more important as people age and during dry seasons like winter. Nothing helps fight dry cracking skin better than our all natural body butter!
Secondly, body butter also has a large amount of vitamins and minerals that feed your skin to keep it healthy and looking great. This includes adding elasticity to skin to prevent wrinkles, vitamins that help heal/protect your skin, and also some SPF protection (SPF 6-10) if Shea butter is used.
Lastly, it can be made at home with natural oils and butters to avoid store-bought creams which contain chemicals, artificial fragrances, and preservatives.
How to use body butter?
The main use is for moisturizing skin. Just apply to problem patches or over large sections of body. Remember that it is thicker than lotion and will cover more area than same amount of lotion. The best time to apply it is right after the shower to capture the most amount of moisture in your skin. But I prefer to use it after I am dried off so I can get a better idea of which areas need it the most. One note: avoid using it large amounts on your face because ingredients may trigger acne for those with oily complexions.
Other uses for body butter include:
- Protecting/moisturizing your cuticles
- Helping restore damaged hair
- Soothing shaved legs
- Massage butter
- Treating chaffed nosed (caused from too much nose blowing when you have a cold).
If you are looking for some high quality body butter, click here to give ours a try.
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