If your body lotion isn’t cutting it anymore and you still feel dry, it’s time to make the switch to body butter. Creams can be extremely lightweight and still leave a tight and unmoisturized feeling. They can absorb quickly into the skin, but that’s not always good.
What’s the difference between body butter and body lotion? Body butter is thicker in texture and can leave you feeling more nourished. It is also rich in nurturing ingredients, and when you slather body butter on, it feels thick and moisturizing.
Do body butters provide different benefits than a lotion? Absolutely! Body butters and lotions do have completely different components, even though their job is to leave the skin feeling moisturized, soft, and supple.
It all comes down to personal preference. If you are more oily or you don’t like the feeling of cream absorbing into your body, a body lotion may suit your needs better. However, if you crave a thick slather of solidified cream, body butter is the answer.
But what are the benefits of body butter? Body butter nourishes and moisturizes your skin. Depending on the type of body butter, there are other potential benefits, including improving skin’s elasticity, combating sun damage, and alleviating eczema and dermatitis.
For now, let’s cover all the information you need to know about implementing body butter into your routine. Body butters can provide various benefits and even leave your skin feeling soft as silk.
What Is Body Butter?
Body butters, according to Jergens, “are a thick cream typically made of cocoa, shea, or mango butter, and can even be infused with essential oils to protect from dryness and lock in moisture.” They are also available in a wide variety of different scents.
They are a whipped thick texture and will most likely not fall out of their container if held upside down. Body butters can also provide multiple other benefits and can even treat various skin conditions.
Body Butters can be used at any time in the day, but they are the most beneficial when used at night. They are the best to use for dry and cracked skin since they are heavier on the skin.
Types Of Body Butters
The most common types of butters that you will find in body butters are shea, cocoa, and mango butter, but there are much more than those three options. You can find hemp, olive, almond, kokum, babassu butters, and more.
So, if you strike out with one type of body butter, you can always opt for another. Not all body butters are created equally. Some contain essential oils. This is where your personal preference comes into play. Essential oils can be soothing or irritating.
It is highly recommended for those who have extremely sensitive skin to avoid body butter that contains essential oils or even fragrances. The reason why is that the word “fragrance” can encompass a wide variety of ingredients. Companies don’t have to disclose what ingredients make up the fragrance in their body butter.
However, certain scents and essential oils within various body butters can be soothing if your skin isn’t sensitive. Essential Oils like lavender can add a calming effect to your body butter that makes it even more luxurious to use, especially at night to help you sleep.
Body Butters that are completely raw and unrefined are also more likely to arrive in a solid, soap-like form. However, they are still easy enough to spread over dry and cracked areas of the skin.
Benefits Of Body Butter
Okay, we all know body butters are thicker in consistency and cater to those who have dehydrated skin or certain skin conditions. However, there are unknown uses and benefits of body butter that we can all potentially benefit from.
Each type of body butter can allow the skin to absorb an abundance of nutrients. Some are more potent in specific vitamins or minerals than others. Body butter can also vary depending on its hydrating and soothing properties.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa is an iconic ingredient that’s been used for thousands of years, whether it be in dessert, home remedies, cosmetics, and so much more. Everything and anything that is made with Cocoa is all derived from the same place.
We have to thank the cocoa bean for allowing us to create the most delicious and luxurious products on this earth. However, it can be hard to believe that the cocoa in your chocolate is derived from the same bean as in your body butter.
According to Healthline, “Cocoa has been used in medicine for around 3,000 years. Researchers have discovered that compounds called phytochemicals in Cocoa have the potential to keep skin and the body healthy.”
Potential benefits of using cocoa butter:
- Improve Elasticity Of The Skin
- Combat Sun Damage
- Alleviate Eczema and Dermatitis
- Minimize Stretch Marks
There is no doubt that cocoa butter is highly nourishing for the skin because it’s filled with fatty acids. We should thank these fatty acids for being the catalyst to achieving healthy and hydrated skin. However, how effective is cocoa butter for the skin?
Unfortunately, there is still little research regarding the exact benefits cocoa butter can provide, but there is no doubt that it makes your skin feel amazing. However, there have been studies that say certain skin conditions can benefit from cocoa butter.
Whether it can turn back time, prevent signs of aging, or treat wrinkles is still being heavily researched and debated. Regardless, it works wonders at hydrating the skin thanks to all the fatty acids found within cocoa butter. It’s rich in texture and smell as well.
Overall, cocoa butter can provide a radiant glow to the skin and improve the texture of dehydrated skin. It smells phenomenal and good enough to eat, and its thick texture will lock in moisture with ease. Your skin will definitely feel soft and supple.
Shea Butter
When you think of body butter, the first thing that comes to mind is probably shea butter. Shea butter is another ingredient that has been around for centuries and is native to the Western region of Africa.
Shea butter is packed with vitamins and fatty acids to provide a wide range of positive effects to the skin and body. It is the number one body butter to implement into your routine that has been around forever.
Shea butter has a long list of potential uses and benefits that can cover you from head to toe. Not only can shea butter be used for the skin, but it can benefit the hair as well. The number one purpose is to condition your skin.
Potential benefits of using shea butter:
- Promotes Cell Regeneration
- Soothes Skin Conditions
- Reduces Muscle Soreness and Arthritis
- Contains Antioxidant Components
- Antibacterial/AntiFungal/AntiIInflammation
These are just a few of the many reasons why shea butter is highly beneficial for us. You can slather it on the skin to obtain moisturizing properties, and you can apply it to the hair as a conditioner (depending on your hair type).
Healthline also states that Shea Butter contains the following components:
- Vitamins A, E, and F
- Triglycerides
- Cetyl Esters
- Fatty Acids (Linoleic, Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic)
Shea Butter is generally soothing to the skin and can be gentle enough to work with all skin types. There are no chemical components in Shea Butter that can irritate the skin. Shea Butter is a no-brainer product to always have on hand.
The consistency of shea butter is also ideal. The majority of the time, it arrives in a solid form; this makes it convenient to store and carry around. Most would think a solid doesn’t glide as well as liquid creams, but solid shea butter can be melted and applied effortlessly.
Overall, shea butter is the least sensitizing body butter on the market. This feature also makes it the most versatile body butter that can treat both the hair and skin. Shea butter is a superhero body butter that is even backed by countless studies.
Mango Butter
Mango butter can provide relatively the same benefits as shea and cocoa butter. They all work to hydrate the skin, protect the skin against sun damage, and improve the skin’s texture. But what makes mango butter different from the rest?
Mango butter is derived from the seed of a mango. There is no doubt that mango butter will feel incredible on your skin and leave you feeling supple and nourished. It’s also filled with various nutrients, fatty acids, and vitamins.
Mango Butter is also generally gentle, and it is not known to irritate the skin. Most people will be able to enjoy using mango butter without fear of it causing an allergic reaction. Not only is it beneficial for the skin, it can provide benefits to the hair too.
Potential benefits of using mango butter:
- Combats Sun Damage
- Reduces Scalp Irritation
- Treats Cracked Heels
- Minimizes Appearance of Fine Lines
- Non-Comedogenic
Mango Butter is also jam-packed with nutritional components. According to Healthline, “Mango Butter is filled with fiber and vitamins (A, B6, C, and E), and an amazing source of Calcium, Beta Carotene, and Potassium.” What’s not to love?
Mango butter is also rich and thick in texture; it’s often compared to the effect of cocoa butter. So if you aren’t a fan of one butter you can try out the other one. Either way, you will be guaranteed hydrated skin and a radiant glow from within.
It may be a common misconception, but mango butter can’t improve or treat acne and possibly even stretch marks. If you are looking to deal with acne-prone skin, shea butter will be a better option.
Mango butter is a fantastic butter to opt for if cocoa butter isn’t your thing. They both generally provide the same benefits, but surprisingly enough, mango butter has a less intense and invasive scent than cocoa butter. It’s perfect for minimal fragrance.
Best Body Butters On The Market
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shea Moisture 100% Raw Shea Butter | Pure, fair trade, cruelty-free |
| 2. | Sky Organics Pure Unrefined Raw Cocoa Butter | Raw and unrefined, sustainably-sourced |
| 3. | Better Shea Butter Store 100% Pure Mango Butter | Cruelty-free, solid bar, melts easily |
1. Shea Moisture 100% Raw Shea Butter
Shea Moisture is an extremely hyped cosmetic brand that is affordable and accessible.
A majority of people would agree that it is worth the hype. They are known for high-quality hair and skin care products, and luckily, you can even find them on Amazon.
This Shea Butter is made to give your entire body from head to toe a boost of hydration. This one from Shea Moisture, in particular, is filled with yummy ingredients like Vitamins A, E, and F, in addition to fatty acids and phytosterols.
Shea Moisture also claims that their Shea Butter is “ethically sourced from women’s cooperatives in Northern Ghana.” The production of Shea Butter can get messy, so it’s always wise to do a little extra research before purchasing any body butters.
Shea Butter usually arrives in a solid form, much like this one from Shea Moisture. It doesn’t have the same whipped, thick body cream texture like most mass produced body products. The texture will vary as well by brand.
Overall, Shea Butter will nourish the most dehydrated parts of the skin and hair to ensure they become quenched and revitalized. Shea Butter is versatile and used for multiple different purposes. Both you and your skin will fall in love with it.
2. Sky Organics Pure Unrefined Raw Cocoa Butter
When it comes to choosing Cocoa Butter, it’s important to find the one that is the least processed. Like any other body butter or lotion, it can become irritating quickly if a natural ingredient is formulated with chemicals that cause adverse effects.
This cocoa butter is raw and unrefined. It will provide intense moisture and hydration wherever your body needs it the most. Not only will it cater to the skin, this Cocoa Butter can potentially benefit the hair. The best of both worlds.
Don’t confuse this product with just any old regular whipped body butter. Sky Organics’s Cocoa Butter is 100% raw and sustainably sourced. Another plus is that it is both vegan and cruelty-free.
This is an all-purpose body butter that can tend to multiple concerns, and it can even be mixed with other raw body butters to formulate your perfect body butter elixir. It can even be used to develop other at-home beauty products.
This Cocoa Butter, in particular, will also arrive in a solid form like Shea. It will provide intense hydration to the skin and hair, and it can even potentially treat certain skin conditions. The smell is to die for, and you’ll have radiant and nourished skin.
3. Better Shea Butter Store 100% Pure Mango Butter
You can also opt for Mango Butter for whatever reason if you find yourself disappointed with Cocoa or Shea Butter. Mango Butter can provide very similar benefits to Cocoa and Shea Butter. It can be a tremendous alternative body butter in your routine.
This one, in particular, will moisturize dry skin, nourish cracked cuts or breaks on the skin, reduce inflammation, and it’s even non-comedogenic. As mentioned before, most raw forms of body butter come in a solidified state. This Mango Butter does too.
Thankfully, Mango Butter can also melt with ease, blends into the skin like a dream, and can even be mixed with other body butters or lotions. Surprisingly enough, the scent of Mango Butter can be milder than the scent of Cocoa Butter.
Mango Butter is also high in antioxidant properties and can supplement dry skin in seconds. In particular, the Better Shea Butter Store is 100% pure Mango Butter that is vegan and cruelty-free.
Up Next: 5 Best Rosacea Tinted Moisturizers
