Wanting to hydrate your skin with a good moisturizer but confused on what to pick - a lotion or a cream? Most of you would have tried the internet to get these answers only to get bombarded by tons of moisturizing and hydrating products, leaving you more confused. In fact, some of you would assume them to be the same. Isn’t it? Well! let us ease this up a bit for you.

Although, both these skincare essentials primarily deal in moisturizing and hydrating your skin, they do have a significant difference; right from their ingredients to consistency, texture, intended use and much more. Ahead, in this article, we’ll be listing down some fundamental differences between lotion and creams. We will also be helping you choose the right one for your skin type in order to effectively hydrate it without having to clog your pores or cause unwanted greasy shine. So, read on to know the difference between body lotion and cream.

Our skin requires moisture round the clock. Be it lotion or cream, they fall under the category of moisturizers, meaning they are essentially aimed at supporting skin hydration and nourishment. Incorporating moisturizer in your daily skincare regimen and its application after bathing or facial cleansing can help support healthy hydration levels in all skin types, including oily skin. It helps retain moisture in the skin by creating a barrier against trans-epidermal water loss  or by drawing moisture up to the skin’s surface from deeper layers thereby acting as a humectant.

 Key differences between the Lotion and Cream:

Let’s dig deep into the main fundamental distinctions between the lotion and cream, in order to gain a better understanding.

Though both these products serve the purpose of moisturizing and hydrating your skin and are a blend of oil and water, there lies a difference between the percentage of oil and water used. Lotions have a high water percentage, whereas creams have a high oil percentage, thereby giving them a thicker consistency than lotion. Basically, lotion contains oil droplets mixed in the water while creams contain water droplets mixed in oil. So, this basic difference in their formulations,  in turn, results in its different consistencies.

 What is a lotion?

 Simply put, lotion is a moisturizer formulated with mainly water, plus oils and other hydrating ingredients. Because of their higher water content, lotions are considered lightweight, less viscous and not as occlusive as creams. This makes them readily and easily absorbable by the skin and their non greasy formulation makes them best suited for application in the heat, high humidity and sweaty environments. Moreover, lotions generally come in bottles because of their watery consistency, which makes it easy to squeeze them into hands. It is believed that it is best to moisturize our skin within a few minutes of getting out of shower to reap all the goodness and benefits it has to offer. Lotions often use alcohols, commonly Cetearyl alcohol, as an emulsifying agent in order to stabilize the oil and water components refraining them from separating. It also softens your skin and gives you a silky feel once rubbed in.

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What is a cream?

Like lotion, a cream is a mixture of oil and water, but with a higher oil concentration giving them a denser, thicker and rich consistency. This, in turn, creates a stronger skin barrier by moisturizing in order to repair and protect the top layer of our epidermis from damage caused by bacteria; and environmental stressors and free radicals. Creams are more occlusive when compared to lotions, meaning they lock in moisture and hydration well when compared to lotions and keep our skin supple. Due to their thicker and rich consistency, they usually come in jars or tubs, and not bottles for easy application. Creams make an ideal choice for use during the cold, dry, harsh winter months of the year and for people with dry skin. You can slather on thick cream  anytime, but they’re considered to be great to incorporate into your before-bed routine, as they help you by decreasing trans-epidermal water-loss, which principally means your skin getting dehydrated. Since, our skin is more likely to dry out while sleeping because you’re not drinking fluids for an extended period of time, opting for a thicker, rich moisturizer like cream in your before bed skincare regimen can help in this area. Also, because of the fact that creams last longer on the skin than lotions do, they serve as a good option for a night moisturizer.

With most skincare routines today, the spotlight is usually on the face while the hands are subjected to a secondary treatment. In fact, our hands are exposed to more frequent hand washing, occupational duties; and increased contact with chemicals, such as washing detergents or household cleaning products, which can cause dryness and roughness. Suffering from dry skin on the hands is quite common. Thicker formulas, like that of our nourishing hand cream, https://selflovesoaps.in/products/copy-of-lavender-hand-and-body-lotion?_pos=1&_sid=c4a3e1757&_ss=r can help you counteract this dryness by giving your skin more hydration.

When to use each?

The main factors to consider when deciding between cream or lotion are your skin type, the weather conditions and the body parts you want to apply it on.

 Skin type:

 Generally, creams have dense and thicker consistency than lotions and hence make them best suited for people with dry skin on their face or body, especially those with eczema and its various forms. Since the natural moisture content in your skin tapers with age, creams are also popular options for anti-aging or nighttime moisturizers. Creams do feel greasier than most lotions because of their higher percentage of oil, hence might not go well with oily skin types. While choosing one, it’s also important to look for creams with non-comedogenic ingredients so that they don't clog pores or cause acne flare-ups.

On the other hand, lotions are ideal for normal to oily or combination skin types. Moisturizing lotions also make popular choices for those with acne-prone skin in need of a lightweight non greasy moisturizing option. However, due to its watery composition, it doesn’t last on the skin and hence might not suffice the needs of dry and parched skin.

 Weather:

Winter months bring drier air which  increases the evaporation happening at your skin’s surface and thereby, dehydrating your skin. Henceforth, during those dry and cold months, when most people experience skin itchiness due to harsh weather, creams come to the rescue and help maintain your skin’s hydration level. Conversely, switch to lotions during hot summer months as they are lightweight and non-greasy; and allow more breathability.

Body parts:

You can also use a combination of both as some drier parts of our body like hands, feet, knees and elbows require heavy moisturization where cream is a better option and others like chest, back or shoulder are good with light moisturization using a lotion.  

So, that’s all about the key difference between Creams and Lotions! We hope this article has cleared all your doubts. Incase not, feel free to drop in your queries in the comment section below or call us anytime at @9818224804. Also, do check out our complete range of moisturizing creams and lotions at https://selflovesoaps.in/collections/gels-and-creams.