Body Butter - The Facts

When it comes to moisturisers, body butters tend to be the least popular choice for most women so I decided to run a survey to find out why body butters are not as popular as I would have expected.

And the primary reason I discovered was that women just don't know what a true body butter is and, therefore, do not understand how it can benefit the skin.

What Is a Traditional Body Butter?

A body butter is an intense, long-lasting moisturiser which keeps your skin nourished and hydrated throughout the day.

There should be no need to reapply a body butter during the day.

Unlike creams and lotions, a true traditional body butter will only contain butters and oils.

The ingredients are chosen according to their beneficial properties e.g. emollient (leave the skin feeling soft), anti-oxidant (regenerative and, thus, reducing the signs of aging).

What Is The Difference Between a Body Butter And a Lotion?

If I got a cent for every time I was asked this question, I'd be a very rich lady.

It all boils down to the composition and ingredients of the product.

Lotions (and creams) should have water as their primary ingredient. This means that when you look at a lotion's ingredients label you should see 'aqua' as the first listed ingredient.

Lotions, by definition and design, should contain up to 80% water whereas creams should contain up to 60% water. It's the water that helps the product absorb into the skin.

A true, traditional body butter however should contain only butters and oils. So when you read the ingredients label on a true body butter you should never see the word 'aqua'.

Why Is a True Body Butter More Moisturising and Hydrating Than a Lotion?

We need to drink plenty of water each day in order to keep all our organs, including our skin, hydrated and working at their optimal level.

Based on this premise, you would expect that spreading only water over your skin should moisturise your skin. But this is not true. Shortly after spreading water over your skin, your skin will begin to feel dry, not moisturised. The reason is that the water evaporates and it takes with it many of the skin's naturally-produced oils.

The more often that skin comes into contact with water, the drier it will become - unless the lost oils are replaced.

Whilst lotions (and creams) are predominantly water, they try to minimise the drying effect on the skin by adding moisturising ingredients such as butters and oils. But with such a high water content, lotions tend to wear off and you may feel you want to re-apply a lotion again during the day. This is most noticeable on areas of the skin which are exposed to the elements most, such as your hands.

As true body butters contain only butters and oils which penetrate the skin and do not evaporate, they leave the skin hydrated and moisturised for a much longer time and you rarely have to reapply during the day.

How Do I Use my Body Butter?

A mix of pure butters and oils can be a very heavy combination for your skin. So at Simply Skin I whip my ingredients together until they are perfectly light and fluffy so this product won't feel so heavy on your skin.

However it is important to remember that a Simply Skin whipped body butter is a true traditional body butter which is not diluted with water. Being concentrated, a little goes a very long way.

I recommend you use our body butter in the same way (and places) where you would use a lotion. But I recommend you start with a very small amount of butter (about the size of your small finger) and, using the heat of your hand, massage it into your skin, simply because this Simply Skin product is a very concentrated product.... and a little goes a long way.

As most of us have never had the pleasure of using a pure and traditional body butter before, it can take some time to get used to the texture and feel of its luxuriousness on your skin. But after only a few applications you'll soon begin to love the difference between a Simply Skin body butter and others you buy on the High Street. Remember: if your skin feels heavy or greasy, you've used too much product.

My whipped body butters are also excellent for softening and hydrating dry patches of skin, acting as a face, neck & décolletage anti-aging moisturiser, a deeply nourishing massage product, and even an after-shaving leg moisturiser.

Whilst you can use a body butter all year round, your skin will be particularly thankful when you use it during the drying Winter months.