Is Body Butter a Moisturiser?
No! Body butter is the Rolls Royce, the luxury yacht of moisturisers, and you should know how to really make it work for you.
We know what you want .. soft, supple hydrated skin, all over body feeling and looking great. Dare we say, you want to glow? So do we! Read on.
Body butter is thicker, and richer than normal body moisturising creams. It’s intense! This makes it great for not only problem skin and areas, or super dry skin but also for day long, year round skin hydration. Your skin takes its time to soak up every delightful super moisturising ingredient in this queen of moisturisers.
Buy the right body butter, use it right, and you can't go wrong. We got all the info for you right here.
Natural Body butters by Kathy Sue-Ann's
5 Tips for How to Use Body Butter
1. Lay down a good base
First up, let’s start pre-body butter. What's your shower gel saying? If it’s standard stuff, it’s probably drying your skin out, and that’s not a great place to start.
Consider switching to an organic body wash with gentle, natural ingredients that won’t dry your skin.
2. Give it time
Body butters are thicker, and depending on the active moisturising ingredients, can even be fairly solid.
These are great, but take a little time on your skin to absorb. Fab if you’re having a long luxury shower or bath night. Wait a few seconds for the warmth in your skin to melt the body butter. Let it sit for a few seconds before you start to rub it in. The natural warmth from your body will soften the body butter so that it smooths on easily.
3. Use only what you need
Many people want to know just how much body butter to use. Because it’s so rich, a little body butter will go a long way. Use small amounts on specific areas and work it in. Rub it into your skin with circular motions, and after a few moments, you’ll feel it beginning to absorb. If you’ve got a few extra minutes and want some deep hydration, lather up and let it soak in while you move on to the next part of your beauty routine.
But if you’re a bit short on time, start with a coin-sized amount and build from there. If you want an even quicker fix, choose a lighter body butter. These are often called 'whipped butters'. Find blends that have ingredients like coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil. These are liquid at room temperature and quicker to apply.
Bristol Made Hand Whipped Body Butter Lemon
A luxurious body balm is carefully hand whipped with shea butter, cocoa butter, and a blend of organic natural oils, so lighter to absorb. And the zingy scent of lemon is just joyful!
4. Know when to use body butter
The best time? Straight after a warm shower when your pores are open.
Apply body butter after your shower at any time of day, but taking a shower right before bed will have the best benefits.
Top tip: Avoid hot water. Turn down the temp of your water and decrease the amount of time you spend bathing to help maintain skin’s moisture levels. Hot water dries the skin and strips it of natural oils.
5. Use water to your advantage
As we’ve mentioned, the best body butters are packed with hydrating natural oils and butters, but one ingredient they should NOT have is water. In fact, the natural ingredients are naturally self-preserving, so you should never add water to your body butter.
However–allowing your skin to be slightly wet after the shower, or using a misting bottle to spritz the skin slightly before applying, is a great way to lock in even more moisture.
How body butter works - Is it good for skin?
Body Butters are formulated without water and are thicker and even solid at room temperature. They are made from natural oil bases, usually from nut and seed extracts.
Body butters made with organic ingredients and few or no preservatives and chemicals deliver intense moisture. Healthy skin all the way.
But, beware. Not every product called ‘body butter’ has skin healthy ingredients. Cheaper body butters may not benefit your skin much and may even have the opposite effect if they are full of chemicals. When it comes to body butters, it's worth going for high quality and natural. Great body butters are formulated with ultra-emollient, nutrient-rich ingredients like organic shea butter, coconut and Argan oils. Because it's so rich, it lasts so much longer, so worth the extra cost.
Rich in Argan Oil, Duvall's natural, creamy body butter has plant based oils & butters whipped to give soft supple and ultra-hydrated skin. Packed with a high content of 100% pure argan oil, high in vitamin E, essential fatty acids and amino acids, it nourishes and repairs skin.
Alternative Uses of Body Butter
Although most people use body butter for all-over body hydration, there are many other alternative uses for body butter, such as;
- Makeup remover
- Cuticle treatment
- Eczema and excessively dry patches of skin
- Hand cream
- Shaving cream substitute
- Foot cream
- Sunburn treatment
- Hair treatment
Body butter as a makeup remover
If you're caught out without cleanser, you can use small amounts of body butter as a makeup remover! Apply a small amount to a cotton pad to gently clean off makeup. It’s rich formula and natural oils cut through even stubborn makeup no problem. Be careful about getting it in the eye area depending on the ingredients as certain ingredients can be irritating to eyes.
Body butter as a cuticle treatment
Top Tip: Use Body Butter for an At-Home Manicure
Nothing better! Soak your fingernails in warm water to soften cuticles. add a dot of butter to each cuticle, and push skin back with a wooden cuticle stick.
Body butter for eczema and dry skin
A really good, natural body butter is great for helping your skin heal. typical body butter ingredients like shea butter or cocoa butter, are well accepted to be skin treatments. For eczema or psoriasis, look for a blend that contains jojoba oil, oatmeal, aloe vera gel and coconut oil, These will moisturise dry, broken skin but also combat inflammation and bacteria, reduce swelling and help prevent infection.
So, with natural ingredients, yes, Body butter with its super moisturisation can ease eczema symptoms. It’s not a cure, but a remedy.
Choose a natural, unscented body butter. Fragrances can cause skin irritation, so best avoided on eczema. This little number from Mama Nature is specially formulated for eczema and psoriasis.
A great natural alternative to steroid creams, other prescribed chemical based. It contains calendula extract and a blend of essential oils used for for time to treat eczema and dermatitis and proven to relieve inflammation, pain and itching. Natural anti-bacterial ingredients mean it's ideal for already infected skin. It contains East Cape Manuka Oil which is one of the most potent natural anti-bacterial in existence.
Body butter as a hand cream
Can you use body butter as a hand cream? Oh yes, oh yes. Especially in winter when our poor hands take all kinds of abuse! Body butters are rich and penetrate deeply into rough and dry hands. Get a mini travel size body butter that you can carry with you. Apply and rub in little and often so it absorbs quickly, and keeps your hand protected.
Kathy Sue-Ann's Butter minis are great for keeping with you for hands.
Body Butter for your face
Can you use body butter on your face? This is a tricky one. As a makeup remover, body butter can be great. But we generally say to avoid using body butter on your face. The skin on your face is much more delicate. Because body butter is so rich in oils, it can clog pores and create acne and problems. Body butter is as it says … BODY butter.
Body Butter as shaving cream
The natural, nourishing oils make body butter a great substitute for shaving cream if you’re in a pinch, and even as a great permanent, natural substitute! Using body butter as a shaving cream and also post-shaving is a great way to get the softest, smoothest skin imaginable.
Body butter for your feet
Is body butter good on feet? Heck yes!! Body butter is the perfect moisturising treat for tired and dry feet, and cracked heels. Take some serious foot love time after a shower and treat your toes with a gorgeous body butter.
If you have cracked heels, you can apply body butter before bed, pop some socks on and you’ll wake up to soft and supple feet.
Body butter for hair
Yes, we said it. The natural oils and butters in body butter can even be used on your hair. Just take a small amount, apply it to the ends, let it sit for up to 20 minutes, and wash out as normal and you’ll notice a big difference in softness!
Body butter for sunburn
What sunburn does (apart from hurt!) is dry out the skin.
The more your skin is exposed to sun, the more damage it does, and that includes stripping skin of its moisture. Again, a good quality body butter will replace lost moisture, but add in a few of nature's magic ingredients, like aloe vera, eucalyptus, kokum butter or jojoba, you got yourself an instant salve too.
Suntribe After Sun Balm with soothing eucalyptus and hydrating jojoba, this is one of the best cures for too much sun!
Frequently Asked Questions about Body Butter
How often should I use body butter?
You can use it every day if you like and especially if you have dry skin. However, because it’s rich you can use it 1 - 3 times a week and you will get that gorgeous soft skin.
Top tip: Apply it to your body after a shower and before bed for an intense moisture treatment while you sleep.
Where should I use body butter?
- Elbows
- Knees
- Hands
- Cuticles
- Feet and heels
- Hair
- Face (with specific types)
This luxury cream really goes to work on super dry areas, like elbows, knees and feet. Double cream dry spots, like your elbows. You may also want to add a bit more body butter onto your feet, knees, hands, and anywhere that looks dry and cracked and spend time rubbing in to make it really absorb deep.
What are the best ingredients in body butter?
Look for blends with avocado oil, olive oil, shea oil and coconut oil. These butters are super moisturising and can help heal your dry hands or feet, even if the skin is cracked.
Top tip: if you are choosing a body butter and looking for a divine fragrance (as well as gorgeous skin), find products that pack essential oils instead of synthetic fragrance.
Bristol Made Red Mandarin Body Butter
With both organic coconut and shea butters, and natural red mandarin oil, this body butter from Bristol Made is heavenly scent!
How To Make Your Own Natural Body Butter
Out top pick - if you really are a pure ingredient geek - is a DIY make your own butter kit! It's a curve ball, but why not! This little kit from Fruits of the Nut Tree comes with ..- Premium quality, organic ingredients: organic golden jojoba oil, organic unrefined shea butter, organic raw extra virgin coconut oil and organic beeswax granules.
- Simple instructions to make your body cream. Pour, melt, mix & moisturise!
- A coloured glass jar to keep your body cream at its best.
- Information on the powerful plants - and bees - behind each organic ingredient.
Fruits of the Nut Tree Make Your Own Body Cream Kit
Just the most perfect organic gift, or night in treat. And you know exactly what's in your natural body butter!
Where to find the best body butters?
There are lots of body butters out there. As a rule, we would always recommend looking for body butters that are packed with natural and organic ingredients. Of course we would--we only stock natural and organic body butters. The products featured in this blog are all from our independent sellers at Organics.
Basically, the best body butter to buy is the one that’s good for your skin. You can find many online or in your local organic shop, but always check the ingredients.
Personal favorite: if you are choosing a body butter and looking for a divine fragrance (as well as gorgeous skin), find products that pack essential oils. Like this..
So, how are you using your body butter? Have you got the right one, and are you getting top body butter results for your skin? We hope some of these tips help you find your way to your best body butter, and your best self.
As always, love your silky soft skin, and love your planet
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