Top 10 Best Body Moisturizing Creams in India 2021 (Nivea, Oriflame, and more)

Dr. Hitesh Bhalavi is a dermatologist, he pursued MD in Dermatology from PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. Currently, Dr. Hitesh is working as a consultant in NR hospital Bilaspur, India.

Here, we will explain the difference between lotion and cream, and give tips on choosing the cream you can be satisfied with. Moving on, we will categories the cream-types based on different skin types and explain the moisturizing ingredients you should look for. 

Body cream and lotion both contain water and oil. The difference between the two is the balance between these two components. Body cream contains more oil, and lotion contains more water. Oil-based components are such as olive oil, jojoba oil seal skin moisture. And water-based components are such as ceramide and collagen.

First, water-based components give moisture to your skin, and then the oil components help avoid moisture evaporation by putting the cover on your skin. Both are important. However, if you have dry skin or dry parts on your body, you should use body cream, which contains more oil-based components.

it is important to know what you are sensitive to. You can perform a skin patch test. Make sure to check the ingredients. The safest for sensitive skin people is a product with simple ingredients like shea butter with no preservatives, fragrance, and synthetic colors.

There are plenty of products available with different ingredients; each and every ingredient serves a different purpose and divides moisturizer into three different categories - Humectants, Occlusives, and Emollients. There are moisturizers that come with a blend of these three in different variations.

Humectants draw water to the uppermost skin layer from the deep-down skin layer. They are resourceful to keep your skin hydrated and retain moisture in the skin in hot conditions. Do note in humid conditions; they can attract water from the air as well.

Ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, hexylene, and butylene glycol are humectants. Glycerin is a highly effective humectant and is found in many moisturizers.

Occlusives help in stopping evaporation from the skin and sealing the moisture on the surface of the skin. Occlusive ingredient's chemical composition consists of big molecules that repel water. The occlusive is heavy in nature.

One of the most common examples is petroleum jelly; the most common product is vaseline wax. Other ingredients include lanolin, shea butter, beeswax. Occlusives are more suited to people with dry skins due to their heavy nature. It is recommended to choose one with less lanolin as it can cause dermatitis in some cases.

Emollients work by filling the gaps between skin cells with hydrating oils and lipids. They stay on the uppermost skin layer and hold the humectants as well. They help to improve the skin texture and to smoothen it, giving soft and smooth skin.

Ingredients like Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, ceramides act like Emollients. Look out for these ingredients when your emphasis is on smooth skin.

Antioxidants are great natural preservatives as well as a good anti-aging element. They prevent premature skin aging by neutralizing radicals that break down the skin cells. Antioxidants also help to improve the skin's healing ability and improve collagen, which is a protein found in connective tissues.

Looking for a unique shower gel suited for your needs or an aloe vera gel for taking care of your skin moisture. We have assembled unique and comprehensive buying guides to help you select products after weighing in on important parameters, which help you guide to select the best one suited for your needs.