There are many skincare companies that offer multiple cream typed moisturizers: Nivea, Himalaya, BioCare, and many more. Here, we will explain the difference between lotion and cream type lotion (body cream) and ranked the 10 best body moisturizing creams and lotions that can help your dry skin. Do you want supple skin? Let us look at how to choose one best for your skin! This article has been medically reviewed by a dermatologist, Dr. Hitesh Bhalavi, so keep reading to hear from our expert.
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.
mybest editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in India in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
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Table of Contents
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.
Lotion and creams can be oil in water or water in oil types of emulsions. Creams are water in oil formulation. They are greasy and thicker and preferred for dry or normal skincare. Lotions are oil in water formulation; they are non-greasy, cool on applications, and preferred in acne and oily skin.
Petrolatum, paraffin, squalene prevent water loss from the skin. Hyaluronic acid, glycerol maintain the water content of the skin. Ceramide, dimethicone containing emollients, imparts a smooth texture to the skin. All these ingredients are suitable for dry skin.
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.
If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid fragrance-based creams and creams containing paraben and urea. Products containing paraffin and shea butter are best for sensitive skin.
Sometimes, skin discharges an excessive amount of sebum due to the lack of moisture on your skin. If that is the case, products with collagen and hyaluronic acid can work well to keep the balance.
For oily skin, lotions are preferred; they are non-greasy and thin. Few creams containing dimethicone provide a smooth, matte finish on your face. If you’re dealing with oily skin, you can opt for hyaluronic-based creams that provide a light, gentle and refreshing feel on oily skin.
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.
Dense, thicker creams containing paraffin, vegetable oils, phospholipid, and sterols are ideal for dry and flaky skin. So, look for the above-mentioned ingredients if you’re dealing with dry or flaky skin and moisture is all you want.
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.
Choose moisturizer based on skin type(oily, dry, and normal), age, allergenicity to any ingredient, and cost. Lotions are preferred for oily and acne-prone skin. Creams are advised for dry and normal skin. For skin diseases, one should use products without preservatives, fragrances, and synthetic colors.
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.
A fragrance with attractive smells is not medically important but important from the cosmetic point of view. Floral fragrance essential rose oil and rose water are trendy. In dermatological diseases, use fragrance-free products.
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.
Vitamin A (beta carotene), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E (tocopherols), white or green tea, grape seed extract, pomegranate extract, licorice root are a few common antioxidants.
₹202.00
₹310.00
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Children, for example, can be uncomfortable with the sticky feeling heavy cream can leave. But, with this cream, because of its light nature, there will be no problem. We recommend this product for all age groups.
₹190.00
This lotion by vaseline is one of the great offerings amongst a lineup of different lotions available by them. This one comes with Oat extract, which helps in providing good moisture for dry and rough skin.
It contains glycerin which is a great humectant to slow down moisture loss on the topmost layer of skin. You need to moisturize twice a day for good protection and effectiveness, as highlighted by users. Overall, it's a great choice for lotion moisturizer.
₹2,631.00
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This product by WOW comes with a blend of different natural ingredients, which helps in moisturizing and smoothening the skin. The product contains no parabens and neither any mineral oil. The formula is non-greasy and easy to apply with the pump.
It contains cocoa butter which is a great emollient and helps in giving smooth skin. The product works best when applied after a bath. It contains vitamin E, which is a great antioxidant. Many users have reviewed the product as a good lotion for skin.
₹274.00
₹214.00
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.
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