Just as you are careful about moisturizing your face after washing to keep your skin glowing and healthy, similarly it is important to moisturize your body daily to keep your skin hydrated and supple. Moisturizing your skin is the most basic and the most important step when caring for your body. There are many skin aggressors like sun exposure, environmental pollution, central AC or heating, hot showers and changing weather conditions that can play havoc with your skin. These can leave your skin irritated and feeling dry. So, it is important to follow a good body care routine to get nourished and healthy skin. Even the basic moisturization with a good body lotion can go along way in keeping your skin healthy.
Why it is important to use body lotion?
The main benefit of using a body lotion is to hydrate skin and protect skin’s natural moisture barrier. A healthy moisture barrier on skin ensures that your skin is safe from microbial attack and infections. When you apply it regularly, it keeps your skin soft and prevents that uncomfortable, dry sensation. It also protects the skin around your chest, back, hands and shoulders from the early signs of skin aging like patchy skin, roughness and wrinkles. Besides, gently massaging in a body lotion after your bath or shower not only helps your skin but also invigorates the mind and the senses.
How to choose the right body lotion for your skin type?
Not all body lotions are made the same. While a basic moisturizer nourishes and protects your skin; there are now many variants of body lotion available that help take care of specific skin problems – just like face creams and moisturizers do. These specially formulated with ingredients that help manage different skin conditions like dryness, pigmentation, itchy skin condition, greasy skin and aging skin.
To get the best results out of the body lotion, it is a good idea to buy a variant that suits your skin’s needs of the moment. Consider your skin type and also the climate that you are in. If your skin feels dry after washing then using a rich, deep hydration body lotion makes most sense. However, if you have normal skin that does not feel excessively dry or oily, then a medium hydration, light weight body lotion should be good for you. Pick an ultralight or gel-based moisturizer for your body if your skin feels oily or greasy throughout the day. These types of body lotions keep skin hydrated without feeling sticky or greasy on skin.
When it comes to actives that are most beneficial for your skin look for ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter, almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, vitamin C, rose extract, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E etc.
The right way to apply body lotion
The way you apply body lotion ensures its benefits for your skin. Check out the step-by-step process that allows you to maximize the moisturizer for your body.
- Always apply body lotion on your damp skin, just after you bathe to let actives get deeply absorbed into the skin and hydrate it.
- There’s a three-minute window in which you must apply lotion on your body before the pores close. This allows the moisture to be locked into your skin.
- Before applying the lotion, take it in your palms, rub it to warm and emulsify the product for easy application.
- Dab the lotion all over your body. Then start massaging from your legs moving upwards to the torso, and then arms, shoulders back.
- Always use a circular massaging action and put gentle pressure to allow the lotion to penetrate the skin.
- Put special focus on your dry areas including knees, elbows, hips, feet and hands.
- Wait for a couple of minutes after putting on the lotion to allow it to sink into your skin for lasting benefit.
- Do not skip applying the lotion after your bath/shower. This is necessary if you have used a body scrub.
- Using body lotion is important as it replenishes lost nutrients and emollients to the skin.
Final takeaway – Make body lotion an integral part of your skin care ritual
Experts agree that it is important to use body lotion at least once a day to keep skin healthy. Do this if you have showered or bathe with hot water. Body wash or soap and hot water can strip your skin off its natural oils, making it itchy and uncomfortable for you. Applying body lotion after your bath can prevent this skin irritation and leave you with nourished, healthy, glowing skin.
