I like to keep my skin healthy and hydrated while travelling. I use body butter. It is a luxurious and practical way to keep my skin moisturized when exposed to different climates and environments.

If you don’t know about it, let me tell you that body butter is made from natural ingredients like extracts of seeds and nuts. It gives me smooth and shiny skin, helps treat skin dryness and maintains the skin’s moisture level. It is a blend of various essential oils, like jojoba oil and coconut oil. And some natural butter, like cocoa butter, shea butter, and mango butter. Certainly, it can also be infused with essential fatty acids. Sometimes, it is added with other ingredients to help with specific skin issues.

Body Butter and Body Lotion Are Two Different Things

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A post shared by Body Scrubs | Body Butters | Body Oils | Lipgloss (@beautybutter.in)

Hey! Don’t get confused between these two as they are both completely different.

Body butter is creamier and softer. In addition, it has a thicker consistency. Also, it has little to no water and is mainly comprised of butter and oils. On the other hand, body lotion has a more liquid consistency. They have more water content, thus the runny consistency.

Body cream and lotion are more lightweight and easier to absorb. Indeed, they often have hydrators like glycerin and are good for oily to normal skin. Lotions are more refined, whereas body butter is rawer.

Butter is great for providing hydration and is best used at night. However, lotion is preferred for daytime use as it leaves no distinct feeling on the skin. Whereas butter gives a smooth, silky feel.

The Canada Hustle team talked to Dr. Anna Chacon, a Dermatologist at MyFoodAllergyTeam, about selecting and using body butter during travel. Here is what she said:

“Selecting and using body butter effectively during travel can be a great way to maintain healthy and hydrated skin. Here are some strategies and recommendations:

• Choose the Right Body Butter: Look for body butter that contains moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, argan oil, or coconut oil. These ingredients are known for their intense hydrating properties. If you’re traveling to a colder climate, you might want a richer, thicker body butter, but if you’re headed somewhere warm, a lighter, non-greasy formula may be more suitable.
• Consider Your Skin Type: If you have dry skin, a heavy body butter may be perfect. However, if your skin tends to be oily, you might want to opt for a lighter formula.
• Packaging: Choose a product in a travel-friendly container. It’s best to avoid glass containers which can break easily. A tube or plastic container would be more suitable for travel.
• Application Timing: The best time to apply body butter is just after your daily shower or bath. This is when your skin is still slightly damp, as body butter helps to lock in the moisture that’s already on your skin.
• Test Before Travel: Always try a new product at home before you take it on your travels. You want to make sure it doesn’t cause any adverse reactions.
• Climate Consideration: Different climates require different skincare strategies. In dry climates, you may need to apply body butter more frequently, while in humid climates, once a day may be enough.
• Sun Protection: If you’re traveling somewhere sunny, make sure you also have a separate sunscreen, as most body butter does not contain sufficient SPF.
• Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help keep your skin hydrated from the inside out, enhancing the effects of your skincare routine.

Remember, everyone’s skin is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. It’s always a good idea to consult with a dermatologist or skincare professional for personalized advice.”

Some Essentials to Know Before Using Body Butter

As winter approaches or dry summer reaches, skin dryness becomes the major concern, which sometimes even body moisturizers can’t treat. A better, richer and more nourishing substitute to moisturizers is body butter. I think this is the better solution to keep my skin nourished in winter too.

You must have noticed some people around you whose skin seems unaffected by any season. That’s not the case. They know how to care for skin in different seasons. In winter, our skin needs some extra care.

Pragya

Here are some tips:

1. Say no to hot showers. Hot showers are delightful and soul-soothing, but is it good for your skin? Hot water generally causes skin inflammation, which later leads to redness, irritation, itching and, most importantly, loss of chief oils, essential fatty acids and proteins.
2. Choose what’s the best for You. From coconut oil to lavender body butter or fragrance-free ones, there is a wide range of body kinds of butter. Depending on your uses, skin type and your destination, you can also choose from an extensive variety. Make sure to choose the one that suits you the best. Choosing a body butter that is not suitable for your skin type can cause more harm than good. It is also one of the leading causes of skin problems. 
3. Don’t make the skin drier. Body washes, soaps, and other chemical products are responsible for making skin even drier. Instead, try using body gels, which will give you a soulful smell and better nourishment. After a nourishing shower, drench yourself in your preferred body butter. 
4. Make night the absorbing time. Applying body butter before sleep results in intensive nourishing treatment. Those with dry skin, like me, can apply it every night before sleep. Meanwhile, the ones with normal to oily skin are preferred to apply it once a week or as required.
5. Removes makeup easily. Did you forget to get a makeup remover? Body butter has your back! Apply a small amount of body butter on tissue paper, rub gently on your face while keeping your eyes closed, and wipe away your makeup.
6. It acts as a hand cream. Just like me, your hands need care, too! Sometimes, just normal moisturizers aren’t sufficient to provide the nourishment I need. So then I use body butter as a hand cream.
7. Watch out for extra dry areas. Some parts of your body may go unnoticed. Most of us suffer from dry elbows and dry knees. These parts of our body are prone to getting darker, thicker, and dryer. For its treatment, body butter can be wisely used. It can also be applied multiple times a day.
8. Cuticle treatment. Its regular application on nails and cuticles can also help ease dryness. It is necessary to maintain nail health and cuticle hydration. It works as the most efficient product for cuticle treatment and softens cuticles as it also has the ability to penetrate inside. 
9. Healing of Sunburn. Sunburn can hurt the skin and cause dryness. Slathering yourself in body butter will help restore the lost moisture of skin from sunburn. Many people do not know this, but body butter works like magic on sunburns. 
10. Delay in premature aging. Due to the presence of triglycerides, vitamins and other nutrients, it works perfectly as an anti-aging product. It can also help reduce fine lines, dark spots, acne scars, and wrinkles.
11. You can use it to remove stretch marks also. It is always said that keeping the skin hydrated can reduce stretch marks. Keeping the skin always hydrated also ensures that stretch marks don’t take place at all. In this case, body butter acts like magic. It helps treat stretch marks mostly during pregnancy, after pregnancy, weight loss or weight gain.  
12. You can even try dry brushing your skin with coconut oil.. while travelling. It helps exfoliate the skin, facilitates easy blood flow, and has many other benefits.

Dr. Kristopher M. Day, MD, FACS, a Plastic Surgeon at Pacific Sound Plastic Surgery, talked to the Canada Hustle team about selecting the perfect body butter for travel. Here is what he had to say:

“Choosing the right body butter for travel involves considering the consistency and ingredient profile, especially when moving through different climates.

In my experience with plastic and reconstructive surgery, I’ve seen how environmental changes can affect skin health.

A versatile option like shea butter, known for its rich fatty acid content, works well as it adapts to both dry and humid climates by providing adequate moisture without being too heavy.

In various medical missions and cosmetic procedures, I’ve observed that additives in skin care products, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, significantly benefit skin under stress from travel and environmental changes.

For instance, body butter enriched with vitamin E or green tea extract can help protect the skin from oxidative stress in polluted urban environments or high altitudes.

Lastly, understanding the physical response of skin to different environments is crucial. In dry, cold areas, I’ve noticed patients benefit from thicker, more occlusive butter like mango or cocoa butter, which form a protective barrier against harsh winds.

Conversely, lighter formulations with aloe or coconut oil might suit humid, tropical climates better, as they hydrate without clogging pores.

Always experiment with a small amount first to see how your skin reacts, and adjust your choice based on your destination’s specific climate and how your skin feels each day.”

How to Choose a Body Butter Suitable for You?

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It is necessary to choose body butter according to your skin type and you have any doubts or queries, read this:

• If you have a dry skin type, you should use body butter which is oil-based and heavy in texture or thick butters. It will provide skin with the hydration it needs. 
• If you have an oily skin type, you should prefer using butter with a light texture.
• If you have a combination skin type, you should prefer a neutral butter; that is, it should neither be totally oil-based nor totally dry.  

We interviewed Cheryl Woodman, a Scientist, Cosmetic chemist, and Award-Winning Skincare Formulator at Honesty For Your Skin, about mastering body butter for travel. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

“Cold and cooler air instantly sends skin into homeostasis, blood vessels shrink and withdraw vital resources from the skin. This is why cold air can be so drying to the skin – cold air impairs your skin’s barrier function.

For cold and especially cold and dry climates it can be especially helpful to use a body butter containing an FDA-registered skin protectant – for example, dimethicone or natural alternatives like cocoa butter, colloidal oatmeal, and allantoin.

Skin protectants like allantoin can be effective from just 0.5%. Other skin protectants like cocoa butter must be included at 50%.”

Steps to Apply Body Butter

1. Choose a Body Butter with a Soft Body Spread: Chosen butter to be applied should be soft and easily spreadable. Further, spreadable butter is easily penetrated. So, choose the butter that’s liquid at room temperature.
2. Let Moisture Stay on Your Skin: After having a shower, try to leave a little moisture on your skin. Also, as told previously, I prefer not having hot showers or not using body washes.
3. Use a Dime-sized Amount of Body Butter: As body butter is thicker than body moisturizer, it is to be applied in a lesser amount and a light layer. Fingers or spatula can be used to apply a dime-sized amount of butter. 
4. Let the Body Butter Melt: Wait for it to melt for a few seconds with the help of the body’s inner warmth. It will help the body butter become softer and easier to apply.
5. Rub with Gentle Movement: Gently massage in circular motions until it becomes even. This will help the body butter to infuse deep into your skin. Make sure that your skin gets deeply moistured. Rubbing it hard might cause irritation and redness, which is not advisable. 
6. Use it Before Bed: The best time to apply body butter is at night. At night, our skin gets time to heal and repair. Keeping the skin hydrated at night will provide us with long-term good results. You will wake up feeling hydrated and smooth in the morning for sure. 

You can also prepare this at home. Check this video if interested:

Now, you can also easily drench yourself in scented or unscented butter with the least harmful chemicals and with a more soulful experience. Lastly, with its endless perks, one can enjoy their soft, shiny and glowing skin without worrying about unwanted dryness. 

Guest Author: Saket Kumar

Last Updated on May 16, 2024 by Saket