A Guide to Lotions

Keeping your skin hydrated is one of the best things you can do for it. A great place to start is with a lotion, which is essentially an oil-in-water emulsion that has an emulsifier to prevent the separation of these two phases.

Apply daily post-shower on still-damp skin to reap the benefits of this essential beauty product. We got the scoop from dermatologists on their favorite body lotions and ingredients to look for.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing your skin keeps it hydrated, which can help smooth fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps improve skin elasticity, which can prevent skin from becoming dry or flaky. A moisturizing routine can help maintain the skin barrier, which in turn protects your body from toxins and infections.

Moisturizers come in a variety of textures, including lotions, creams, and ointments. Lotions tend to have a lighter consistency and higher water content, making them better suited for normal or oily skin types. Creams and ointments are thicker and may contain occlusive ingredients, which can be beneficial for dry skin and to address specific concerns like eczema or psoriasis.

For example, if you have dry or sensitive hands that can easily get cracked or irritated, you may want to consider our The Hand Treatment, which is rich in hydrating shea butter and nourishing undaria algae extract. It is non-greasy, easy to spread, and absorbs quickly.

Anti-Aging

Anti-aging lotions are designed to reduce wrinkles and improve skin tone and texture. They contain ingredients that help cell turnover, lighten dark spots, firm and tighten skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Some are formulated for specific areas of the lotions face, while others are intended to be used on the whole body.

Look for products with peptides, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), retinol and glycolic acid. These ingredients are proven to boost collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

For the neck and body, try this dermatologist-recommended moisturizer from Neutrogena. It contains a microencapsulated form of retinol to reduce irritation, which helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles over time. It also scored highly for improving skin elasticity and smoothing the appearance of UV spots, in GH Beauty Lab digital imaging and skin-smoothing calculations. It’s enriched with shea butter and conditioning oils of acai, babassu and rice bran.

Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect it from toxins or harmful bacteria. But when inflammation becomes chronic, it can cause a variety of health problems and lead to irritations like skin rashes and psoriasis.

Anti-inflammatory lotions can help keep your skin healthy by reducing inflammation in the tissue. Look for formulas that contain calming ingredients, such as aloe and chamomile. You can also find creams formulated with natural oils that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, such as colloidal oatmeal.

The oat oil in these formulas contains 36-46% linoleic acid, which helps to soothe the skin and reduce redness and irritation. It also has phenolic compounds called avenanthramides, which help to inhibit the activation of inflammatory cytokines. Avenanthramides have been shown to promote skin hydration and barrier repair by lowering pH and increasing the skin’s permeability. This can help prevent and treat inflammatory skin conditions and actinic keratoses.

Anti-Bacterial

A non-greasy, synthetic fragrance-free lotion to use on hands and body to help eliminate fungus, bacteria and body odor. Made with a therapeutic blend of oils, it moisturizes and soothes skin. This lotion also helps reduce hand fatigue and works great after waxing.

Antibacterial lotions are a useful complement to thorough daily hand washing and hygienic practices, as they can significantly decrease the bacterial load on the skin after normal activity. This study describes the testing of a leave-on lotion containing triclosan to demonstrate its spectrum of activity, substantivity on skin, persistence of activity, and activity vs. resident flora, all of which are important for practical use.

This barrier repair lotion kills MRSA which causes staph infections, E-coli and other drug resistant bacteria, and HCoV-229E (human coronavirus). This formula is gentle and safe for use on the skin and tested to not be harmful to skin cells or mucous membranes.

Fragrance

Fragrance lotions are a great way to add cosmetic product manufacturer a refreshing scent to your skincare routine. They can be worn alone or layered with your favourite perfumes to make the scent last longer on your skin.

When making a scented lotion, it is important to use high-quality essential oils and fragrance oils that are safe for skin contact. The ratio of the essential oil to fragrance oil will vary depending on the desired level of scent intensity and the volume of lotion being made.

If you’re unsure of how much fragrance oil to add, a general rule of thumb is 1-3% of the total lotion weight. This will ensure that the scent is strong enough, but not too strong or irritating for your skin. Once you’ve determined the ratio, heat the ingredients on a low temperate and add the fragrance oil. Then, pour your lotion into containers and let it cool.