Body butter is a nourishing body care built on butter (most often shea) and plant oils, which leaves the skin soft, smooth and lightly scented. If you do not yet know which to choose, start in the body butters category, try the anhydrous whipped Lipa body butter or the lighter hydrating Vanilla body butter.
What is body butter and how does it differ from cream and lotion?
Body butter is the richer, denser sister of body lotion. A lotion is liquid and mostly consists of water and a small amount of fats, a cream is the middle way, while a butter stands on fats that soften in the warmth of your palms and spread easily over the skin. Most often you find in it shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter), mango butter (Mangifera Indica Seed Butter) or cocoa butter (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter), complemented by sunflower oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil) and vitamin E in the form of tocopherol. On the skin the fats form a delicate film, thanks to which the skin stays soft longer after a shower and you do not have the feeling it has been pulled tight. That is why it suits mainly when you have drier skin, in the colder months, or on places that tend to be rougher, such as elbows, knees and shins.
What kinds of body butter are there?
Butter is not just butter. You can tell on the label which type it is, and that is information you easily overlook in an ordinary shop. Look at the list of ingredients, which under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products is ordered from the ingredient of which there is most in the product (you will find an overview on the European Commission page on cosmetics). If an oil or butter comes first, it is an anhydrous recipe. If water (Aqua) comes first, it is an emulsion, that is, a lighter and creamier butter that also contains preservatives because of the water. Both versions have their place; they differ in the feel on the skin, in scent and in how they work in the bathroom. The table will help you tell apart three types that you find in the body butters category, according to the composition on the product pages.
| Type | How you recognise it in the composition | Feel on the skin | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whipped anhydrous | Sunflower oil, shea and mango butter, no Aqua | Rich, silky, fluffy | Lipa |
| Hydrating (emulsion) | Aqua at the start, shea butter, glycerin | Lighter, creamier, less greasy | Vanilla |
| Nourishing butter with oil | Shea butter, hemp oil, triglycerides, no Aqua | Nourishing, with a discreet scent | Mariškin balm |
Whipped body butter: why is it so fluffy?
Whipped butter is whipped during production, so instead of a hard block you get an airy, delicate texture that you scoop up with a finger and spread without effort. On the pages of the whipped butters the maker is given as the company Panakeia SK s.r.o. from Trenčín, and in the composition you will find no water. The Cukráreň butter, for example, begins with shea butter, sunflower oil and mango butter, complemented by linden extract (Tilia Cordata Flower Extract). The scent is made of fragrance components, among them allergens such as limonene or linalool, and these must be given on the label. If you have sensitive skin, read these lines and choose according to what suits you, or let yourself be guided by a scent you will love every evening after the shower.
How to choose a body butter by skin and scent?
When choosing, begin with your skin. If it is dry and feels tight after a shower, reach for an anhydrous whipped butter or a more nourishing one. If you want a light feel, for example for summer or for the morning before dressing, choose a hydrating one. The hydrating Vanilla or Clementine butter has water and shea butter in the first places of its composition, complemented by glycerin and sodium hyaluronate (Sodium Hyaluronate). The second step is scent, which turns ordinary applying into a small ritual: sweet vanilla, citrus freshness or linden blossom. A richer butter suits the evening, a lighter one the morning. If you have sensitive skin or are not sure, first try a small amount on a small area and only then apply it to your whole body.
- Look at whether the list of ingredients begins with oil and butter (anhydrous) or with water (emulsion).
- Read whether the composition includes perfume and allergens, if you have sensitive skin.
- Choose a scent that gives you joy, because you will have it on your skin all day.
- Follow the instructions on the label, not guesswork.
How to use body butter so you enjoy it?
Body butter is best used after a shower or bath, when the skin is still slightly damp and takes it more easily. According to the label of the whipped Lipa body butter, you apply a sufficient amount directly to the skin and massage it in until it is absorbed. It helps to warm the butter between your palms first, because it spreads more easily and smells more intensely. Do not forget the places that tend to be drier, such as elbows, knees and heels. It is intended for the body, not the face, so do not apply it to your face unless the label expressly allows it. If you store the butter in a dry place, in a closed jar and away from direct sun, it will stay pleasant and fluffy for longer. Check the period of use on the package.
What the composition says: shea butter, hemp oil and more
Shea butter is the basis of most body butters and is among the most widely used butters in cosmetics for its soft, creamy nature. Read more about it in the article why it is good to use shea butter or take a look at the shea butters category. Mariškin balm combines shea butter with hemp oil (Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil), sunflower oil, rosemary extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract), grapefruit peel oil (Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil) and tansy oil (Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil). If you are curious what scientists have written about shea butter and skin hydration, open studies on shea butter and skin hydration in the PubMed database and read them at your leisure.
Did you know…
The list of ingredients on cosmetics is, under the cosmetics regulation, ordered from the ingredient of which there is most in the product, so from the first line you know whether a butter is anhydrous or contains water.