Moisturizing the skin is a crucial step in any good skincare routine. But there are so many products and formats available on the market that it can be quite difficult to find the ones that will meet your needs. Dry oil or body butter? Truth be told, there is no right or wrong answer. The important thing is to know how to distinguish their particularities.
The Differences Between Dry Oil and Body Butter
While they play a similar role, dry oils and body butters differ in many ways. Here are five factors to consider when shopping for your skin moisturization products.
1. Ingredients
It should go without saying, but the best dry oils and body butters are made with plant-based ingredients.
The butters are crafted with powerful ingredients like shea and cocoa butters, which are rich in vitamins A, E, and F as well as polyphenols. These substances perform tiny miracles that include smoothing out the skin, reducing the appearance of signs of aging, and reducing sun damage.(1) Body Butters may also contain occlusive agents that prevent loss of hydration, a big plus!
Dry oils, on the other hand, contain a blend of precious oils like jojoba, argan, and avocado that are packed with vitamins A, E, and D, which promote skin elasticity and help strengthen the natural moisture barrier.(2)
2. Texture
Body butters are recognizable by their rich and creamy texture. They penetrate the skin to nourish and soften, while providing an unheralded feeling of comfort.
Dry oils, contrastingly, are not as creamy, but are just as effective. They hydrate the surface of the skin without leaving sticky traces. Oils are appreciated for their lightness and fast absorption into the skin.
3. Skin Type
If your skin is dry and lacks fat, body butters would be the option. This type of skin condition is, typically, associated with very cold and arid climates. Dry oils are also great for dry skin, but, paradoxically, several oils, such a jojoba and avocado oils, are also beneficial for acne-prone skin. The oils copy the lipids naturally present in the body and help repair the moisture barrier, regulating the production of sebum that causes pimples.(3) Dry oils are also good for normal skin that is occasionally irritated by external factors like the sun or chlorine.
4. Usage
Body butters should be applied to dry skin to stimulate absorption. But here’s a professional tip for optimal results: let the butter warm up and melt on your skin before you caress your skin, just like you’re the pancake! Watch it glide smoothly and gently absorb into the skin. These must be stored at a temperature below 32°C or they will look like the butter you put on actual pancakes. The simplest option? These zero plastic body butter sticks that spread and penetrate the skin in no time, without making a mess! Available in two aromas – sea salt and sandalwood – they are vegan and ranked among the EWG’s preferred choices because they do not contain any ingredients of concern.
Here is how to use them:
Similarly, dry oils should also be stored below 32°C. Remember, they are not as rich as body butters, so they penetrate the skin faster. Our professional tip for optimal results: apply the oil after thoroughly exfoliating your body in the shower. Your skin will be better suited to absorb and feed on all the beneficial plant-derived ingredients in the oil. These dry oil sticks leave no trace, neither on you nor the environment.
5. Benefits
Both products have the same goal in mind: to leave the skin nourished, hydrated, supple, and soft – as long as they are made with naturally derived wholesome ingredients, of course! Offered in innovative plastic-free packaging that is made entirely from FSC-certified biodegradable cardboard, our leaves bar™ butters and oils are enriched with Indian cress and watercress leaves, known for containing vitamins and minerals and carefully chosen for their ability to soften the skin. And because of their format, our body butters and dry oils can be easily integrated into any beauty routine! Slip them into your bag wherever you go – the gym, the beach, your best friend’s place – for perfectly hydrated skin all the time!
Do our body butter and dry oil sticks make you want to continue to ease on down the green road? Keep up the momentum by finding products considered clean and safe by the EWG that are completely plastic free and gentle for you and the environment. Here are nine to get you started in style!