In a world of unforeseen circumstances, can your body lotion be good for your face? It may happen that you did not keep track of your skincare products, and you just realized that your face moisturizer tube is empty.
You may use it as a quick fix to meet the need of the moment. However, you should not get comfortable and make it your daily face moisturizer.
Just like there are reasons for every beauty dos and don’ts, this too is not left out. You should know that the skin on one area of your body is quite different from the skin on other areas. And you should treat them as such.
Is Body Lotion Good for Your Face?
It is not easy to tell two lotions apart when the liquid is out of the bottles. But you should believe that face and body lotion are not the same. They are not formulated the same way or with the same ingredients.
Shari Lipner, a board-certified dermatologist, says “the skin on your face is thinner than the rest of your body, with the preorbital skin around your eyes the thinnest”.
This sums up to say, your face and body lotion will be tailored to meet the needs of these skin areas. Although it may not cause any severe or permanent damage, especially after one or two applications, body lotion is not good for your face.
The skin on other parts of your body is thicker, stronger, and with larger pores. So, the ingredients in your body lotion will certainly be heavier and use more oils and fragrances. Such a product will be too much for your facial skin to take and can cause skin reactions.
Furthermore, facial lotions are designed to cater to delicate skin. If you use body lotion to moisturize your face, you put yourself at risk of so many things.
They include acne breakouts, redness on the face, dryness, and other skin irritations. The heavy formulas can clog your pores and interfere with your natural barrier.
Is Baby Lotion Good for Your Face?
Baby lotion is delicately concentrated and formulated to soothe a baby’s skin. However, it may not be the best lotion for your face. And yes, this is regardless of its sensitive nature.
Even worse, the ingredients that make it up are what make baby lotion your face shouldn’t have. A baby’s skin cannot retain moisture like an adult’s skin. So, their skincare products contain high concentrations of alcohol and oil to enhance moisture retention.
These ingredients are not good for facial skin. Alcohol can be very drying on your skin and cause flaking and skin irritations. A common oil in baby lotion is coconut oil and this oil has a high comedogenic rating, which means it will clog your pores.
Apart from these ingredients, a baby lotion should make a good facial moisturizer for your sensitive skin. Moreover, baby lotion does not contain UV or anti-aging ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, and hyaluronic acid which are necessary for adult skin.
In addition, you will certainly not find exfoliating and deep cleansing ingredients in baby lotion. As newborns, they do not need any of these. On the other hand, adult skin needs these ingredients for an improved skin tone and texture.
Is Body Lotion Good for Face Acne?
Oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin types are very cautious and conscious of what goes onto their skin. Moisture is one natural way of keeping skin blemishes like acne at bay.
Also, facial skin is very delicate and the most exposed skin to environmental aggressors. You need a very good face moisturizer to prevent breakouts and manage existing breakouts and scars.
But you can’t rely on body lotion to prevent or treat acne. The formula does not contain UV ingredients that can protect your face from free radical damage. Its thick formula does not absorb into your skin, and it forms residues that irritate your skin and even clog your pores.
Additionally, acne skin treatments target reducing oil production and retaining natural moisture. The nature of the skin on other parts of your body requires an oil-based lotion that is a total no-no for acne skin.
You may find some exfoliants on the list of your body lotion ingredients, yet it is not safe for your face. It can be too drying and the oils in the formula can cause further acne cases.
Which Lotion Should You Use for Your Face?
The skin around your face is prone to issues like acne, skin discoloration, and wrinkles. Therefore, facial care products have high concentrations of active ingredients that address these issues.
With so many brands of facial care products, it is the ingredient’s makeup that matter. “Creams are often richer, while lotions are more water-based and liquid in form,” explains Dr. Anna Chacon, a dermatologist.
That is to say, a facial cream will be better for your face. The high water content in lotions makes them prone to bacteria formation. And preservatives like parabens are then added to prevent these bacteria growth. To mask the odor of the preservatives, fragrances are added to the lotion.
As a result, your lotion contains too many ingredients that aren’t as essential to your facial skin as they sound.
Moreover, these creams have undergone a series of validation to prove each ingredient’s effectiveness in managing your skin conditions. However, if you’ll rather use a lotion, it should be lightweight and contain active ingredients like vitamin C, B3, B5, and retinol.
Also, do not use your hand lotion for your face. Hand lotions are heavier than body lotions because they address excessive dryness which your hands are prone to.
Benefits of Moisturizing Your Face
1. An escape from skin dryness
Facial skin is the most exposed skin on your body. Also, you almost cannot avoid daily contact with the elements which strip your skin of moisture.
Using a moisturizer will replenish and make up for this trans epidermal water loss. In addition, it protects your skin from further water evaporation that can make your skin dry, itchy, and flaky.
Moreover, your daily hot shower and facial cleansing strip your face of moisture and expose you to acne breakouts. Moisturizing your face will prevent future damage and retain moisture with the humectant ingredients.
2. Reverses premature aging
Excessive skin dryness and exposure to the elements can disrupt your natural barrier. Consequently, collagen depletes, and fine lines and wrinkles begin to develop.
Aging comes with these fine lines and wrinkles but if you moisturize your face daily, you can slow down the aging process. Moisturizer plumps your face and makes you look youthful.
3. Takes care of skin blemishes
Prolonged exposure to sunlight and inflammations that arise from skin irritations can result in skin blemishes. But moisturized skin equals farewell to skin blemishes like acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Besides, a moisturizer is the best product enhancer you can give your skin. It enhances the effect of your topical spot treatment. On its own, a moisturizer is sufficient enough to hydrate your skin and fight off the bacteria responsible for acne.
4. Brightened complexion
If your moisturizer contains ingredients that replenish collagen and speed up cell turnover, you can be sure that your skin will look brighter. Lotions instantly brighten your skin and make it glow.
Continuous use of a moisturizer plumps your skin and gives you an uncompromised glow. It improves the texture of your skin and the tone of your complexion.
Additionally, the ultra-hydration it supplies can help to even your skin tone by reducing the appearance of acne and hyperpigmentation scars.
5. Protect your skin against UV rays
Most brands of moisturizers infuse SPF into their formulas. So, without using sunblock, you can rest assured that your skin is protected from the sun’s rays.
Moisturizers that contain occlusives form a protection over the outer layer of your facial skin. As a result, your skin is protected from the interference of the sun’s rays.
6. Provides a canvas for perfect makeup
Makeup and dry skin do not go well. Dry, flaky skin will make your makeup cake and ruin what should have been a matte or dewy finish.
After cleansing your face and applying serum, you should apply an ideal face moisturizer. This will allow the product to sit well on your face and result in a seamless finish.
Besides, an occlusive moisturizer forms a protective barrier between your skin and the makeup product. This cuts down on any risk of skin cell damage.
FAQs
Should you apply lotion to your face every day?
If it is a face lotion, then, you should. Moisturizing should be a part of your morning and evening facial care routine.
Regular moisturizing protects your face from getting too oily or too dry. It restores the moisture lost to the harsh chemicals in cleansers and exfoliators.
Should you use hand lotion to moisturize your face?
No, you shouldn’t. Hand lotion contains more fat thickeners and waxes than body creams do. So, the formula is too harsh for your face and can result in skin redness and acne.
Hand lotions are formulated to suit your hands and restore moisture to the skin as your go about the day’s activities.
Will baby lotion clog your pores?
Yes, it will. Baby lotions contain coconut oil which is a comedogenic oil. It will clog your pores and result in acne breakouts. In addition, it contains alcohol which can dry out your facial skin, dilate your pores, and cause dryness.
Should you use lotion or cream on your face?
Skin experts say face creams are richer and better face moisturizers compared to face lotions that may contain too many ingredients.
However, your choice of moisturizer depends on your skin type. If you have excessively dry skin, a cream moisturizer will be better for your face. And if you have oily or sensitive skin, you should rather opt for a lotion.
Conclusion
A bottle of body lotion is big and using it for both body and face can be cost-effective. But is it good for your face? Using body lotion as a face moisturizer on days when you have run out of face cream shouldn’t cause any severe or permanent damage.
However, you do not want to make it a habit. The skin on your face is thinner than the skin on other parts of your body. The oils and fragrances in body lotions can be too harsh for your face and can lead to skin irritations and clogged pores.
Therefore, you should use a moisturizing lotion that specifically says, ‘for your face’. This way you can be sure to get good results. However, you need to take your skin type into account while you shop for a moisturizer.
Thanks for reading.
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