Ditch Lotions For Body Creams
Creams do a much better job than lotions and here’s why. Lotions tend to be thinner and more watery, so they often just evaporate from the skin’s surface after application. They are simply not thick and moisturizing enough to last. My all-time favorite body cream is shea butter. To be more specific, 100% Unrefined African Shea Butter. Be sure the kind you get is labeled unrefined as it loses its natural properties in the refinement process. Shea butter is magical. It boosts skin moisture. It works as an emollient that softens and hydrates skin. Shea butter contains several types of fatty acids, including linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids which improve the skin’s natural barrier. Shea butter also protects skin from damage from the environment. My favorite brands are Crown Me Chic, a small black-owned business I found on Tiktok, a brand I get on Amazon called Essential Depot and the shea butter from my local African market which is imported straight from Ghana.
Here’s how to apply shea butter for maximum benefits and all day moisture. After taking a shower, apply an oil first to lock in the moisture when your skin is still damp. My two favorites are Bolden’s Shea Oil and Proudly’s Nourishing Oil. Both of these oils are amazingly moisturizing and have light natural scents. After applying the oil, wait a few minutes for it to sink in and then top it off with shea butter. The combination of the oil and shea butter locks in tons of moisture and leaves skin soft all day.