Body Butter vs Lotion: What’s the Real Difference?

December 25, 2025

By: Lauren Sindel

The difference between body butter and lotion comes down to texture, ingredients, and hydration level. Body butter is richer, butter-based, and best for very dry skin or cold climates, while body lotion is lighter, water-based, and ideal for daily hydration or oily skin types.

If you have dry skin or you live in a cold climate, body butter is your best option for maximum hydration. It’s more moisturizing and lasts longer so your skin stays soft and dewy for hours.

Start with Truly Unicorn Fruit Whipped Body Butter, a luxuriously decadent, ultra-viral body butter with a nourishing blend of shea butter, mango butter, acai berry, and matcha for deep, all-day hydration.

Body Butter vs Lotion

Here’s a quick look at the differences between body butter and lotion.

Body Butter

Best for intense hydration, barrier repair, and very dry or sensitive skin.

• Texture: Rich and buttery
• Ingredients: High in natural plant oils and butters like shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and argan oil
• Benefits: Deeply hydrates, reduces dryness, softens rough skin, supports skin barrier function, eases mild eczema, delivers long-lasting hydration
• Best For: Very dry skin, rough patches, compromised skin barrier, winter, nighttime treatment
• Skin Types: Dry and sensitive skin

Body Lotion

Best for lightweight, everyday moisture and normal to oily skin types.

• Texture: Light and non-greasy
• Ingredients: Higher water content with oils and emollients
• Benefits: Lightly hydrates the entire body, fast-absorbing, soothes dryness and irritation
• Best For: Daily use, all-over body hydration, irritated skin
• Skin Types: Normal to oily skin

Bestselling Body Butters

Choose Unicorn Fruit for cotton candy scented hydration, Vanilla Baby for moisturizing shimmer, and Acai Butter for day-long dewy softness.

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Manteca corporal brillante Vanilla Baby

Hidratante corporal suavizante y brillante

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Mantequilla Acai Your Boobies

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What’s the Difference Between Body Butter and Lotion?

Body butter is a rich, concentrated moisturizer made with natural fats and butters (like shea, cocoa, or mango butter). It creates a protective barrier on the skin to stop moisture from escaping and deeply hydrate very dry and sensitive skin.

Body lotion, on the other hand, is a lightweight moisturizer with a higher water content. It absorbs quickly and is best for daily hydration, warmer climates, or normal to oily skin types.

Which is better?

• Choose body butter if your skin is very dry, flaky, or compromised (especially in winter or after shaving).
• Choose body lotion if you want fast-absorbing hydration for everyday use.

A small 2018 clinical study suggests that body butters may help improve symptoms of mild to moderate eczema after two weeks of consistent use.

Our Best Body Butters for Your Skin

For over a decade, Truly has worked with physicians, microbiologists & world renowned chemists to bring you the best in body care. We combine health, trends, and performance with powerhouse ingredients for one-of-a-kind products that deliver the luxurious pampering and real, visible results you deserve.

Here are our most-loved, bestselling body butters for deep hydration and irresistibly soft skin.

1. Unicorn Fruit Body Butter

When your dry, rough skin is craving intense moisturization.

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Manteca corporal arcoíris viral de TikTok

Añadir a la bolsa $32-$49

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Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Acai, Matcha, Vegan Collagen | Scent: Cotton Candy

Rich, whipped, and intensely hydrating, Unicorn Fruit feels like a big, electrolyte-infused jug of water for your skin. With a base of four butters - shea, cocoa, mango, and kakum - this body butter means business for dry, rough skin.

Use this body butter all over or on dry areas for long lasting intense hydration. Your skin will feel softer, smoother, and dewier from the very first use.

2. Vanilla Baby Body Butter

When you want a skin-softening body butter with a glam hint of pearly shimmer.

Manteca corporal brillante Vanilla Baby

Hidratante corporal suavizante y brillante

Añadir a la bolsa $36

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Key Ingredients: Bakuchiol, Niacinamide, Vanilla | Scent: Warm Vanilla + Pear

Luxurious and decadent, Vanilla Baby drenches dry skin in rich, vanilla-scented moisture so you can feel immediately softer with a subtle pearly shimmer. It’s made with bakuchiol, niacinamide, and antioxidants to visibly firm and plump textured skin. A daily skincare routine must-have!

3. Acai Your Boobies Body Butter

When you want hydration + firming power in one step.

Mantequilla Acai Your Boobies

Manteca hidratante y esculpida para el busto

Añadir a la bolsa $32

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Key Ingredients: Mango butter, Retinol, Dragon Fruit | Scent: Blackberry

Fluffy and whipped, Acai Butter blends smoothing butters and anti-aging actives like retinol to soften fine lines, reduce the look of stretch marks, and perk up your pair. While it’s designed for the chest area, you can use it all over for full body hydration.

Can You Use Body Butter and Lotion Together?

Yes, you can use body butter and lotion together. In fact, layering them is a popular technique for achieving maximum hydration, especially if you have extremely dry skin. Here's how to use them for the best effects.

Step 1: Body Lotion

Lotions are water-based and contain humectants (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid) that draw moisture into the skin. Apply your lotion first while your skin is still slightly damp from the shower for that initial drink of hydration.

Step 2: Body Butter

Body butters are oil and butter-based and act as occlusives. Their job is to create a physical barrier on the surface of the skin. By applying the butter second, you lock in the water and nutrients from the lotion, preventing them from evaporating.

FAQ: Body Butter vs Lotion

Is Body Butter Better Than Body Lotion for Dry Skin?

Body butter is often better than lotion for severe dryness because it contains higher levels of fatty acids and rich emollients like cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil. While body lotion offers moisture, body butter delivers longer-lasting hydration and better supports the skin barrier when skin needs extra nourishment.

Can Body Lotion Keep Skin Hydrated All Day?

Yes, a high-quality lotion can keep skin hydrated throughout the day, especially when it contains hydrating ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, jojoba oil, and humectants. For best results, apply body lotion on damp skin to help seal in moisture and reduce dryness.

What Do Dermatologists Recommend: Body Butter or Body Lotion?

Dermatologists typically recommend choosing between body butter and body lotion based on your skin needs. Body lotion is ideal for daily use on normal skin or combination skin, while body butter is often suggested for compromised skin barriers, extreme dryness, or seasonal skin concerns.

Is Body Lotion Good for Combination or Normal Skin?

Body lotion is an excellent option for combination skin and normal skin because it’s fast-absorbing, lightweight, and easy to layer with other skincare products. Many body lotions use emollients and oils like jojoba oil to hydrate without feeling heavy or greasy.

Should You Use Body Butter or Lotion Every Day?

Body lotion is generally best for daily use due to its lighter texture and quick absorption. Body butter can also be used daily if your skin needs extra moisture, especially at night or during colder months when the skin barrier needs added protection.

What Ingredients Should I Look for in a High-Quality Body Butter?

A high-quality body butter should include hydrating ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, niacinamide, vitamin E, fatty acids, and nourishing oils such as coconut oil or jojoba oil.

Is Choosing Between Body Butter vs Lotion Just Personal Preference?

While personal preference plays a role, choosing between lotion and body butter should also depend on your skin needs, climate, and level of dryness. Body lotion works well for everyday hydration, while body butter is better for intensive moisture and repairing the skin barrier.

Now, it's time to find your perfect moisturizer.

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