When choosing a potential skincare product for a particular skin concern, it can feel confusing to know what type of product is best – lotion, cream, or ointment. Each product serves its own purpose and has qualities that differentiate it from the others. In this article, you’ll learn the difference between skincare creams, lotions, and ointments, which to choose for your skin concerns, and how to help your skin look and feel its best with Aquaphor^®.

When using lotion, cream, and ointment, there are a few key ways the products differ in both their use and their formulation:

Perhaps the most noticeable difference between these three skincare products is their feel and thickness:

• Lotions are generally thinner and have a lighter feel.
• Creams are generally thicker and offer a richer feel than lotion. Creams can be non-greasy to mildly greasy depending on their formula.
• Ointments are generally even thicker than creams, allowing them to stay in place and provide protective benefits to extremely dry or compromised skin.

The difference in water content in creams, lotions, and ointments helps to determine how quickly or easily the product absorbs into the skin.

• Lotions: Due to their thinner feel, lotions are often absorbed more quickly and may leave less residue than a cream, contributing to a less greasy feel¹.
• Creams: Creams absorb faster than ointments, allowing for easy coverage over large areas of skin. Depending on the formula, some skincare creams may help create a barrier on the skin that helps it to retain moisture, making creams a sensible choice for dry skin.
• Ointments: Ointments remain on the skin’s surface longer than lotions and creams and act as a protective layer. Ointments contain occlusives that sit on top of the skin to help create a barrier that shields skin from moisture loss. This helps to protect skin from the drying effects of environmental factors like dry, cold air.

Depending on the product formula, some lotions and skin creams can feel similar. Generally speaking, lotions are thinner and have a lighter feel on the skin than creams, but depending on the specific product, the richness and viscosity of these products will vary.

Lotions are frequently packaged in a pump bottle since their texture is easy to dispense, whereas you may find creams in a tub or jar since their thicker texture better holds its shape and can be easily scooped with the fingers¹.

Both lotions and creams can provide nourishing moisture to the skin depending on the formula. If your skin is normal to oily, you may prefer a lotion with a lighter finish. If your skin is more dry, you may enjoy the texture of a richer body cream. For dry and sensitive skin, be sure to look for a lotion or cream formulated for use with sensitive skin.

Both skin creams and ointments can be used to help dry skin. Depending on their formulas, both products can contain skin nourishing ingredients in conjunction with a more oil-rich formula than lotions to help encourage moisture retention in the skin. Given this, are ointments and body creams interchangeable?

It comes down to how much of your body you are wanting to cover, the texture you prefer, and the skincare concerns you’re addressing. Since ointments sit on top of the skin to create a protective barrier, they’re great for applying to targeted areas of dry, cracked, or irritated skin. Creams provide nourishing moisture over larger areas of skin with less residue than an ointment, and their rich texture can provide a pleasant sensory experience.

If you’re looking to address a targeted area of dry skin, or if your skin is also cracked or chafed, you may wish to try an ointment. If your skin is dry and you have a larger area to cover, or want a lighter feel after applying, you may wish to try a nourishing skin cream.

Lotions, creams, and ointments are designed to address specific skin concerns, and what you will use will depend on your skin type, your skin’s needs, and your personal preference.

Different body lotions have different formulas to address particular skin concerns. If you are looking to moisturize your skin with a product that is quickly absorbed and leaves little residue, a lightweight daily body lotion may be right for you.

When to apply body lotion

Incorporate body lotion into your daily morning and evening skincare routine, applying immediately after drying off after bathing, as well as any time that skin feels dry.

A lightweight daily moisturizing lotion from Aquaphor^®

For daily moisture and skin nourishment for both face and body, Aquaphor^® Hydrating Daily Lotion provides 72-hour hydration to dry, sensitive skin. With a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula, this daily moisturizer brings the comfort and soothing properties of Aquaphor^® to a product you can introduce into your morning and evening skincare routines. Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, fragrance-, dye-, and paraben-free, this nourishing moisturizer supports the skin moisture barrier, is suitable for sensitive skin and instantly soothes for soft, healthy-looking skin. Aquaphor^® Hydrating Daily Lotion is accepted by the National Eczema Association.

If your skin is dry, or if you just prefer a nourishing skincare product that absorbs into the skin with a richer, creamier texture, opt for a daily moisturizing body cream.

When to apply body cream

Apply body cream as you would body lotion, incorporating it into your morning and evening skincare routines (especially after bathing) to help keep skin feeling smooth and soft, or any time that skin feels dry.

Aquaphor^® Moisturizing Cream Delivers 48-hour hydration to dry, sensitive skin in a rich, creamy formula that still maintains a lightweight, non-greasy texture. This fragrance-free, hypoallergenic moisturizing cream instantly soothes, is suitable for sensitive skin, and supports the skin’s moisture barrier for long-lasting hydration. This product is also accepted by the National Eczema Association and has been tested with dermatologists.

For areas of dry, cracked, chafed or chapped skin, opt for a skin protectant ointment. Unlike lotions and creams which are often formulated to be applied to larger areas of skin, an ointment is more appropriate for isolated areas such as dry hands, cracked feet, chapped lips, or other spots where dry, irritated skin may occur. You may also wish to use an ointment on your face for slugging.

When to apply ointment

Apply a skin protectant ointment at the first signs of dry, chapped, chafed, or cracked skin, and reapply whenever skin feels dry. For dry, cracked hands, it can be helpful to apply ointment after washing your hands. If you’re a runner, you may want to apply ointment pre-emptively to chafe-prone areas before a run or a race. For slugging, apply a small amount of ointment before bed. Some ointments such as Aquaphor^® Baby Healing Ointment can be used to help soothe and help prevent diaper rash when used at every diaper change.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment^® - the trusted skin protectant ointment that supports healing while allowing skin to breathe

Aquaphor Healing Ointment^® brings all of the benefits of a soothing ointment in a unique semi-occlusive formula that simultaneously protects skin while still allowing it to breathe. This versatile skin protectant ointment provides soothing relief of chapped, dry, cracked or irritated skin when you need it most. Preservative- and fragrance-free, Aquaphor Healing Ointment^® protects and soothes minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and helps nourish and protect skin to enhance healing. Apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment^® to skin at the first sign of dryness to help soothe dry skin and keep skin protected from the drying effects of wind and cold weather.

Whether you’re looking for a lightweight daily lotion, rich and nourishing cream, or tried-and-true skin protectant ointment, Aquaphor^® is here to provide trusted care to help your skin look and feel its best. Aquaphor Healing Ointment^® is a versatile skincare product customers and their families have turned to for decades to help relieve dry, chapped skin, help soothe and protect minor cuts and minor burns, and help soothe other minor skin irritations like chafing and blisters. With new Aquaphor^® Daily Lotion and Aquaphor^® Moisturizing Cream, you can now incorporate Aquaphor^® into your all-over skincare routine every day.

Explore Aquaphor^® ’s full range of body care products.

The information provided herein is not intended to be medical advice. Nor is it intended to treat the underlying skin disease or condition. The information is provided solely to:

1. Moisturize, soften and smooth dry skin.
2. Improve the appearance of the skin.
3. Achieve healthier-looking skin.