The Ultimate Guide To Moisturizing

We have heard time and time again that moisturizing the skin is so important. Important to combating dry skin, aging, and probably about every single skin ailment on earth. You could browse Google for hours with every website giving you the latest cure for any skin ailment-- usually it has something to do with moisturizing in one way or another. 

So if you choose to add a moisturizer to your routine, you might realize pretty quickly that there are a lot of different ways to moisturize your skin. In this post, we are going to teach you about a few different moisturizers, how to use them, and their key differences so that you will know what would be best for you (& your family).

MWhen I began my relationship with skincare products & skincare in general, I wish someone had told me that my skin was the ultimate messenger to what was going on in my body. Of course, I mostly got introduced to skincare when I was a teenager and the only reason I really cared was because I had a face full of acne and blackheads. Very rarely did my skin glow. I read the magazines that were targeted to teenagers and young adults cover to cover. I saved up my allowance for the latest ad for a facial wash or facial moistruizer. One night out of complete desperation, I decided that I was going to dry out those zits and move on with my life. 

You want to know what happened? Much to my embarrassment, I put a chemically laden (the current me is screaming inside just thinking about this) facial wash on my skin at night and LET IT DRY OVERNIGHT. Yes... I woke up in the middle of the night with my face burning like it had lit fire. I quickly got up and washed my face & saw how red my face looked. It looked like a serious sunburn. Just the water touching my face burned. I remember reaching for the closest moisturizer under the sink and slathered it on my face- the pain just got worse. 

By the next morning when I woke up my face was super red & inflamed BUT it was also super dry. I had to manage going to school with a red and crazy dry, peeling face. My skincare routine changed after that. I used just plain soap and water to wash my face and just kinda gave up on the idea of having clear, smooth, and properly hydrated skin. My skin did get better, but it wasn't what I had hoped for. 

Flash forward a few years and I was spending my time studying the skin and holistic skincare. I was developing soap recipes and even lotion. I struggled to understand the different between lotion and body butter but eventually I did. So today, let's talk about different ways to moisturize your skin. 

Body Butter

What is body butter? For me, for my company, body butter is a high quality moisturizer that you can use at any point in the day. It is pretty thick, similar to buttercream frosting, and a little goes a long way. At HBC Organics, our body butter is made from 3-5 ingredients depending upon the scent, if you are getting unscented, you have 3 ingredients in your body butter. 

This is perfect for people with very dry skin on their legs and arms. I like to recommend it to health care workers who are consistently washing their hands.  It can be used for a luxurious massage as well. So body butter is for lots of moisturizing, to soften skin, and reduce callouses. 

With HBC Organics, your body butter shouldn't leave a greasy film. It should soak into your skin within 10 minutes. I like to tell parents that body butter is great for their baby. A newborn and toddler loses moisture out of their skin much quicker than an adult, so if you choose to moisturize their skin, they should use a body butter or the custom product we created for babies and toddlers-- baby butter. 

Lotion

When most people think of moisturizing, they think of lotion. It usually comes in a pump or squeeze bottle and is thinner than body butter. It should absorb into the skin rather quickly 3-5 minutes. 

Lotion is like the regular, every day moisturizing to soften your hands and forearms. Some people use it on legs and feet as well. The oils in HBC Organics' lotion are oils that penetrate quickly and gently coax the skin to regenerate with allatonin. 

HBC Organics also offers a lotion for babies that soaks into their skin quickly. 

Salves & Balms

Salves and balms are like calling in the big guns. These are usually made with oils that sit on top of the skin, oils that penetrate quickly, and a wax of somesort. This is great for rashes, sunburn, burns, cracked skin, heels, elbows, and scars and more. If you have a baby or toddler- these are must haves for bug bites, rug burn (haha wrestling & boys), skinned knees, diaper rash, and more. 

Now, often times you can even a balm as an oil cleanser. This is what some people do to remove dirt and makeup from their skin. You simply massage a small amount of a balm into your skin before getting it wet in the shower or bath. Next you rinse it with warm water. Some people follow with a facial cleanser while others do not. 

HBC Organics offers a one of a kind balm known as Infinity Balm 

Straight Oil

Some people prefer to bypass all of the more modern ways of moisturizing and they simply grab for a jar of coconut oil, shea butter, or another oil such as olive, avocado, or jojoba. This works well to so long as you aren't using much, no one wants to over moisturize. If your skin is prone to excessive dryness- do not use coconut oil, it can have drying qualities. 

I love jojoba, rosehip, and avocado oil for the face, with maybe a drop or two of blue tansy & frankincense essential oil. I like shea butter and coconut oil for the legs and elbows. 

Maybe The Most Important Of All??

The most important thing you can do to support your skin is to address your nutrition & hydration. Are you drinking enough water per day? How is your fat intake? Do you eat a lot of processed foods? Have you consulted a naturopath, functional medicine, or physician to see if your liver, gallbladder, and spleen are functioning properly.. because those organs process everything that goes ON the skin and INto the body... show them a bit of love with dandelion tea, beets, carrots, and other liver loving foods. 

You are what you eat and the skin is the ultimate guide to see what is going on within the body. Bringing balance to your hormones, eating properly, hydrating properly, and adding supplementation where needed can be a life change for your skin & your life. When I addressed my hormone imbalance and my eating habits- my skin completely changed. I believe it can change for you too!

As always, wash your skin with quality soaps (bar if you can do it), use clean makeup, and detox your environment & we have faith that  you'll notice a world of change in your life.