Why You Should Be Mixing Oil With Body Lotion For Ultimate Moisture Retention

Is your skin super dry lately? Maybe it's even red and flaking. If so, your average body lotion may not be providing your skin with the adequate amount of hydration it needs. A simple way to fix this is by combining it with body oil for ultimate moisture retention. Oil is very thick, so it creates a barrier on your skin, locking in all the moisture you've added with your lotion.

Each product works well on its own for different reasons, but they work even better together. Body lotions are usually ideal for oily to normal skin types due to their lightweight, water-based formula. This also makes it feel better to wear all day long if you live in an area with weather that is hot and humid. Meanwhile, body oils are great for helping to relieve certain skin conditions and repairing your skin barrier in the process. Because of its thick texture, oils are perfect for people who live in colder climates.

Clearly, both products have their advantages, and they only get better when you use them together. Here's how to reap the benefits after you step out of the shower.

The key to getting ultimate moisture retention is using body oil with your usual lotion. Together, they work similarly to the slugging technique. Using oil alone won't give you the complete moisture retention you want. Before applying it, you need a layer of product that will deliver the necessary moisture. Since oils are an occlusive product, they work to create a barrier over your skin and the lotion you're already wearing. That way, your body can absorb the moisture before all the water evaporates. Essentially, it prevents transepidermal water loss, which is when water moves from the bottom layer of skin to the outermost layer. As you lose moisture from this process, your skin becomes dehydrated.

Using oil with your favorite lotion can benefit your skin in more ways than one. If you're looking to treat signs of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles, you will want to add oil to your routine, which allows your other skincare products to penetrate deeper into the skin. Juana Skincare explains that this happens because it promotes the skin to produce more oil naturally, causing the skin to moisturize itself like it's supposed to anyway and preventing dryness as a result.

The order that you apply these two products matters. It can make a big difference in how effective they are together. First, you always want to start with clean skin. This helps to remove anything that would get in the way of your body absorbing the moisture it craves. If you want to make it even easier to get hydrated skin, take a shower with warm water; the steam will open your pores.

Similar to the skincare routine you may do on your face, the products should be applied beginning with the lightest, water-based formulas and ending with heavier oil-based ones. In this case, that would mean slathering on your usual body lotion first. Then, you can apply a thin layer of body oil on top. However, you'll want to do the opposite if you're looking to treat your skin with an oil. That's when you want your body to absorb the product before moisturizing.

Whatever your skin concern, you should notice a significant difference in how your skin looks and feels.