Is Lotion Good for You?

Is Lotion Good for You?

The luxurious feeling of body lotion after a shower or bath brings enjoyment to daily activity and makes it special. While a few ingredients can make lotions harmful, most provide a beneficial effect on personal well-being. Hydration and moisturizing enhance the skin with nutrients that make the skin soft and supple, guarding against signs of aging. Lotions help prevent drying by sealing moisture into the skin and preventing rough or cracked skin. The dedicated staff at Derick Dermatology in Chicago and Florida can recommend medical lotions for clients with specific skin conditions.

Avoiding Harmful Ingredients

Ingredients in lotions that can pose potential damage to skin appear on nutrition labels, and paying attention to them can prevent undesirable outcomes.

Fragrances

While a pleasant aroma may seem harmless, it can allow manufacturers to obscure the ingredients that create it. Some chemicals that create a nice scent may cause skin irritation. Others may produce more dire effects.

Oxybenzone

Lotions do not provide adequate protection from the sun’s UVA or UVB rays to protect your skin. Unfortunately, some sunscreen products include oxybenzone, a chemical that has links to skin cancer. Instead, mineral ingredients such as titanium or zinc can block the rays and prevent their absorption.

Parabens

Skin care lotions can last a long time, and manufacturers may include preservatives that extend their usable lifespan. When the body absorbs them through the skin, adverse health effects can happen. The Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding products that list butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben as ingredients.

Sulfates

The foam and lather in shampoos come from sulfates such as sodium laureth or laurel sulfate. Manufacturers do not often put them in lightweight lotions, but a check of the ingredient label can reveal if a product contains the carcinogens.

Considering the Benefits

Almost everyone enjoys skin that feels soft and elastic and detests the tight, drawn effect of skin that needs moisturizing. A Derick dermatologist can advise clients about a quality skin care product that can enhance any type of skin. Regular use of a body lotion that matches skin preferences can produce beneficial immediate and long-term results.

Hydration

Exposure to the sun, germs, and chemicals happens every day, and the skin responds by becoming dehydrated. An application of a body lotion once or twice daily or more often as needed can prevent signs of aging and problems that occur with dry skin.

Massage

Moisturizers almost always seem to provide comfort and a sense of well-being. In a massage, they enhance relaxation and imbue a sense of calm. The use of lotion on the torso, arms, legs, and feet produces a pleasing effect as it moisturizes the skin.

Smoothing the Rough Spots

Some areas of the body that do the most work may not get the attention they deserve. Calluses on the feet can become supple with the removal of dead skin that lotion can soften. However, any callus that seems swollen or discolored may need the attention of a Derick Dermatology dermatologist.

Reducing Signs of Aging

Most people equate wrinkles with age, and dry skin tends to make them more noticeable. Fillers can help preserve a youthful appearance, and daily use of a body lotion can slow down their appearance. Fine lines can become less noticeable when lotions make the skin supple and resilient.

Preventing Dryness

Summer and winter present conditions that can create dryness. Cold wind can cause it, and how showers and heaters contribute to it too. Surprisingly, summer can do almost as much damage to the skin. High temperatures and exposure to the sun make regular use of a lotion essential.

Choosing the Best Time to Use Lotions

Different skin types may differ in the frequency of lotion use. However, an application after a bath can replace the moisture that evaporates from the skin. Other occasions when the skin feels dry and needs lotion occur throughout the day.

At Bedtime

Applying lotion after an evening bath that precedes a night’s rest may replace the need to use it at bedtime. However, the skin can lose moisture overnight and need hydration.

After Shaving or Exfoliating

Razors can remove the surface skin cells and cause the skin to dry out, and lotions can help protect the new cells.

After Handwashing

Even before COVID, the Centers for Disease Control recommended at least ten reasons for handwashing. Eating or handling food tops the list, and tending to wounds, using the toilet, or touching bodily fluids present urgent needs for washing hands. However, frequent exposure to soap and water can dry the hands and create painful cracks in the skin.

Visiting a Derick Dermatology Office in Chicago or Wesley Chapel, FL

In our upscale, state-of-the-art offices, dermatologists work closely with each client to provide exceptional care for skin, nails, and hair. We offer the latest technologies and methods to ensure each patient receives the benefits of our world-class dermatology services. Our complete range of specialties provides access to cosmetic, medical, and surgical practices for children and adults.