Soft skin is healthy skin—and using lotion is one of the best ways to ensure your skin looks and feels great. You can use it on a regular basis to soften dry, rough skin, get rid of scaly knees and elbows and lock in healthy moisture.

Why use lotion?

Lotions are good for all skin types, even oily ones—although if you have particularly dry skin, you may want to use a body cream or body butter to moisturize. Typically, lotions contain humectants, which attract and seal in moisture, as well as emollients, which soften and smooth the skin. Lotions often contain fatty acids and vitamin E, which protect the natural skin barrier and maintain healthy skin.

You’ll get best results if you use lotion after your shower, when your skin is clean and damp, and your pores are open. Most lotions can be used on the entire body, but may cause your face to break out—use facial moisturizers for that purpose.

Benefits of using lotion

Here’s a closer look at some of the advantages of incorporating lotion into your skincare regiment:

  • Keep your skin hydrated: When you live in a hot, dry area, your skin has a harder time retaining moisture. Your skin can get chapped and cracked from dry air, wind, heat and even the cold. Lotion helps seal in moisture to improve hydration, reduce irritation and prevent further damage.
  • Maintain your tan: Love that golden summer glow? Lotion helps maintain your tan, so apply daily after your shower to make it last.
  • Soothe extra dry or rough spots: Elbows, knees, random scaly patches and skin conditions like eczema can leave your skin feeling more like a Martian landscape than a human body. Lotion helps soothe and heal these areas, making them feel as smooth and soft as the rest of your skin.
  • Enhance your natural skin tone: With regular use, your skin becomes healthier, which means it will glow from the inside out. When you regularly moisturize, your skin will not only feel better, it will also look better. Whether you’re hitting the beach or want to look great in a little black dress, regular moisturizing is key.
  • Smells great: If you like scented lotions, choosing a high-quality version can replace perfumes and other scents. It’s a subtler way to achieve a signature scent. Plus, depending on the scent, you might enjoy some aromatherapeutic effects. It’s like going to the spa for five minutes every day.
  • Get rid of calluses: Calluses can form on our hands and feet, especially if you work a manual job, play sports frequently or wear ill-fitting shoes. These rough, hardened areas of skin are your body’s way of protecting the skin—but they don’t exactly look or feel great. Lotion helps soften and remove the dead skin, so you have baby-soft skin everywhere.

When you’re ready to choose high-quality scented lotions, Soaps & Scents has a great selection. Our products enhanced with vitamins, nutrients, aloe vera and glycerin to promote healthy, soft skin. Shop online or stop by today to start reaping the benefits of using lotion!

Both bathing solutions are common. Is one better than the other? Is one product a clear winner in the bar-soap-vs.-body-wash debate? What exactly are the differences between bar soap and liquid soap? As you choose your personal cleanser, use the following guide to decide which is best for you.

Differences between bar soap and liquid soap

The main difference between these two products is the ingredients used to make them. Liquid soap is made with potash (potassium hydroxide). Bar soap is made with lye (sodium hydroxide). Bar soap also contains higher quantities of superfat and glycerin.

When it comes to effectiveness for cleaning, there is not much difference between bar soap and liquid soap. There are, however, unique pros and cons to each type of soap.

Bar soap pros

  • Cost-effective: Bar for bar and ounce for ounce, you will typically pay less for bar soap than liquid soap. If you’re looking for the most budget-friendly option, bar soap is probably your best bet.
  • Environmentally friendly: Due to the natural ingredients found in bar soap, this is the greener option of the two. If this is a top priority for you, you may want to choose bar soap over liquid soap.
  • Pure ingredients: Some manufacturers produce bar soap with minimal, pure ingredients. There’s usually no need for chemical preservatives or other extraneous ingredients, so you get just what you need to get clean.

Bar soap con

  • Skin dehydration: Bar soap contains a harsh ingredient that can dehydrate your skin; therefore, washing with a bar soap can remove natural oils from the body and leave it dehydrated. If your skin has ever felt extra tight or “squeaky clean” after bathing with bar soap, this is why.

Body wash pros

  • Moisturizing: Unlike bar soap, which can dehydrate the skin, liquid soap is better for moisturizing. It does not contain the same drying ingredients as bar soap, so if dry skin is a concern, you may be better off choosing liquid soap.
  • Hygienic: Liquid soap may be slightly more hygienic than bar soap, depending on how the bar is stored and used.

Body wash cons

  • Chemical ingredients: Liquid body wash contains preservatives, so it may include harsh chemicals that you don’t want on your skin or in the environment.
  • Cost: In many cases, liquid soap is more expensive than bar soap, so this might not be the most budget-friendly option.

Find the right soap for you

Want to learn more about the differences between bar soap and liquid soap? Visit Soaps & Scents today. We have been making beautiful handmade soaps for over 20 years, so we are your go-to experts for all things soap. We offer bar and liquid soaps in a variety of fragrances and even some fun soaps such as our Ducky or Cupcake soaps. We make everything by hand in small quantities, and all of our soaps are free of animal products. If you haven’t had a chance to try our wonderful soaps and products, you’re in for a treat! Stop by today to find the perfect cleansing solution for your needs.

Skincare isn’t just for women, but most men are hesitant to pick up these types of products, lest they be labeled too “girly.” Maybe the men in your life don’t want to smell like flowers and candy, but there’s nothing like a good handmade soap or sugar scrub to make them feel like a million bucks. If you choose a great unisex scent, you might just turn your dad into a skincare aficionado. Here’s why body scrubs for men make such a great gift.

Exfoliation and hygiene are for everyone

Everyone—men included—can benefit from high quality soaps and sugar scrubs. After all, everyone needs to wash and exfoliate their skin. Even if the idea of sugar scrubs seems too feminine for your dad, he might be pleasantly surprised once he gives them a try.

Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. This prevents them from building up, clogging pores and causing acne. Many men suffer from acne on their bodies, but don’t realize that a quick sugar scrub treatment can eliminate the problem entirely. It also prevents ingrown hairs, and when there’s a moisturizing ingredient included, it will leave your skin clean and smooth.

Choosing the right scent for men

Generally, men tend to gravitate toward spicy, woodsy or musky scents. If you’re having a hard time choosing a sugar scrub for the men in your life, try to avoid “sweet” smells. Those are typically associated with women, which could ruin your “stay clean and exfoliated” campaign before it even begins. That means our Sugar Plum Fairy and Jasmine sugar scrub scents are probably out, unless your dad loves to flout convention.

However, citrus and herbal scents are almost always a good bet. For example, lemongrass has a sharp, tart scent, while eucalyptus offers a unisex vegetal note. Adding sage to fruit scents, like our Blackberry Sage and Tangerine Sage scrubs, is a great compromise. The bright, fruity notes are tempered with an herbal note.

When it comes to soaps, our Teak and Sandalwood scent is popular among men—the woodsy notes are clean and masculine. Another great choice for men is the Salty Mariner. If your dad loves to be out on the water, this scent will make him smell like he has been, in the best possible way. If your dad is a fan of musk-based colognes, our Masculine Musk soap will be the perfect complement to his normal routine.

Shop for Dad at Soaps & Scents

With Father’s Day right around the corner, now is the perfect time to upgrade Dad’s daily shower routine. Not sure what kind of scents or bath products he might enjoy? Stop by our store to get help from one of our friendly staff members. We’ll be glad to help you choose the perfect gift for Dad. Call, stop by or shop online today to get the perfect body scrub picked out in time for Father’s Day—he’s sure to appreciate the thoughtful gift, and might even have his eyes opened to other skincare products!