Top Tips on
How to Use Body Lotion

Your guide on how to use body lotion, with everything you need to know about body lotion, its benefits and the right body lotion for you.

Read Time

7 min

In short:

Top Tips on How to Use Body Lotion
Benefits of Body Lotion
How to Use Body Lotion
How to Use Body Lotion for Specific Areas
How to Put Lotion on Your Back
Can You Use Body Lotion on Your Face?
How to Choose the Right Body Lotion for You
Summary

Body lotion –
what it is and how to use it

Just like you moisturize your face daily to keep your skin supple and hydrated, your body also needs a bit of moisturizing TLC. The sun, environmental factors, sweat, hot showers, central heating and cold snaps can all strip moisture from your skin. Moisturizing skin regularly can help soothe dry skin and help your skin feel soft and smooth.

While it’s a pretty simple step in your overall skincare routine, knowing how to use body lotion properly is a small skill that really elevates your post-shower body care routine. Read on to discover easy tricks on how to use body lotion for the best results that leave you with silky soft, comforted skin.

What is body lotion?

Body lotion is a moisturizer designed to be used all over your body. In much the same way you moisturize your face every day, your body also benefits from a daily dose of hydration.

Body lotions come in a variety of formulas and thicknesses, coating the body in a luxurious layer of moisture that dehydrated skin will drink up. Lightweight, fast-absorbing body lotion textures are ideal for oilier skin types that still want that dose of moisture without a greasy feel.

The benefits of body lotion

Regularly applying body lotion can help soften and soothe dry skin.

Body lotion can help minimize the appearance of temporary lines due to skin dehydration. These dehydration lines are temporary and are different from regular wrinkles formed by skin aging or damage that would require more specialized lotions to reduce their appearance.

Body lotion supports your skin’s moisture barrier, which can be stripped by cleansing or general aging. The nourishing hydration that body lotions offer can help keep your skin protected from dryness.

Body lotion feels great! Applying body lotion after your bath or shower, especially one with a delicate scent like NIVEA Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion, can help moisturize your skin and also provide a wonderful sensory experience.

BODY LOTION: HOW TO USE

How to use
Body Lotion

You’ve found a body moisturizer that suits the demands of your skin, but how do you actually use body lotion?

You can apply body lotion as often as you like, but once a day is usually sufficient. When you apply it is more important than how often. Although most people apply lotion to non-moist skin, it may be better to apply the lotion on moist (not dripping wet) skin after getting out of the shower or bath.

Start applying body lotion to damp skin once a day (or after each time you bathe/shower, if you shower more than once a day), from top to bottom:

1
Add a dollop (around the size of a quarter) to your hand, and use a bit more if your skin is particularly dry or on rougher areas such as elbows and knees.

2
Rub your palms together to warm up the lotion.

3
Starting at your neck and working downwards, use your hands to massage the lotion into your body in small circular motions.

4
Repeat until you’ve covered your entire body.

How to use body lotion for
specific areas

Parts of your body, such as elbows, hands, and knees, are prone to dryness more than others and may need a bit of extra attention. To help soothe and soften very dry areas, you might like to apply body lotion to those areas throughout the day as well as after your bath or shower.

Since you’ll probably be applying lotion to these targeted areas on dry, cool skin, try massaging the areas gently first to warm them up a little before applying the lotion.
You can use your usual body lotion on these areas or opt for one that delivers deeper or more intensive moisture or absorbs quickly.
The iconic NIVEA Creme is perfect for spot-treating problem areas. It’s small enough to slip into your bag and, with a hydrating formula enriched with glycerin and panthenol, its decades-long appeal is proof of its hydration-locking brilliance.

How to put lotion
ON YOUR BACK

Applying body lotion to your back can be a challenge, particularly in between your shoulder blades. Keeping your skin moisturized can help you avoid getting an itchy back from dryness, but what if you can’t reach? If you don’t have someone nearby to help, here are some tips for how to apply lotion to your back:

Use a lotion applicator

Believe it or not, there are tools available specifically for applying lotion to your back! Often resembling a spatula with a long handle, lotion applicators come in a variety of colours and sizes to best suit your needs.

Apply to arms and rub on the back

If you don’t have a lotion applicator handy, you can apply some body lotion to your forearms and the backs of your hands and then bring your forearms behind your back to wipe it off onto your skin. This needs a bit of flexibility and may not always distribute the lotion evenly and thoroughly, but it’s a technique you can try if you find you’re having trouble using your fingers and the palms of your hands to reach behind you.

Can you use body lotion
ON YOUR FACE?

In most cases, it’s best to apply body lotion to your body and use a separate facial moisturizer for your face. However, there are some “all-in-one” moisturizing lotions that are specially formulated for use on both the face and the body.

NIVEA Soft is a lightweight, non-greasy cream with Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E that you can use to hydrate and refresh skin on your face, body, and hands. This all-in-one cream is fast-absorbing, appropriate for all skin types, and leaves your skin feeling soft and supple without a greasy feel.

For even more moisturizing care, NIVEA Creme offers a rich, intensively moisturizing formula that you can use on hands, face, and body. Enriched with Provitamin B5, this versatile moisturizing cream soothes your skin with every use and intensively hydrates to help nourish and protect skin, particularly in rough areas like knees, feet, and elbows.

How to choose the right
BODY LOTION FOR YOU

The type of body lotion that works for you depends on your skin type, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences. Your choice of body lotion may also be guided by a particular skin concern you have, such as dry skin. You may decide to have more than one body lotion in your bathroom cabinet, perhaps a rich, indulgent cream for the evening and a fast-absorbing lotion for mornings. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a body lotion:

Time of year and climate

The seasons can impact your choice of moisturizer. During winter, the weather and central heating can dry out your skin, so you might want to swap your lightweight body lotion for a richer, more nourishing formula during the colder months and switch to a lighter textured lotion in the summer.

Your level of skin sensitivity

If you have sensitive skin, look for a body lotion that specifically mentions it’s appropriate for sensitive skin. Body lotions for sensitive skin are usually free of fragrances and other potential skin irritants or allergens and are specially made to be gentle.

Fragrance preferences

You might also choose your body lotion for its fragrance – or lack of it. You may love the scent of nourishing, natural cocoa butter, such as NIVEA Cocoa Butter Body Lotion, or prefer an uplifting floral fragrance like NIVEA Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion. For sensitive skin, fragrance-free is best.

Pampering

Slathering on sumptuous-smelling body lotions fresh out of the bath or shower is one of life’s affordable luxuries. If you can carve out a bit of time to enjoy this little ritual, choosing a decadent-feeling body lotion that leaves your skin velvety soft can be a relaxing, mood-boosting end to the day or an uplifting start to one.

NIVEA’s oil-infused body lotions such as NIVEA Vanilla & Almond Oil Infused Lotion, NIVEA Orchid & Argan Oil Infused Lotion, and NIVEA Oil Infused Lotion with Coconut & Manoi Oil deliver the soothing benefits of body oil with the smoothness and quick absorption of a body lotion, in a variety of scents to suit your mood.

Targeting dry skin

While many different body lotions help to moisturize skin, if you have dry or very dry skin, opt for a body lotion that delivers deep, nourishing moisture. Infused with our Deep Moisture Serum and Almond Oil, NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion nourishes dry skin after just one application while deeply moisturizing for up to 48 hours.

Other skincare goals

Some body lotions, such as NIVEA Skin Firming Sheer Hydration Body Lotion with Q10 and Creatine, are clever enough to do two things at once – in this case, helping to both moisturize and provide visibly firmer, smoother skin in as little as 2 weeks with twice daily regular use. Explore NIVEA’s full range of skin-firming products with Q10.

BODY LOTION - SUMMARY

Whether you’re drawn by fragrance or looking for help with dry or very dry skin, NIVEA’s collection of body care products has a soothing body lotion for you. Take a look at the full collection of body lotions today and pick the one that feels just right for your skin.

NIVEA BODY CARE PRODUCTS