Lotion vs. Cream vs. Ointment: Which to Use When
Medical review by Jennifer Rivera, APRN
Creams, lotions, ointments — they’re all more or less the same, right? Wrong. If you use one moisturizing product for everything, you could be missing out on more effective treatment, whether you’re battling dry skin, oily skin, cracked heels, chapped lips, psoriasis, or other skin challenges.
To know when to use a lotion vs. a cream vs. an ointment helps to understand the differences. The ingredients vary, but all three are ultimately a combination of water and oil in different ratios. Those ratios determine how moisturizing they are, how well they prevent the body’s own moisture from evaporating from the skin, and how light or heavy they feel.
Lotion vs. cream
The main difference between a lotion and a cream is the water content, which also dictates the thickness.
Lotions
Lotions contain more water than creams and are, therefore, thinner. They are typically formulated with lightweight ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which is hydrating and skin-plumping without leaving a residue or clogging pores, resulting in more frequent applications.
Uses: Lotion is best for people with normal to oily skin and those who live in warm, humid climates. Some lotions are oil-free. Lighter moisturizing ingredients, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, are used instead. These can be a good choice if you have acne-prone skin.
Tip: Because they contain more water, lotions require more preservatives. If your lotion irritates your skin, it could be the preservative. Try another brand, or switch to a cream. For best absorption, apply within 5 min of showering on slightly damp skin.
Recommended products:
- Elta MD UV Clear with Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 (Face: acne/rosacea/oily)
- Elta MD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 (Face: Normal/Combination)
- Wederm 15% Glycolic Body Lotion (body)
- Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion (face and body)
- Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Sheer Hydration Lotion (body)
- Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion (Body and face)
Creams
Creams are thicker than lotions because they contain more oil — typically, they are composed of about half oil and half water. They also contain heavier ingredients, such as lanolin and shea butter. Creams absorb into the skin less rapidly than lotions. Most creams come in a jar or a squeeze tube versus a pump bottle.
In addition to emollients (fats and oils that soften skin) and/or humectants (substances that hydrate the skin by attracting water from deeper layers), some creams contain occlusives, heavy ingredients that form a film, or barrier between the skin and the environment, which prevents moisture from escaping.
Uses: Reach for cream if you have dry skin, sensitive skin or you live in a cold or dry climate. Creams are also helpful for rough spots such as the elbows and heels and for dry hands. Because the skin produces less natural oil with age, many anti-aging face moisturizers come in cream formulas. Products intended to treat skin conditions such as rashes and eczema are also often creams.
Tip: Creams that contain ceramides, such as CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, help shore up the skin’s barrier function. If you’re developing irritation from wearing a face mask, try applying a cream that contains a ceramide before you put your mask on.
Recommended products:
- Wederm Restorative Lipid Replenishing Cream (face)
- Olay Regenerist Ultra Rich Moisturizer (face)
- Eucerin Original Healing Cream (body)
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (body)
- Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream (hands)
Balms
Balms are thicker than creams but not quite as thick as ointments. Unlike creams, they don’t contain water. Their texture is typically paste-like or waxy. Beeswax is a common ingredient.
Uses: Lip and foot balm are among the most common balms. Many anti-chafing and blister-blocking products are available as balms.
Tip: For men with dry skin, beard balm is a great way to keep the skin under a beard moisturized.
Recommended products:
- Aveeno Cracked Skin Relief CICA Balm
- Aveeno Eczema Therapy Itch Relief Balm
Ointment vs. cream
Creams are thicker than lotions, and ointments are thicker still, and greasier. An occlusive such as mineral oil or petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is the main ingredient. Medicated products such as topical antibiotics often come in ointment form because ointments stay on the skin longer.
Uses: Ointments are beneficial for very dry, chapped or cracked areas of skin, such as dry heels and psoriasis patches. The ointment is also a good choice for people whose hands are very dry and chapped due to frequent hand-washing. For dry, chapped lips, ointments keep moisture sealed in longer than waxes or balms do. An ointment may be applied to a minor wound before a bandage is placed on it to help seal in moisture, which aids in healing.
Tip: If you find ointments too greasy to use during the day, use a cream during the day and an ointment at night, under a pair of cotton gloves or socks. For extreme hydration, an ointment can be applied under occlusion with the guidance of your healthcare professional.
Recommended products:
- Aquaphor Healing Ointment
- Vaseline Healing Jelly Original
- Vanicream Moisturizing Ointment
- CeraVe Healing Ointment
- Vaseline Lip Therapy
- Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy
Written by Jessica Brown, a health and science writer/editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Prevention, Johnson & Johnson, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and many more.
How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips
If you ski or spend time in the snow or the sun, you’ve probably experienced chapped lips, which doctors refer to as cheilitis. They can be as uncomfortable as they are unsightly. In the case of severely chapped lips, cracks and sores may develop, and the lips may even bleed.
In most cases, a few simple changes to your daily habits and lip care routine will treat the chapping and give you back the soft, smooth, healthy lips nature intended.
Chapped lips causes
Lips are especially vulnerable to dryness and inflammation because they lack oil glands. The following factors can push the dryness over the edge and lead to chapping.
- Wind and cold weather. Frigid temperatures, low humidity and wind, especially when combined, can deplete moisture from the lips, leaving them flaky, scaly or swollen.
- Sun exposure. Lips are especially sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) rays because the layer of skin that covers them is thin and contains little melanin, the pigment that helps protect skin from the sun. Years of sun damage can cause a precancerous condition called actinic cheilitis, which may look like extremely chapped lips. In addition to dryness and cracking, signs include swelling and redness or white patches, usually on the lower lip. Over time the patches may become scaly and rough. In some cases, the border separating the lower lip from the skin below it becomes less distinct.
- Licking your lips. It’s tempting to do this when your lips feel parched, but it’s counterproductive. While a coating of saliva on dry lips may bring temporary relief, the saliva evaporates quickly, taking moisture with it and leaving lips drier than before.
- Certain medications and supplements. Chapped lips are a common side effect of topical retinoids such as Retina-A, vitamin A supplements and lithium, a medication used to treat bipolar disorder. Chemotherapy also can cause lips to become dry and chapped.
- Dehydration and diet. Chapped lips could be a sign of dehydration, or a diet that’s lacking critical nutrients, including B vitamins, zinc and iron.
- Excess saliva. If saliva collects in the corners of the mouth due to factors such as wearing braces or poorly fitting dentures or having a misaligned bite, the saliva can irritate the skin. What’s more, yeast and bacteria can flourish, causing reddish, inflamed, possibly crusty patches on the skin at the corners of the lips. This painful condition is called angular cheilitis. A deficiency of iron or vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is another possible culprit. Licking the lips makes the condition worse.
- The wrong balm or lipstick. Some products irritate the lips, making chapped lips more likely. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises steering clear of products that contain camphor, eucalyptus, fragrance, flavoring (such as citrus, mint or cinnamon), lanolin, menthol, octinoxate or oxybenzone, phenol (or phenyl), propyl gallate or salicylic acid.
Chapped lips remedies
For most people, using a good lip balm or ointment is the fastest route to healing chapped lips. Choose one labeled “fragrance free” and “hypoallergenic.” Look for at least one of these ingredients recommend by the AAD:
- Castor seed oil
- Ceramides
- Dimethicone
- Hemp seed oil
- Mineral oil
- Petrolatum
- Shea butter
- White petroleum jelly
For extremely chapped lips, the AAD recommends using an ointment that contains white petroleum jelly. Ointments are more effective at sealing in moisture than waxes or oils. Don’t use any lip balm that makes your lips tingle, sting or burn. If you find that your lip product dries out your lips, choose a different product.
When you’re outdoors, no matter the season, use a lip balm with SPF 30 or above that contains titanium oxide or zinc oxide, and reapply it every couple of hours. In the winter, cover your mouth with a scarf, ski mask or face gator to protect your face and lips from the elements.
Indoors, running a humidifier can help keep your lips hydrated. Run it in the room where you spend the most time.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your lips, and the rest of your body, hydrated. Avoid licking, biting or picking at your lips.
If these steps don’t resolve the problem, see a skincare provider. All cases of actinic cheilitis should be treated by a dermatologist to reduce the risk that the patches will become cancerous. People with angular cheilitis may also need a doctor’s care.
Written by Jessica Brown is a health and science writer/editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Prevention, Johnson & Johnson, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and many more.