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.
8 Common Skin Conditions in Elderly Adults
Medical review by Ted Schiff, MD
Like every part of the body, the skin changes with age. The teen years bring dreaded pimples. Middle age brings telltale wrinkles. In elderly adults, skin conditions may become more numerous — and more noticeable — as the skin continues to thin and lose fat, elasticity, and moisture.
Skin cell turnover decreases dramatically, which slows wound healing. Aging weakens the immune system, so skin infections are more common. Age spots may take up more acreage. Large, dark bruises may spring up out of nowhere.
Some skin problems, like dark bruises, are alarming but are mostly harmless. Others require medical attention. Here are eight skin conditions in elderly adults and what older adults, loved ones and caregivers should know.
1. Easy bruising
Why do old people bruise easily? Aging skin is thinner, and there’s less fat to act as cushioning. Also, blood vessels are more fragile and easily broken. Bruises happen when blood leaks out of blood vessels, so more broken vessels means more bruising. Older people who take blood thinners or even over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may bruise more easily.
A minor bump or scrape can result in a surprising amount of bruising and make concerned loved ones wonder what’s happening. The bruises are usually harmless. But anyone who often develops large bruises with no logical explanation should see a doctor to rule out an underlying health problem.
If a loved one or caregiver has any reason to suspect abuse as the cause of bruising, they should investigate. Most accidental bruises occur on the extremities, according to the National Institute of Justice, whereas bruises in abused elders are more likely to occur on the head, neck or torso, and they tend to be large.
Take action
To treat bruises:
- Apply a cold compress for up to 20 minutes a time.
- Apply Dermaka cream, a bruise treatment made with plant extracts and vitamins, according to the package directions.
- If a leg or foot is bruised, keep it elevated when resting.
2. Dryness and itching
Dry skin in elderly adults is very common; in fact, more than half of older adults have it. A loss of sweat and oil glands is one reason. Not drinking enough liquids may be another. In addition, certain chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease, can cause dryness and itching, as can some of the medications used to treat them.
Skin may become cracked and painful. Scratching can cause skin irritation and open the way for infection-causing germs to enter.
Take action
If you have dry, itchy skin:
- Take shorter, cooler baths or showers and use a moisturizing soap (skip the deodorant soap)
- Use a moisturizing ointment or cream daily. (Avoid lotions, which contain more water.) CeraVe, Cetaphil and Vanicream all make gentle, effective moisturizers.
- Drink more water.
- Run a humidifier if the air is dry.
- If the itching doesn’t subside, tell your doctor. It could be a sign of liver, kidney or thyroid disease.
3. Age spots
Skin in older adults is often dotted with age spots due to years of sun exposure. These flat, tan or dark brown spots, which some people call liver spots, typically show up on skin that’s gotten the most sun, such as the face, the arms and the back of the hands. They’re harmless.
Take action
- Wear sunscreen with at least 30 SPF to help prevent more age spots from developing.
- See a dermatologist to make sure the spots are in fact age spots and not something else, especially if they change in appearance.
- If your age spots bother you, a skin care provider can treat them.
4. Skin tags
Skin tags are soft, spongy, often flesh-colored growths of tissue that typically appear on eyelids, neck, thighs and skin folds such as the armpits, groin and under the breasts. They may hang from the skin on small stalks. Skin tags are more common in women, people who are overweight, older adults and people with diabetes. They can become irritated if clothing rubs them or jewelry snags them.
Take action
- Skin tags are harmless, but if you want one removed, see a dermatologist. A dermatologist will remove it for you.
- Don’t try to remove a skin tag yourself. It’s a bad idea for several reasons.
5. Skin cancer
In old age, melanoma rates spike. Slower-growing basal cell and squamous cell cancers also become more common. In addition to more years of sun damage, older adults have a decreased ability to repair pre-cancerous cells. Age is the strongest risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancers.
Take action
- Perform a skin check once a month to look for new growths and changes in existing moles. Evaluate moles using the ABCDE test. Make an appointment with your dermatology provider if you see something suspicious.
- Have a skin cancer screening based on the schedule your dermatologist recommends, but at least once a year.
6. Shingles
Adults who had chickenpox as a child are vulnerable to shingles as adults. Older adults are especially vulnerable.
Shingles starts with burning, itching, tingling or extreme sensitivity in one area of the skin. A painful rash then develops, often along with a fever or headache. The rash eventually blisters. Skin infections and long-term nerve pain are possible complications.
Take action
- See a doctor as soon as symptoms appear. Early treatment with an oral antiviral medication may reduce the duration and severity of an outbreak.
- Take an over-the-counter pain medication for pain and use cool compresses, calamine lotion and lukewarm baths with colloidal oatmeal (oats ground into a fine powder) for itching.
- To prevent shingles, get both doses of the Shingrix vaccine.
7. Bed sores
Bedridden or wheelchair-bound older adults are susceptible to open wounds called bed sores or pressure ulcers. These develop in areas subject to pressure when you sit or lie down, such as the tailbone, shoulder blades, backs of the knees and heels. People with diabetes, poor circulation or poor nutrition face a higher risk of bed sores.
Prevention is critical. Bed sores can be very difficult to treat once they develop, and they may become infected.
Take action
- In bed, reposition every two hours. In a wheelchair, change position every 15 minutes.
- Keep skin clean and dry.
- Watch for redness and warmth in one area of the skin; it’s an early warning sign. If you’re a caregiver, call the doctor if you notice this or see a sore, scrape or blister. A wound care nurse may be needed to coordinate care.
- Consider a gel or foam mattress topper or a mattress with alternating air pressure, which can help prevent pressure sores.
8. Skin tears
The fragile skin of elderly adults tears more easily, especially in people who take oral or topical corticosteroids, which can weaken the skin. The skin might tear when you bump into something, or when a caregiver removes wound tape or dressing.
Take action
- Use moisturizer and drink plenty of water to keep skin hydrated, which can help prevent tears.
- Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt or arm sleeves to protect the skin.
- If a small tear occurs, wash the wound with gentle soap and water. Put the skin flap back in place if there is one, then cover the wound with gauze.
- See a doctor for more serious tears or if you notice signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, fever, worsening pain or a bad odor.
Written by Jennifer L. Cook, an award-winning editor and writer whose work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Consumer Reports on Health, and Woman’s Day and on Investopedia.com and Bottomlineinc.com.
New Aging Hands Treatment at Water’s Edge Dermatology
Ever meet someone with enough "youthful glow", to be shocked when you see they have very visibly aging hands? Fact is, when you see noticeably aging hands on a middle-aged or younger person…it raises questions.
The cause could be genetic inheritance, too much sun exposure, dry skin, other skin problems, or a combination of all.
The key question is:
What's the most effective new treatment for aging hands?
Let’s face it. You can turn back the clock and get your youthful glow on with a variety of FDA-approved dermal fillers and injectable treatments. From Juvaderm and Scupltra, to Radiesse and Botox, you can shave years off the age showing in your face.
But then you reach out to shake someone’s hand, or give a wave. And your aging hands just do not match the face. In fact, they look almost as sunken, wrinkly and veiny as Grandma’s…ouch.
That’s why our Director of Cosmetic Services Kimberly Van Keuren (R in photo) and Aesthetic Medicine specialist Dr. Bebe Pajo (center-photo) are so excited. They're excited for Water’s Edge Dermatology patients. Kimberly explains, “This new treatment for aging hands, Restylane Lyft, is a dream come true for many of our longtime cosmetic dermatology and aesthetic patients. It's just the kind of help with their aging hands that they’ve been longing and waiting for.”
That wait ends now, with Water's Edge Dermatology (WEderm), among the first dermatology practices nationwide chosen to perform Lyft treatments for aging hands. This new FDA-approved hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler has been carefully tested and approved for the correction of volume loss in aging hands.
Giving those aging hands an anti-aging LYFT
Restylane Lyft is the first and only hyaluronic acid dermal filler to receive FDA approval for treating an area other than the face. Dr. Pajo, WEderm’s nationally renowned “Top 20 Sculptra Injector”, elaborates:
“As we age, our hands begin to lose volume, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles, bones, bulging veins and visible tendons. Many of my patients ask what they can do about their aging hands, and I am pleased that we can now offer them an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment that works wonders. Now, their hands can complement rather than clash with the youthful beauty of their face.”
The best thing about getting Restylane Lyft treatments for your aging hands at one of our many Water’s Edge Dermatology offices across South and Central Florida? As with all our cosmetic procedures and aesthetic treatments; your Lyft treatment for aging hands will be performed in a safe, comfortable medical setting.
If you’re ready to book an appointment, great! And if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Cosmetic Director Kimberly for more information, at kvankeuren@wederm.com.