Body lotions, body creams, body butters - they all do the same thing really don't they, or do they? Basically yes, the all moisturise your skin and ideally leave it feeling lovely and soft and smooth. However using the wrong type of moisturiser can leave your skin feeling sticky and greasy or on the flip side, dry and crusty!

The main difference between body lotions and creams and body butter is the base they consist of. Lotions and skin care creams are nearly always water based, whereas butter is oil based, this makes it a much heavier, thicker moisturiser. Lotions and creams tend to pour easily and come in squirty bottles, body butter is the consistency of soft butter (funnily enough) and ususally comes in a pot with a screw lid so you can take a good scoop. Generally speaking body butter should only really be used if you have dry skin, or perhaps during the winter when your skin needs all the help and protection it can get from the cold outdoors and dry central heating. Slapping body butter on during the summer is going to leave you feeling hot, sticky and pretty horrible, so stick to lotions or creams (lotions are lighter than cream so if it is really hot, stick with lotion).

Now choosing a body butter is the tricky bit, not because they do different things but because they come in different "flavours" and they all smell so damn good it is impossible to choose which one you want to use. Places like Bath & Body, Lush or The Body Shop have fantastic ranges of body butter, with flavours such as Wild Cherry, Mango, Shea butter, Satsuma, Coconut, Pink Grapefruit - the list goes on and they are all just divine, just don't forget they belong in the bathroom not the kitchen I would say at this point that while I am a total advocate of investigating cheaper store own brands when it comes to skincare products, as I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised by some of the wonderful things you will find, so far I haven't found a cheap body butter that is, well, buttery enough. I think it is because the ingredients needed to make a truly sumptuous body butter are just expensive, so this is one area I don't scrimp in.

Once you have decided which flavour to go for, or have walked out of the shop with 4 different ones because it is just impossible to pick one (this is where online shopping is a godsend - it is so much easier to pick a body butter when you can't smell them all), it's time to get to grips with using it. Surely I just rub it on I hear you say, well, yes. However there are a couple of tips that can make it all a bit easier and help you get the full benefit. Body butter is much easier to apply to wet skin, so when you get out of the shower or bath just pat your skin dry, then smear on your body butter - you will find it lasts a lot longer this way too as it works with the moisture left on your skin, trapping it in meaning you need to use less butter for the same fab effect. The other thing I find is that putting body butter on after a very hot shower or bath makes you feel a bit like you are melting, which isn't pleasant, so it's best to keep the water at a mid level temperature. It's probably best not to put body butter on your face either as it is very heavy and will clog your pores and may give you spots.

All in all, body butters are great for a once-a-week moisturising treat to give your skin and senses a lovely boost.