Have you ever run out of your daily face cream and tried reaching for your regular body lotion instead? “What’s the difference?” You may have wondered. The main difference between body skincare products and facial ones when it comes to body cleansers, exfoliators, and moisturizers are price and water amounts.
Face & Body Skin Differences
That said, our faces do have some special needs that only the right facial-specific products can provide. Our facial skin is more porous than our body skin and more exposed, which lends itself to being more sensitive and problematic.
What Makes Body Skincare Products Different?
Body products tend to be much more diluted versions of facial products while costing far less per ounce. In my opinion, all body lotions are obsolete as they just don’t have the density to be an effective barrier against water evaporation. In addition, highly perfumed body washes are of no value. It is worth it to have exfoliators that are each assigned to facial and body skin. Our facial skin will reward us immensely when we go the extra mile to find a hydrating mist and hydrating nutritive serum that will optimize water content and induce an unstoppable glow.
Our Facial Skin
Ideally, we should be giving our facial skin TLC in the way of even more gentle cleansers, and exfoliators, with added extra hydration, antioxidants, and Dermal Nourishment. This means only ever using a gentle cleanser occasionally and never in the mornings, no matter your skin type, and this applies especially to oily and acne-prone skin. I recommend gentle enzymatic exfoliation about once a month. Facial serums that prioritize hydration, antioxidants, and Dermal Nutrients go a long way when it comes to making our skin deeply healthy. Our facial skin also flourishes when we use lipid-rich moisturizers. This was something that was previously believed to only be fitting for body skin, but we know now this is not true. Dense oil-rich moisturizers are much needed for all skin types and will keep our skin clear.
Most importantly, facial skin is incredibly hungry and benefits profoundly from bio-available topical patented Dermal Nutrients. These relieve our facial skin of the need to endure conventional retinol, astringents, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, micro-needling, and lasers that I believe (after 30 years of being part of the skin industry) cause premature dermal thinning, aging, and constant upsets to our skins natural barrier.
Our Body Skin
Our body skin loves weekly and more intense exfoliation compared to our facial skin. Our body skin also prefers to be minimally cleansed in order to not strip the natural acid mantle which is key to healthy skin. Moist body skin can easily be achieved by applying a dense moisturizer immediately after a bath or shower. First, dry skin completely, then quickly apply a heavy moisturizer to prevent the water your skin has absorbed from evaporating. Avoid excess bath water on skin when applying a barrier repair moisturizer as it will only weaken the much needed density of a thick moisturizer.
The Bottom Line On Body Skincare Products & Facial Ones
Conventional marketing campaigns exploit the fact that consumers have been trained to spend much more on face products. To be fair, there are the above specific needs I listed. However, there is an overlapping universal need for barrier restoration which can be achieved with one right dual-purpose barrier restoration moisturizer.

About the author
I took many wrong turns when I started learning about skin at 19. The more I spent on skincare, equipment, and training, the further I felt from actually helping skin. I was frustrated with only being able to offer temporary and superficial solutions at best. What emerged from the disappointment and turmoil, I now call, The Regenerative Skin Process. Skin Harmonics is a dedicated medical fusion holistic skincare clinic that provides a root cause approach delivering lifetime skin health through medical grade skin care products, new learning, and Deep Pore Cleansing Facials.