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Top Tips on
How to Use Body Lotion

Our 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
The 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

Smiling woman in a blue top holding a bottle of NIVEA Smooth Sensation body milk for dry skin

Just as we moisturize our face daily to keep our skin supple and hydrated, our bodies need a bit of moisturizing TLC. The sun, environmental factors, sweat, hot showers, central heating and cold snaps can all strip moisture from the skin. Moisturizing skin regularly can help soothe dry skin and help skin to feel soft and smooth.

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

What is body lotion?

Body lotion is moisturizer designed to be used all over your body. In much the same way we moisturize our face every day, our body 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 who still want that dose of moisture without a greasy feel.

The benefits of body lotion

Smiling woman in pink holding a bottle of NIVEA Radiant & Beauty body lotion against a blue-green background

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

Woman in a white top holding a 200 ml bottle of NIVEA Lotion Express body lotion in warm sunlight

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

Smiling woman dispensing NIVEA Q10 Firming Body Milk from a pump bottle into her palm beside a bed

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

Smiling woman seated on a bed holding a pump bottle of NIVEA Cherry Blossom Oil in Lotion

Body lotion feels great! Applying body lotion post-bath or shower, especially one with a delicate scent like NIVEA Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion can help moisturize the 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 to use body lotion?

You can apply body lotion as often as you like, but once a day is often 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 sopping wet) skin after getting out of the shower or bath.

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

1
Add a dollop (around the size of a quarter) to your hand (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 the neck and working downward, use your hands to massage the lotion into your body in small circular motions

4
Repeat until you have covered your entire body

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How to use body lotion for
specific areas

Parts of the body, such as your elbows, hands, and knees, are prone to dryness more than others and may demand 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.

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

Smiling woman in a yellow top holding a blue NIVEA Creme tin with rainbow stripes against a blue background

Smiling woman applying a streak of white face cream to her cheek against a light blue background

Smiling woman holds a round white tub of NIVEA Soft moisturizing cream beside her face under a blue sky

Woman and girl with cream on their noses hold an open blue NIVEA Creme tin and reach toward the camera

How to put lotion
ON YOUR BACK

Applying body lotion to your back can be a challenge, particularly in between the shoulder blades. Keeping your skin moisturized can help 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:

Woman dispensing white lotion from a blue pump into her palm, with NIVEA Cocoa Nourish bottle by her knee

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 colors 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 off onto your skin. This requires a bit of flexibility and may not always distribute the lotion evenly and thoroughly, but it is a technique to try if you find you’re having trouble using your fingers and 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 can be used to hydrate and refresh skin on the face, body, and hands. This all-in-one cream is fast-absorbing, appropriate for all skin types, and leaves 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 skin with every use and intensively hydrates to help nourish and protect skin, particularly in rough areas like knees, feet, and elbows.

Smiling woman dispensing NIVEA Q10 Firming Body Milk for dry skin from a blue pump bottle onto her palm.

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 simply personal preference. Your choice of body lotion may also be determined 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:

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Time of year and climate

The seasons can impact your choice of moisturizer. During winter, the weather and central heating can dry out the 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

Perhaps you 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 are in a position to carve out a bit of time to enjoy this little ritual, choosing a decadent-feeling body lotion that leaves the 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. Browse our full collection of body lotions today.

NIVEA BODY CARE PRODUCTS