Here's Why You Need a Body Butter in Your Skin-Care Routine We all know about the importance of keeping your face moisturized. After all, flaky skin is not cute — and even if your skin is more on the oily side, avoiding moisturization can actually increase oil production and leave you with a slick face in no time. Moreover, with all that care you put on your face, you should make sure that your body gets some TLC, too. This will help you deal not only with weather transitions, but it'll also make sure your skin stays soft and supple throughout the year.

How Moisture Loss Affects the Skin Barrier Before we dive into the products themselves, some background on what moisture and, on the opposite end, moisture loss, does to your skin. "The function of the skin is to be a protective barrier of the underlying tissues, protecting the internal organs from infections and irritation," Birmingham, Atlanta-based board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD, explains. "Desiccation and stress disruption of the protective barrier can lead to the increase of transepidermal water loss, and therefore conditions that are associated with skin, dryness, and irritations." Shea body butter Who Should Use a Body Butter? When it comes to the best way to keep your skin hydrated, most dermatologists agree that very dry skin would benefit best from body butter, which Dr. Hartman describes as "a waterless, thicker version of a body lotion." However, especially during the drier, winter months, anyone could benefit from using a heavier formula.