Facts

• Body oil prevents the water in your skin from evaporating. It is a natural lipid barrier. On the other hand, lotions and creams are made of oils that are combined with water-soluble actives and water and are therefore considered emulsions.
  
  

Lotion Pros

• If you have extremely dry skin, use a lotion because it is a wonderful emollient and penetrates your skin quickly and easily. However, because lotions are absorbed so quickly you will not get that silky, shiny look on your skin that oils provide.
  
  Lotions are generally non-greasy and light weight because they are a mixture of oil and water. Lotions are good for use on hairy areas of the body, such as a man's chest, notes Mamashealth.com.
  
  

Benefits of Oil

• A product such as virgin coconut oil has not been stripped of its antioxidant properties, which is what you want, because it is unrefined. This type of oil is good for fighting free-radicals, such as smoke and pollution, which damage and dry the skin. When your skin is routinely harmed by free radicals this results in permanent damage to the connective tissues that give skin its tautness. When the tissues are harmed, skin begins to sag and wrinkle.