Body butter for men: what it does and how to use it

Body butter is a thick moisturizer you rub into your skin after a shower, and a scented one like ours is a fragrance product that also moisturizes. It is not a treatment for any skin condition. Use a small amount on damp skin, and expect to smell like the scent you chose.

What is a scented body butter for men?

It is a thick, creamy product you put on your body, usually after a shower. The base is a fat (ours is shea and cocoa butter), and the point of a scented one is that the scent sits on your skin along with the moisture.

Each of our jars is handmade in small batches, and every order ships wrapped in a piece of a real coffee sack from somewhere in the world, with a card that tells you where. The butter is scented and pheromone-infused, and it works up close: the scent sits on your skin rather than hanging in the air, so the people who smell it are the ones near you. On most skin it lasts 12+ hours, and it lasts longest on damp skin after a shower.

A butter is not a cologne replacement for everyone, because it works up close and a spray carries further. Many men use both.

Do you need one? Plenty of men never moisturize their bodies and get on fine. A scented butter gives you a second reason to use one: moisture and scent in the same step. If you only want a moisturizer, a plain one may serve you better.

How is body butter different from lotion or cream?

Mainly in feel and in how much water the product holds. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says that creams and ointments hold more water than lotions. Butter sits at the thick end of the range, and a little goes a long way.

• Very dry skin: a thick, fragrance-free cream.
• Everyday moisture with a scent that stays close to your skin: a scented butter.
• A scent that carries across a room: a spray, which is a different product.

How do you use body butter?

1. Shower first, then pat yourself lightly and leave your skin damp. With our jars, wear lasts longest when you apply to damp skin after a shower.
2. Take a small scoop and warm it between your palms so it spreads. Too much is the usual cause of a greasy feel.
3. Put it where you want the scent and the moisture: neck, chest, shoulders, forearms, legs if you like. For scent alone, the neck, chest and forearms are enough.
4. Give it time to absorb before you dress. Any butter or oil can mark fabric if you pull a shirt over it too soon.

If it feels greasy or sticky under a shirt, use less and give it more time.

Where should you keep it?

Away from heat. Butter softens in heat, so a jar left in a hot car or a sunny window can go soft. Keep the jar and the travel tin out of a hot car, somewhere cool and shaded.

Who should be careful with a scented butter?

Anyone with very dry, itchy or sensitive skin, and anyone whose skin reacts to fragrance. The AAD advises gentle, fragrance-free products for dry or sensitive skin. A scented butter is a fragrance product, so it is the wrong choice for skin that is already unhappy. Pick a fragrance-free option for the skin and wear scent another way.

For everyone else, patch test before you use it all over:

• Put a small amount on a small area, such as the inside of your forearm.
• Leave it overnight, or longer if you can.
• If your skin turns red, itchy or sore, wash it off and stop using it.

If you have a skin condition, talk to a doctor before adding any scented product. Our butter is for the body only. We have not tested it on the face or on facial hair, so keep it off both.

How do you pick a scent?

Decide between warm and fresh first. Each of our six is our take on the profile of a well-known designer scent, made as a different formula in a butter base, so it is similar in profile, not identical. There are two easy ways in:

• The scent quiz asks a few questions and points you to one.
• The discovery set is six minis, one of each scent, for $29.

Take the quiz, try the scents it suggests, and buy full jars of the ones you keep reaching for. A small rotation of two or three suits most routines. If you already wear a cologne, pick a butter in the same family as your spray. If it does not suit you, reply to your order email within 30 days for the money-back guarantee. The full collection shows all six.

Quick answers

Is body butter good for men? It can be, if you want moisture and a scent that stays close to your skin. It is a fragrance product that also moisturizes. For very dry or sensitive skin, choose a fragrance-free product instead.

Is body butter better than lotion? It is thicker. For very dry skin, a fragrance-free cream is the better choice. For scent and everyday moisture, a butter is the one to choose.

Does body butter make you smell good all day? Ours lasts 12+ hours on most skin, longest on damp skin after a shower.

Does body butter stain clothes? Any butter or oil can mark fabric if you dress before it has absorbed. Use less and give it time.

Why does body butter feel greasy? Usually too much, or it went on dry skin. Try a smaller amount on damp skin.

Want to start small? Try the discovery set and find the scents you like before you buy full jars.