Creams vs. Balms – which is better for your skin?

I’m often asked by people with sensitive skin whether balms would be good for their skin – or better than a cream.

The answer is both simple and complex!

In essence, creams are best for skin hydration – driving moisture deep into the skin.

Balms are best for protecting skin from the elements and locking in existing moisture.

So, it isn’t a question of which one is best, as they serve different functions.

Because creams contain water, they require emulsifiers and preservatives, which aren’t organic ingredients, so you can’t make a 100% organic cream.

(That said, there have been big ingredient advances in this area over the last year…so watch this space!)

Balms on the other hand don’t contain any water, so they can be made 100% organic.

Organic balms are cheap and easy to make (requiring no mixing machinery), easy to certify and easy to preserve.

This is why so many people make their own at home and also why they tend to be (or at least should be!) much cheaper to buy than organic cream products.

If you suffer from sensitive skin like me, then I would suggest opting for a moisturising cream that is light, easily absorbed and hydrates the skin.

Though make sure you use one that isn’t full of harsh chemicals than can irritate the skin.  Always read the label!

However, if you want to protect your sensitive skin from the environment (namely pollution and cold weather) then a balm would be an excellent choice.

This is a very simplified summary of a quite complicated topic, so for those of you interested in learning more, please read on!

What’s the difference between a Natural Balm and a Natural Cream?

Natural balms are made from plant oils, butters and waxes (usually beeswax) and do not contain any water.

Natural creams are made from plant oils, butters and water. To make the oil and water parts bind together you need an emulsifier...more about this later.

In both balm and cream formulations additional plant extracts and fragrance can be added to bring additional skin benefits and improved aroma.

Benefits of Balms

Because balms have a wax base to them they work as an 'occlusive'. They form a protective barrier on the skin that prevents water loss from the epidermis - the outer layer of the skin.

The fatty elements such as the oils and butters will nourish the skin but they do not actually add any hydration they just maintain what's already there.

Balms are therefore brilliant at protecting the skin against extreme weather conditions (so are a must-have on the ski slopes!) and are also great for protecting lips (Pai makes a lovely Bergamot Orange Lip Balm) and smoothing rough patches of skin on elbows and knees that suffer more abrasive wear and tear.

Balms are less good for facial skin day-to-day and can be particularly troublesome for combination or acne-prone complexions as the wax component of balms is comedogenic (pore blocking).

Balms’ barrier forming effect can also make them too heavy and suffocating for sensitive skin.

Benefits of Creams

Creams are 'humectants' or moisturisers. The water element in a cream actually adds hydration to the skin rather than just trapping what's already there.

The cream emulsion effectively works as a vehicle to deliver the water into the skin. The fats (oils and butters) in the cream then help to make this water stick within the lower layers of the epidermis.

Additionally, the oils and butters nourish the skin in the same way that balms do BUT (and here's the interesting bit) the emulsifying agents in creams help both the fat and water elements penetrate deeper into the skin and stay there.

Because of their high water content, creams are much lighter in texture and, unlike balms, absorb into the epidermis rather than creating a film on the surface of it.

The water used in creams is double or triple distilled or of pharmaceutical grade (i.e. extremely pure and very expensive!).

At Pai we also use floral waters in our creams which bring the added remedial benefits of the plant or flower. Rose water is my particular favourite and is famed for its rejuvenating and regenerative properties.

What about emulsifiers? What are they and can they be natural?

The emulsifier system we use at Pai is naturally derived from corn and coconut and is made to strict ecological principles.

It is approved for use by the Soil Association, the Organic Trade Certification Body in the UK.

This means that it is non GM, has been toxicologically tested, is biodegradable, has been grown and harvested without the use of pesticides and extracted without the use of chemicals or solvents.

So, are creams better than balms?

Not necessarily, they're just different. I say use the right tool for the right task. Balms for protection against the elements, and creams for skin hydration.

If you’ve got acne-prone or sensitive skin then creams are the better choice for everyday use.