The difference is texture. A cream is thicker and carries more oil than a lotion, while a lotion feels lighter and spreads thinner. Both moisturize, so the right one depends on how your skin feels and where you use it. Corium 21 is an aloe vera skin cream for dry skin, with certified organic aloe vera as its first ingredient.
What's the difference between a cream and a lotion?
Creams and lotions are both moisturizers. The difference is how they feel. A cream is thicker and has a higher oil content than a lotion, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. A lotion is the lighter of the two, and a cream has more body on your skin.
Aloe vera can be in either one. To see where it sits, turn the product over and find "aloe barbadensis leaf juice" on the ingredient list.
Which one suits dry skin?
It comes down to preference and where you put it. Many people like a cream for the spots that feel driest: hands that get washed all day, heels, elbows, knuckles and the face in winter. Others like a lotion for covering large areas quickly. Some keep both.
If you want one jar for the drier spots, a cream is an easy place to start.
What makes Corium 21 a cream?
Turn the jar around. The first ingredient on the Corium 21 label is certified organic aloe vera, listed ahead of water.
The formula pairs that aloe with ingredients chosen for dry skin:
- Soluble collagen for skin that feels softer and looks more supple
- Vitamins A, B3 and E (retinyl palmitate, niacinamide, and tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate)
- Plant oils, including rose hip oil
- Green tea, chamomile and ginseng extracts
The result is a smooth cream that holds its shape on your fingertip, spreads easily and absorbs well. It isn't greasy, so you can use it in the morning and get on with your day.
How do you use an aloe vera cream?
Apply generously as needed. Smooth it into clean, dry skin wherever it feels dry, and come back to the driest spots, like hands, heels and elbows, as often as you like.
Use it on your face and body, including hands, feet and lips. One customer put it this way:
"I had very dry skin, especially on my face. I started using this product and my skin is moist and smooth." Harriet G.
For when and where to apply it, see how to use aloe vera cream.
How can I try Corium 21?
Start with Free Samples: two .5 oz jars, one in each scent. Classic has fragrance, and Fragrance Free is the same formula with the fragrance left out. Use them for a week and see which you reach for.
When you're ready, the 8 oz jar comes in both scents. Every full-size product comes with our 90-day money-back guarantee: if it isn't right for you, we refund your purchase, even if it's opened. No questions asked. Just email support@corium21.com. Questions? Call (800) 319-5114 and you'll talk to a real person.
Trusted since 1994. Family-owned in Oregon.
Weighing aloe gel too? Read aloe vera cream vs gel. Still choosing? See how to choose an aloe vera cream for dry skin.
Questions people ask
Is Corium 21 a cream or a lotion?
Corium 21 is a cream. It holds its shape on a fingertip, spreads easily and has certified organic aloe vera as its first ingredient.
Is a moisturizing lotion enough for dry skin?
It depends on how dry your skin feels. A lotion is thinner and lighter. A cream is thicker and carries more oil, so many people like a cream for the spots that feel driest. Corium 21 is a cream, with certified organic aloe vera as its first ingredient, and it isn't greasy.
Can I use an aloe vera cream on my face and body?
Yes. Corium 21 is made for face and body, including hands, feet and lips. Apply generously as needed.
Is Corium 21 greasy?
No. Corium 21 absorbs well and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth, not greasy, so you can use it any time of day.