Both "body lotion" and "body cream" get millions of google hits.
What's the difference between the two terms? Do they have different meanings, or are they from difference dialects of English?
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Sign up to join this communityGreat question! Creams are an aqueous oil/fat emulsion. This gives them a creamy consistency and are often "cream-colored" while lotions might be any color and need not be an emulsion- think Aloe Vera lotion for example. So a cream might also be called a lotion, while only creamy lotions could be called creams.
cream A viscous aqueous oil/fat emulsion with a medicament added, used to apply that medicament to the skin. (compare with ointment) You look really sunburnt; you should apply some cream.
lotion A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
Note that Wiktionary uses viscosity as another distinguishing characteristic. I'm not so sure that it works in all case- I've seen some pretty runny creams, and some thick lotions.