Can You Use Baby Lotion as a Face Moisturizer?

According to Livestrong and Johnson and Johnson, the ingredients contained in Johnson’s Baby Lotion, although they differ somewhat, should not cause any adverse affects to your skin. However, if your skin is sensitive, especially to fragrance, you would be better to choose another product that is fragrance free. If you have any degree of acne, you need to consult your physician before adding this or any other topical to your skin care regime.

As of 15 June 2015 the ingredients listed by Livestrong as contained in Johnson’s Baby Lotion are:

water
Propylene Glycol/Myristyl Myristate
Glyceryl Stearate/Stearic Acid/Oleic Acid
Polysorbate 61
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Sorbitan Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol
Synthetic Beeswax
Dimethicone
Isopropyl Palmitate
Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben
Carbomer, Fragrance, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Red 33

The Johnson and Johnson website list of ingredients is somewhat different from Livestrong. My guess is that some of the ingredients have different names but do the same thing i.e. Polysorbate 20 vs Polysorbate 61. Simplified, they are from the same family of ingredients that help other ingredients dissolve. It’s also possible that one of the two websites is out of date.

Johnson and Johnson List of Ingredients

Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Mineral Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20 (used to help ingredients dissolve), Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Fragrance, Carbomer, p-Anisic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraditbutyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Red 33

The ingredients aren’t much different than some moisturizers dedicated for adult use to include humectants. This baby lotion is designed to attract and hold moisture while conditioning the skin. By doing so, it would seem that this would provide a protective barrier for the skin’s precious sebum. Sounds like the makings of a grown up moisturizer to me!

There are several missing ingredients that would be of value to the aging skin. Most important, it lacks UVB and/or UVA protection. To be fair to J&J, their website states “CLINICALLY PROVEN MILDNESS formula designed gentle for sensitive newborn skin” As of today, 25 Sep 2016, I can’t find any renown source be it medical or scientific that states the use of this product has been recommended for sunbathers or adults who spend time outdoors or for acne prone skin.

Having said that, reading the reviews on this product at the J&J website and others, it would seem this is a great product for moisturizing adult skin. They had me convinced. I’m buying a bottle the next time I go shopping!

To wrap this up, I’m not a physician, chemist, scientist, etc. I only know what I read and I’ve been researching this for a couple of days now. The one and only concern voiced was J&J listed mineral oil in their list of ingredients (it doesn’t appear in the Livestrong list). If having an undetermined amount of mineral oil in this product bothers you then you should probably find something else. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this in a travel size at Wal Mart for about 99 cents. For that price it might be worth it to buy and try.

I didn’t intend this to be a lengthy answer for such a short question but if it helps you and others decide if the ingredients are safe for you to use and the information I found through my research, helpful, then I’m glad to have provided it. If I’ve made errors in my assessment, unknowingly misinterpreted ingredients, etc. please comment to discuss.

Leave me a comment if you decide to try this lotion and your thoughts on how it works or doesn’t for you.

Best Regards,

25 Sep 2016: Twitter Reply from Johnson and Johnson: “You can use the Baby Lotion on your face. We just discourage use around the eyes and eyelids. We hope this has helped.”