# Where Is The Lotion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918 "2002-06-13T20:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/1 "2002-06-13T20:06:00Z")
I have been putting a lot of lotion on my legs the last few days. I just realized that I have used half of the 24 ounce bottle. What happened to the 12 ounces of lotion that was absorbed into the skin? Is it floating around in there somewhere? Do I weight 12 ounces more because of it? ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/2 "2002-06-13T20:45:01Z")
I’m guessing a large portion of the lotion was water and evaoprated. The oils and other non-water ‘gunk’ stayed on your skin and got rubbed off on your clothing etc. eventually getting washed off in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/3 "2002-06-13T20:45:53Z")
I think some of it evaporates, and some of it comes off on things you touch. I guess the rest is still on or in you somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/4 "2002-06-13T21:08:45Z")
Lotion is more water than oil, usually combined with glycerin and emulsifying wax. (Cream, by the way, is the same stuff, only with more oil than water.) The idea is that the water will moisturize your skin and the oil will soften it; some oils are absorbed rather quickly, though, and some just sort of sit there. Vegetable oils seem to be better for absorbtion. The emulsifying wax is mostly there to keep the water and oil from seperating; that’s what you often feel sitting on the surface of your skin. There are also preservatives, since mold loves to grow in non-preserved lotions. (Icky, huh?) I think my point is; Some evaporates Some gets absorbed Some just sits there and gets on other stuff Not all that helpful, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/5 "2002-06-14T00:05:45Z")
Maybe you need to use a thicker body cream that will stay around longer and do more good. I’ve always liked Eucerin. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/6 "2002-06-14T12:56:12Z")
Thanks for the answers. I guess what I’m not understanding is what happens to the lotion that is absorbed? Is it floating around somewhere in my body? Where is it? ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/7 "2002-06-14T16:16:39Z")
I doubt much (or even any) of it reaches your bloodstream. As I understand it, the skin is difficult to permeate. I would suspect that it’s only absorbed by the epidermis, then “excreted”, if you will, over a short period of time by your pores. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/8 "2002-06-14T17:28:53Z")
The outermost cells of your skin are dead. Moisturizer soaks into these cells and the swell up a bit. Then they slough off as usual. So you are sloughing off fat juicy cells instead of dry thin cells. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/9 "2002-06-14T18:46:50Z")
Thanks! Makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/10 "2002-06-14T18:57:59Z")
Does this thread title creep any one else out with bad _Silence of the Lambs_ flashbacks? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/11 "2002-06-14T20:11:29Z")
No, just _Pulp Fiction_ flashbacks. “It puts the lotion in the basket or it gets the hose again!” ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-lotion/113918/12 "2002-06-15T01:37:46Z")
Maybe I’m missing something, but how’s that quote from **Silence** relate to **Pulp Fiction**?