Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Handy Hand Creams


This East Coast Winter is beautiful.... but unbearable.
One of the side effects of the cold, dry winter air I see everywhere is extremely dry hands.
It's unattractive, it's uncomfortable, and it's unnecessary.
Get a good hand cream and it will definitely help you fight off the negative effects of the nasty winter weather.

If you have extremely rough and dry skin, wash your hands a million times a day, and have hands so chapped that they're starting to crack, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a paraffin bath.   It really does make a huge difference~ I've been using it almost every day to keep my hands soft, moisturized, and warm!

Here are my favorite hand creams.  All of these products are ones that I have tried over the years and continue to buy:

Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy Cream:
This is a great line of shea butter hand creams .  They work well and they smell great.
It's a light textured lotion that sinks in fast and really makes a difference.
I use the La Source, Rosewater, and Gardeners formulas.  My two friends (T,V) love the Citron, Honey & Coriander Scent 
Retail Price: $10 for 1.7 oz., $15 for 3.4 oz.


L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
This is one of the products I go to when my hands are in bad shape. 
It sinks in really quickly and leaves your skin soft and conditioned without feeling greasy.
It has a nice almond scent.
(It used to come in a somewhat annoying metal tube, but now they use plastic)

A super-smoothing--and best-selling--synergy of 20% Shea Butter, honey and sweet almond extract, blended with the light and alluring aromas of jasmine and ylang-ylang essences. Texturally pleasing balm glides on and absorbs to help heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin. Anti-oxidizing vitamin E helps nourish. Invites even the most hard-working hands to a fresh beginning.
Retail Price:  $10 for 1 oz., $26 for 5.2 oz$26 for three



True Blue Spa- Look Ma, New Hands
I've been using this for many many years (and I still use the old version because I'd always stock up).
This hand lotion contains paraffin, which helps to keep the moisture locked in.  Especially good if you're a serial hand-washer. 
Has a light citrusy scent that I personally don't love, but it's not too strong and the product works.
Retail Price:  $12 for 2.5 oz, $18.50 for 5 oz.



Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream:
This formula is a light wax-like consistency. 
It's great for healing dry, cracked, hands.
A little goes a long way, so use sparingly.

Neutrogena® Hand Cream delivers effective relief for dry, chapped hands.
This clinically proven, highly concentrated formula rapidly heals dry hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin.
Hands feel soft and smooth after just one application.


Long-lasting ,Glycerin-rich ,Concentrated
Available in Original, Fragrance-free, and Age-Shield with SPF
Retail Price:  $4.99 for 2 oz.


Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant:
I use this when my hands are extremely chapped/wind burnt. 
I don't really like the smell, but the product is great.
It's a great all-in-one product:  can be used on hands, face, lips... just about anywhere
It has more of a greasy texture, so use sparingly.
There's a body lotion and hand lotion that works well if you prefer more of a lotion texture.
The skincare classic that soothes, restores, calms and helps relieve chapped, cracked, dry skin. Soothes roughness, redness and minor skin irritations.

 

Helps protect, soothe and moisturize skin.
Soothes dry skin and provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
Soothes and comforts minor weather burns, scrapes and abrasions.
Retail Price:  $17 for 1 oz.



Aquaphor Healing Ointment:
This is what I use when I'm bringing out the big guns.  It's really thick and will help heal the driest of dry skins.  It's pretty amazing stuff. 

Aquaphor Healing Ointment protects dry, cracked or irritated skin to help enhance the natural healing process and restore smooth, healthy skin.


•Clinically proven to reduce healing time
•Creates a protective barrier that seals in moisture
•Helps heal raw, irritated skin caused by radiation treatments, facial resurfacing procedures and Atopic Dermatitis
•Soothes and helps protect extremely dry, chapped or chafed skin and lips caused by winter weather or diabetes
•Soothes and protects minor burns
•Fragrance-free, preservative-free, non-irritating
Retail Price: $5.49 for 1.7 oz.,$8.49 for 3.5 oz, $16.99 for 14 oz.

 

So, if you have dry hands, try out these products and I'm sure you will be much happier (or at the very least, your hands will be a lot more moisturized!).
They all work well and get two (wonderfully soft and moisturized) thumbs  up!  =D



*~ Have a Beautiful Day! ~*



2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this super helpful post on hand creams! I've yet to find a good hand cream that'll help with the dry sides of my fingernails (not cuticles).

    Your description of L'Occitane's Hand Cream really appealed to me. Especially with the key phrases "hands are in bad shape" and "conditioned without feeling greasy." Hope to pick it up soon!

    Thank you, Irene! I enjoy reading your blog a ton.

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  2. Thanks for reading and commenting Lora!!!
    Let me know if you have any questions about anything! =D

    ReplyDelete