True Blue Spa Just a Minute 60-Second Manicure Scrub ($12.00) is a sugar scrub designed for hands. The product claims that you just need to use it on your hands for sixty seconds to have hands that looked like they spent the day at the spa. I have to admit I was pretty skeptical, because I wasn’t sure if I really wanted a scrub just for my hands (seriously, do I need that?!) and if it would do anything for me.
I must let you all know that I generally do not scrub my hands with any scrub, other than to the extent exfoliation occurs when I use a body scrub (since I use my hands to work the scrub in). So anyway, I followed the directions and scrubbed my hands with the sugar scrub, paying attention to my nail beds and cuticles. I was totally blown away by how re-freaking-diculously soft my hands were. I felt like I could be a hand model! Seriously! My hands take a beating everyday, because I’m constantly washing them and I’m not so great at remembering the hand cream, which leaves me with neglected, tore-up hands most of the time.
Definitely keeping this by the sink so I remember to scrub every other day or so!
Liz Earle Orange Flower Hand Wash (6.7 oz for $19.50) is a low-lather liquid hand soap lightly scented with an herbal/floral blend of notes with a touch of orange. The hand wash contains orange flower water, as well as seven pure essential oils, and its foaming agents are derived from corn syrup and coconut oil. Liz Earle has managed to create a more organic/natural product that doesn’t stink of compost nor lacking in quality. Too often I’ve found brands capitalize on using buzz words like natural or organic, but then the products themselves don’t deliver.
In a household with sixty-pounds of overeager puppy (well, I suppose, he’s just a dog now!), I’m always washing my hands. It’s really essential for whatever hand cleansing product I use to do everything it can to moisturize or rehydrate my paws throughout the day. Since using Liz Earle’s hand wash, I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my skin’s texture and roughness. My hands don’t feel dry, and they’re certainly better than they usually are. This is most likely one of the better hand soaps I’ve used, all things considered.
The only thing that gets me is the price, because the idea of paying just about $20 for hand soap seems ludicrous. I can appreciate that they’ve designed the pump to only pump out all you need (which is a very small amount), at the very least. If the price were less, I’d repurchase it without a second thought–as it stands, I’m not entirely sure. It’ll depend on how long it lasts overall, I suppose! Get yours at LizEarle.com.
Jaqua Pink Buttercream Frosting Hand Soap ($14.00) is such a deliciously girly product in my bathroom arsenal! It smells exactly as it is named, like buttercream frosting. The scent even lingers a bit after you’ve dried off your hands. As the holidays roll around, I’m all about rich and delicious baked goods. And let me tell you, I’m a huge fan of buttercream frosting! As an added benefit, since using this as my primary hand soap, my hands haven’t been nearly as dry as they usually are. Living with a furry creature will have you washing your hands more often than the average person, which leaves me with parched paws! It must be the vitamin E and aloe, but whatever it is, I’m lovin’ it.
Panpuri Antioxidant Reparative Hand & Nail Cream ($27.50) is an ultra thick and luxurious hand cream that’s highly scented with a floral scent, primarily of jasmine. This is not a hand cream that absorbs within seconds; it does take a few minutes to fully absorb. I found myself going for this particular product when my hands were extra dry or at night, when I could put on some gloves before bed, for even more hydration. For those interested in ingredients, Panpuri is SLS and paraben free, and it only uses hypo-allergenic and natural plant-based ingredients. While the product itself worked well, the scent was too strong for my sensitive nose (at least during spring when I tested it). What I really like about this product is that it doesn’t leave a greasy residue, despite being such a thick hand cream.
Panpuri is a spa and aromatherapy brand that hails from Thailand, which is why the hand cream contains a blend of Jasmine, Pomegranate, Portulaca, and Wild Thai FHoney. The portulaca helps to soothe hands, while jasmine gives it its floral scent as well as softens hands. Pomegranate extract is meant to help your hands keep their youthful glow, and the wild Thai honey helps to moisturize skin without leaving any residue behind. Whenever I test a new brand, I love learning about its background and philosophy–it kind of gives you a heads up on what to expect. Learn more at www.panpuri.com.
Have you used any Panpuri products? Do you use hand creams regularly? If so, which one(s)?
Gloves In A Bottle is a shielding lotion — it bonds with the outer layer of your skin and protects it from irritants while locking in your natural oils and moisture — the reason why dermatologists recommend Gloves as an effective dry skin treatment.
What makesit worth it: If you are familiar with our review on Skin MD Natural, you’ll know that I believe in the powers behind shielding lotions. This is a lightweight cream that you apply to your hands that dries in less than a minute. You don’t feel greasy or oily afterwards in the slightest, which is an absolute requirement of any good hand cream. (Literally, I applied it to test the scent again, and it was dry before I formulated my response.) I know I don’t want to have to sit around waiting for the cream to dry when I have things I need to be doing. Depending on how dry your skin is, you may apply this every four hours or be able to go with once or twice a day (morning and night). Shielding lotions help your skin to hydrate itself rather than artificially moisturizing it. Gloves In a Bottle also does not wash off, but rather comes off as skin cells are exfoliated.
Why you might pass on it: I was quite happy with this product as a hand cream, but the scent could use some work. It isn’t strong, so it isn’t enough of a downside for me to pass on the product itself, but it isn’t particularly pleasing if you put your nose to your hand. It smells kind of clinical or medicinal, which I’d rather have than a bad smell!
I recently had the opportunity to check out and try several La Mer products over the past few weeks. Since La Mer focuses on skincare, I wanted to test everything for awhile, so I could really give you a true blue review on them! You’ll find a review on eight different La Mer products: Creme de la Mer moisturizing cream, Moisturizing lotion, Moisturizing gel, Eye Balm, Concentrate, Cleansing Gel, Refining Facial, and Hand Treatment.
Overall, La Mer products are luxurious against the skin — there is no doubt about it — soft, silky, and deliciously moisturized and well-balanced skin results from using their products over a matter of days. I love that they’ve come out with several versions of their most popular item, Creme de la Mer, so they can provide products that can really cater to a customer’s individual skin. They have lightweight versions of it, which I found was great for days when the weather was just too hot for anything remotely thick.
Creme de la Mer — I can see why this product is raved about, because it made my skin soft and supple, and I swear there was a touch of glow to it after using Creme de la Mer for a few weeks. It has a very light scent, which is a definite plus for me, as I prefer my facial products with minimal scents. The cream itself is rich and thick, and you have to make sure you warm it up between your palm or fingers before applying in order to achieve the best results.
