Review | Helping (my) hands
Hello everyone. I’m back.
I hope you are all keeping safe and well. I haven’t been on here for ages because, to be honest, writing about beauty products has felt incredibly frivolous. It still does, so I won’t be writing posts about products that are unavailable to buy until we see some sort of normality returning, which, I’m sure won’t be for a very long time. But if you still need a beauty fix, I will be putting a few posts up over on Instagram of products that I’ve been testing.
To brands that have sent products for review – I am testing them and writing the posts, but I won’t be publishing them now. It isn’t worth it for anyone involved.
Products that we are all using more than we probably ever have before is hand and cuticle creams. I’ve suffered with dry hands on and off, but the last few months have, obviously, been the worst. Sharing the ones I’ve been loving seems helpful, so here it goes. Sadly some of them are discontinued, but I have included other options that I also love (I just don’t happen to have and haven’t been able to buy during Level 5).
I LOVED the Filorga Hand-Filler Anti-Ageing Mask For Hands and Nails when it came out. I think it was discontinued ages ago, but I found an unopened pack when I was clearing out a few weeks ago (yay for Corona clear outs). They are cotton gloves infused with hyaluronic acid and NCTF (Filorga’s anti-ageing complex). You pop them on for 15 minutes, and then carry on with your day. A simple version of this that you can do at home is to cover your hands and nails in hyaluronic acid serum and wear some cotton socks as gloves over the top. The heat generated from the socks will help the serum penetrate. You could also use cling wrap – it will do the same thing.
Mavala Cuticle Cream is one of my favourite cuticle treatments. I’ve never loved cuticle oil because it always oozes onto my fingers, which I can’t stand. I end up washing my hands, which completely defeats the purpose of applying it in the first place. It’s rich, but absorbs quickly, leaving your cuticles looking like you’ve just had a manicure.
Bioderma Atoderm Mains Ultra Repair along with the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment are the two best hard core hands creams on the market, in my opinion. They both instantly hydrate and soothe dry and irritated skin. Neither leave oily residue on the fingers and both absorb instantly. The only difference is that the Elizabeth Arden one has a slightly thicker texture.
My overnight hand cream is Filorga Hand-Absolute. You all know what I mean – the super thick one you apply just before you go to bed that gives you super soft hands by morning. The formula contains anti-aging ingredients, so is like skin care for your hands, which is why I don’t use it during the day.
Cape Island Clifton Beach Natural Hand Cream is the one I apply when my hands are doing ok, and not cracked and sore. It smells so incredibly good, and lifts my mood whenever I use it.
Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Nail and Cuticle Therapy is another one I think has been discontinued. I think this went when the brand did their rebrand. But if you can get your hands on some, do it. It’s super moisturising and leaves cuticles soft and supple. It’s not as rich as the Mavala one, so a good alternative is the Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab, which I also love. I used up the last the Sally Hansen just before lockdown, and haven’t been able to repurchase. I see that it is now available to buy again under Level 4 rules. It delivers similar results to the Crabtree & Evelyn, and is better to apply because it goes on with a brush.
What hand and nail products have you been reaching for during lockdown? Please share them below.
