We spend a small fortune on face or body products, but often neglect our extremities – the result: dry, cracked and painful hands in the autumn and winter. Yet our hands are one of the hardest working parts of the body!
Beauty aficionados agree that moisturising hands should be an essential part of everyone’s daily body care routine, if you want to keep the skin on your ‘donnies’ supple, soft and healthy. Indeed, the main benefit of using hand cream or lotion is the moisturising properties. Hand cream or lotion helps prevent chapping, cracking, redness, soreness and chafing of the skin on our hands.
The medical science supports this, in that the oil ducts on palms and fingers are minute compared to elsewhere on the body, so hands get chapped, cracked and dry out much more easily than other areas. Consequently, using dedicated products or formulas to regularly coat our hands, which need more oil or moisturiser than the face or body, helps balance dryness.
Whilst we’re on the subject of medical science, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society recently came out and said washing your hands for 20 seconds – the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice – is the only sure way of getting rid of viruses and bacteria that can cause colds, flu, infections and upset stomachs.
Yet, when we wash our hands – especially in hot water – we strip off the natural oils that helps to keep our skin hydrated.
The answer to this ‘vicious circle’– moisturise regularly with a quality hand cream or lotion!
Our reviewers’ choice for banishing those painful cracks and dryness, and to give you lovely soft, supple hands is Scent Free Hand Cream with Olive and Aloe Vera from PHB Ethical Beauty.
From the moment you massage it in (ensure your hands are clean), it feels very mild, absorbing quickly into the skin, and leaves your hands feeling silky smooth, hydrated and definitely not greasy, like some hand creams, which leave a residue. It spreads well, i.e. no ‘slathering’ required.
One of our reviewers suffers from dry knuckles and its blend of organic mango butter, plant extracts and pumpkin seed oil provided some much needed relief, and as it’s mild and scent free, its suitable for sensitive skin.
Indeed, the PHB Ethical Beauty Scent Free Collection were winners of ‘Best Eczema Range’ Highly Commended at the Natural Health Magazine Beauty Awards 2014, and they won best Eczema range at the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2016.
As we’ve already said, it spreads very well, so a little from the 50ml dispenser goes a long way with this product. You’ll also be pleased to know it’s ethical and free from those chemical nasties – happy days!
PHB Products contain no from Animal Ingredients, Parabens, SLS, DEA, TEA, PEG, Alcohol (ethanol, ethyl alcohol, alcohol denat.), Phenoxyethanol, Artificial perfumes /fragrance, Petrochemicals, Methylisothiazolinone, Phthalates, Colourants, Silicone, Mineral oils, Formaldehyde and Propylene Glycol. PHB products are Organic, Vegan & Halal. This product is free from Palm oil. The product and its ingredients have not been tested on Animals. PHB are members of the Global Shea Alliance, a non-profit organisation who work to ensure that everyone in the Shea nut butter production chain gets a fair deal.
As if that wasn’t enough to convince you about the provenance of these products, 20% of PHB Ethical Beauty’s profits go to charity.
Be gone sore, dry hands!