A tale of two hand creams: L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream and Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy

Two of my favourite hand creams are L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream and Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy. I’ve been using the L’Occitane since last December, but I’ve loved and been using the C&E for about 3 years now. Both are cult favourites, both are really effective products.

Texture

• L’Occitane is a thick, buttery cream. You only need a little bit to get a ton of moisture.
• C&E is a light cream gel. You’ll need a little more to get the same moisture as L’Occitane.

Scent

• L’Occitane is scented like shea butter, and is quite strong (as it is 10% shea butter)
• C&E is a rosewater scent, but the new one that I have in the new packaging is much lighter and subtler than the ones I’ve used before

Effect

• L’Occitane is really thick and a little hard to spread around, but it is very moisturizing. I use this at night before I head to bed because it can get too greasy if you are using it during the day and need to use your hands.
• C&E is much lighter and absorbs quickly, but the effects are not as long-lasting as L’Occitane. Because it is so light, you will wash this off each time you wash your hands, even with just water.

Packaging

• Both are housed in metal paint tubes, but L’Occitane is a little harder to squeeze out then C&E because of its harder texture

Price

• L’Occitane is $30 for 150mL
• C&E is approximately $18 for the 100mL

Overall: I think these are both excellent hand creams, it really depends on what you’re looking for in a hand cream in order to decide which one is for you. I like to use C&E during the day and maybe even keep it in my handbag on the go, but L’Occitane is definitely by my bedside to use before bed.

• L’Occitane is better if you have dry hands that need long term care and moisture.
• C&E is better if you want to temporarily feel silky smooth skin and also need something that absorbs easily.

Left – L’occitane, Right – C&E

Review: Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

If you haven’t noticed, I’m somewhat of a hand product fanatic in that I love to try different types of hand cream. I like to wash my hands (kind of a germaphobe…) so my hands tend to get very dry. I use different type of hand lotions depending on the time of day, for example I use L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream at night to get the thickest and richest moisture I can get. I use Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve when I’m on the computer as I need something that is moisturizing but not greasy.

What it claims (from Kiehls.ca): Formulated for the driest, most active hands, this heavy-duty moisture treatment is a thick, rich formula offering all-day care and protection. Our blend of select ingredients allows skin to actually draw and absorb water from the air, forming a “glove-like” protective barrier against moisture loss. This formula, which contains a blend of botanical oils as well as natural wax derived from Olive Oil, further soothes, moisturizes and conditions skin. This most effective preparation helps protect against and repair the appearance of severe dryness caused by heavy industrial work, manual labor, neglect, or exposure to harsh elements.

Price: $13USD/$18CAD for 75mL, $20USD/$27CAD for 150mL

Texture/Scent: Dense gel texture, scent-free

The good: This hand salve is unique in that it is not oil-based (it does contain some good oils, its main ingredients are not oil products). While it looks and applies thickly, it absorbs almost instantaneously into the skin without leaving any type of residue. I also feel that it is somewhat waterproof, in that if you wash your hands, it doesn’t wash off right away (unless you use soap of course). You won’t need to constantly reapply throughout the day.

• Not oil-based
• Absorbs instantly
• No residue
• Stays on the skin even through hand washes (does not need to be reapplied constantly)

The bad: The price is one of the highest I’ve seen for hand cream. The only “boutique brand” hand cream that is more expensive than this that I can think of is the L’Occitane hand products (other than the high end department store products).

• High price

Overall: This hand salve is perfect for those who work in an environment that requires them to constantly use their hands (thus they cannot wait for their hand product to sink in). Such as if you work in an office environment where you’re handling paper files, or you’re typing, you cannot be leaving greasy hand lotion residue everywhere, which is where this product comes in. It is also perfect if you work in a fragrance-free setting, as many hand products that claim to be fragrance-free are actually not, this product really is 100% scent free.

Product: 17.5/20
Packaging: 4.5/5
Value: 3/5
Overall: 25/30 | A
Repurchase? Likely

Ingredients:

Review: Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme… LOVES!

My friend Ruth-Anne sent me this hand cream a while ago but I keep forgetting to review it… Ruth-Anne is currently doing a contest on her site where if you go sign her guest book here, you can win full size Arbonne products.

What it claims: Ultra lightweight formula moisturizes hands, leaving them feeling soft and supple.

Price: $22CAD for 112mL at Arbonne

Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Lippia Citriodora Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Squalane, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Carbomer, Corn Starch Modified, Tromethamine, Myristyl Myristate, Myristyl Laurate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Hexyl Acetate, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Ethyl Acetate, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, 3-Hexenol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Geranyl Acetate, Allyl Caproate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Amyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Beta-Ionone, Geraniol, Citronellol, Gamma-Undecalactone, Benzyl Acetate, Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate, Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Limonene

[Key Ingredients: fresh kiwi cells; Moisture Fresh Complex of cucumber, birch leaf, watercress, clover blossom, St. John’s wort; rose geranium botanical plant, lemon verbena botanical plant, safflower oil, sunflower oil, vitamins A and E]

The good: This is a light, creamy (but not greasy) hand cream that is perfect for on the go. It moisturizes very well and you only need a very little bit to get the job done. It smells fruity (due to all of the fruit ingredients) which is a good pick-me-up during the day. I love to carry this around with me in my purse because it absorbs instantaneously and I do not have to massage it in as much compared to other hand creams. The result is smooth, hydrated hands that can get back to whatever it was doing immediately after applying the cream.

The bad: The price is relatively steep, at $22 for 112mL, it is easily one of the more expensive hand creams on the market (unless you venture into designer brand domain). I do feel that it is better bang for your buck though, because I’ve tried hand creams by L’Occitane and Crabtree & Evelyn and I always tend to overuse, resulting in it being used up faster. But with this hand cream, you really only need very little bit to feel relief from dryness.

Overall: This is a good hand cream if you happen to have the budget for it. Compared to budget hand creams like Glysomed (which I also love and use by the bucketful), this cream delivers the relief without the greasy feeling, which Glysomed is pretty much known for.

• Product: 17/20
• Value: 3/5
• Packaging: 4.5
• Overall: 24.5/30 | 82% | A-
• Repurchase? Probably, if I can get through my stash of hand cream first (yes I like to hoard hand cream)
• Availability: Arbonne

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What do your hands say about you? And some random stuff about life.

(Click to enlarge!)

I was observing my hands yesterday, and I noticed something very peculiar about them. My left hand has much better skin, like it is smoother and has a more even skintone than my right hand. That made me wonder why that is.

You know when you go to a cosmetics counter and you try on the various creams? Well because I am right handed, I tend to spread the cream on my left hand with my right fingers. All those whitening creams and serums have really made a difference because my left hand looks spotless.

Of course I use hand cream normally (currently using Crabtree & Evelyn’s Rosewater Hand Therapy, my HG), its still not the same as when you’re smothering on some $200 or even $50 cream on your hand. I guess that just shows that whatever product(s) you’re trying on really works! Yay, lets go buy them all XD

BTW, if you’ve been following my Twitter, you might have noticed I disappeared in the middle of the day yesterday. No, I did not jump on a bus to London (I wish). Instead, our internet got cut off. Yes I know, it SUCKED. I’m here in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to go, and no internet; can life get any worse? And it was cut off for a whole 24 hours too; we just got back online maybe 30 minutes ago and I’m here updating, aren’t I a good blogger, hehe.

But the good thing is I realized today that I am truly happy here. You see, back at Queen’s school started today, I know that if I were to be back there, I would be completely stressed out starting from day 1. But right now, I’m really enjoying simply living, and not just stressed about school work. I’m having good chats with my professors about anything without worrying that they don’t think I’m smart enough for them.

Last week I had a very good conversation with my geography prof about Canadian vs. American vs. British politics (you must be thinking ‘how is that fun??’ but I enjoyed it, haha). Then my finance prof said that he thought he knew me from somewhere, and then this grad student from Fudan University accurately predicted the characters in my Chinese name (wtf, right?). Hm… I guess the lesson learned is that life is kinda creepy here, but something I would choose over going back to Queen’s anytime =)

How was your weekend?


Oh btw, my blog has reached 20,000 clicks as of yesterday. Thank you to everyone for all of your support! Reading all of your nice comments really gives me that little push to write, so thank you very much!!

Review: Glysomed Hand Cream

(picture courtesy of www.glysomed.com)

I can’t live without Glysomed hand cream, it is the BEST hand cream I have ever used, and it is pretty affordable if you know where to go. Its not oily or sticky and it moisturizes and protects the driest hands!

Ease of Use: [ 10/10 ] I buy mine in tube and all you have to do is squeeze until you get the right amount. This also comes in a little jar, and I think its harder to use that than the tube because you have to scoop it. The product is also not as fresh after a while because all the oxygen will get to it and change the chemical composition.

Moisture level: [ 10/10 ] My mom never really used hand cream before because she just never thought about it that much, but she has really dry skin and especially in the winter they would crack and be very very dry. Last winter I gave this hand cream to her and she told me after just one application, her hands became very smooth and moisturized. I also use this right after I wash my dishes or do other chores because it just replaces the moisture that was lost when washing dishes.

Price: [ 7/10 ] I buy mine at Costco for $18.99 for 2 tubes of 250 mL each, so $18.99 for 500 mL. If you don’t have a Costco membership, the cheapest place to get them are at Loblaws (in Eastern Canada) and Superstore (in Western Canada) for about $2.99 for 50 mL, or sometimes less when there are sales. Shoppers Drug Mart has this for $4.99 for 50 mL so its a bit more. Like I said, if you buy it at the right places, its considerably cheaper.

Overall Rating: [ 9/10 ] I love this. I have one on my desk so I can use it all the time, as well as one on my bedroom dresser so I use it after a shower and before I go to bed. Another way to use it is to smooth a lot onto your hands, and then put on cotton moisturizing gloves (you can buy them at the Body Shop), you will wake up with the smoothest hands.

Another kind of hand cream that can give the same sort of effect: Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater Hand Cream (which I would buy if it wasnt $16 for 100 mL, too expensive for my tastes and it has the same effect has Glysomed…)