A Comprehensive Review of this Winter Season’s Hand Care Products

For those of you that have the unfortunate luck of living in harsh winter cities like Toronto or Calgary, you know how important it is to moisturize during the winter months – especially our hands! So as the cold weather creeps up on us, what’s a girl to do? Go buy some cream! But stores like Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart carry rows and aisles of moisturizers and creams… Which ones to pick?

Being the nice girl that I am, I went into the Sephora on Bloor street west and attached myself to Elizabeth, a product expert in the skincare area of the store, and demanded to be shown all the hand creams they carry. We spent 45 minutes looking at 16 different products, and below is my review of them.

I washed my hands with harsh soap between products to give my hands the roughest condition I can, to truly test these hand creams. Then I kept each product on my skin for 30 minutes to test its long-lasting effects.

Fresh – Sugar Blossom Hand Cream ($18-52)

“A restorative and preventative formula treatment for hands. It renews suppleness with floral acids and real sugar, hydrating oils and toning citrus extracts” – sephora.com

The first thing I noticed about the Sugar Blossom Hand Cream by Fresh is that it smells like lemon water. Very citrus-y, refreshing. It absorbed into my hands quickly, and still kept my hands soft and smooth after 30 mintues. With creams that have a heavy fragrance, I always worry that it may inflame my eczema – which only springs to life on my right hand during winter. I’m happy to say that this product passed the test!

Interesting fact: the Sugar Blossom Hand Cream is thought to help heal cuts on the skin, because sugar apparently has healing powers

Caudalie – Hand and Nail Cream ($25)

“A cream for those who want a nourishing, antiaging treatment for hands and nails. It protects the skin against aging as it hydrates, soothes, and nourishes. Nails are strengthened and invigorated without a greasy film. Infused with a sweet orange fragrance, this cream is highly concentrated in patented antioxidant grapevine polyphenols and Vinolevure” – sephora.com

This is a new product from Caudalie. I found that it absorbs very quickly, but leaves a bit of a waxy feeling on my palms and fingers. It isn’t very thick – more like a lotion. But it left my skin feeling very silky and smooth. Maybe it’s just me, but looking at the packaging with grapes on it, the hand cream smells like frozen grapes. Yum.

Interesting fact Caudalie has their own vinery where they grow grapes for extraction, as grape extracts are used in most of their products, including this one

Bliss – High Intensity Hand Cream ($19/$10)

“Supreme softening and surface smoothing makes this ultra-rich hand balm a best seller. Silky but grease-free, it smoothes rough cuticles too” – sephora.com

I’m a little biased when it comes to this particular hand cream because it’s been a favourite of mine for a long time. The 1oz travel size ($10) fits in any purse, and leaves your hands silky smooth for hours. It has a mild citrus scent, and absorbs very quickly. Also made from grapeseed extract, it doesn’t inflame my eczema. I send my mom a box full of this stuff every Christmas, she loves it!

Interesting fact: Bliss is a world renowned spa located in New York

Sephora brand BODY Nourishing Hand Cream SPF 10 ($20)

“A vitamin-enriched, emollient hand cream with sunscreen filters. Enriched in shea butter and sweet almond oil, this high impact formula soothes, moisturizes, and protects dry and damaged hands. Anti-UVA/UVB filters help prevent skin aging” – sephora.com

It might be because I read the packaging before taking a whiff, but this smells like sunscreen to me. Pleasant and light, it absorbs very fast, but I found that it left my palms a little greasy. It left my skin soft for a while, but also slightly irritated my eczema.

Lancome – Absolue Hand: Anti-age spot Replenishing Unifying Treatment SPF 15 Sunscreen ($48)

“A luxurious and comprehensive hand treatment that addresses the special needs of mature hands. Diminishes and discourages the appearance of age spots, while replenishing and protecting the skin” – lancome.usa.com

Taking a whiff of this almost made me cry – it reminds me of my mom (who lives on the other side of the country). The scent is fresh, but not quite citrus-y. The cream is very thick like a heavy ointment, but surprisingly absorbs rather quickly. I don’t have brown spots yet so I can’t say whether the product delivers its promises… but it doesn’t irritate my eczema and left my skin very supple for hours.

Clarins – Hand & Nail Treatment Cream ($10-$30)

“A moisturizing cream which protects against chapping and irritation. It promotes soft, supple hands, long-lasting comfort and also strengthens nails” – clarins.com

As soon as I tested this cream on my hands, I knew it was going to be one of my favourites. It looks thick but spreads very well, absorbs quickly, and smells like baby lotion! It’s not greasy at all, and the feeling of softness lasts for a long time without drying out. It left my hands very silky and smooth.

Biotherm – Biomains Age Delaying Hand & Nail Treatment ($14.50)

“This multi-purpose treatment for hands restores skin’s natural protective shield. With vitamin F and other richly hydrating ingredients, daily use of Biomains helps delay the appearance of skin aging. Also helps prevent brown spots with an advanced UV filter system. Protects against skin damage caused by free radicals with powerful antioxidants. Strengthens nails with D-Panthenol” – biotherm.com

After reading the description on the website, I thought I might be putting on a multi-vitamin on my hand. I’m not sure if it lives up to all the promises it makes, to be quite honest. The cream isn’t very thick, it’s more like a lotion. The scent is very heavy and perfume-y, and absorbs almost too quickly. It doesn’t last very long, as the initial smooth feeling disappears as the product gets absorbed into your skin.

Interesting fact: Biotherm claims this product is water resistant

Sephora by OPI – Restorative Hand Moisturizer ($23)

“A rich, soothing cream that provides maximum hydration, nourishment, and protection to extremely dry, overworked skin. A soothing blend of almond, avocado, and shea butters makes hands look and feel better instantly. This hand saver is ideal for women with dry hands that have been overexposed to the elements. It quickly hydrates, repairs, and creates a protective barrier against moisture loss. With repeated use, it helps to improve skintone and elasticity” – sephora.com

It sounds like a great moisturizer for women who stay outside gardening a lot. The cream isn’t very thick, but thicker than most lotions. The scent reminds me of bubble bath, a little bit citrus-y but not too overpowering. It absorbs rather quickly, and I found that it didn’t particularly last very long.

Interesting fact: this lotion is parabin free as well as many other radicals-free, and meets Sephora’s standards to be considered a “Sephora Natural” product

Sephora by OPI – Daily Hand Moisturizer ($12)

A lightweight lotion that provides moderate moisture levels for silky-smooth, clean-feeling skin. It penetrates the skin and provides moisture without leaving behind the shiny oily residue associated with traditional skin lotions” – sephora.com

It’s very light, and has almost a milk-like texture. The scent is very strong and very heavy in flowers. Since it’s a lightweight lotion, it absorbs very quickly without being greasy, but doesn’t leave skin smooth for a long time. I found that I wanted to re-apply within 30 minutes.

Cake – Milk Made Velveteen Hand Crème ($18/$20)

“Combining marshmallow extract, shea butter, milk powder, and mango butter, it makes a delectable addition to your manicure routine” – cakebeauty.com

ICING! This hand “crème” literally smells, looks, and feels like icing (vanilla). I almost wanted to lick it to see if it tastes like vanilla icing too. It’s very thick and pretty heavy-duty, for a pretty packaged little thing. It left my hands soft, but not exactly silky… The only other word I can use to describe the feeling was semi-sticky. Maybe it really was vanilla icing..?

Also comes in a holiday version called “Snow Woman”, with the same scent and same formula. Celebrating Barbie’s 50^th birthday, there’s a Barbie version called “Gotta HAND it to her”, which is pink in colour and smells a little bit lighter than the original formula.

Interesting fact: Cake is proudly Canadian!

Clarins Mens – Active Hand Care ($24)

“Powerful skin-repairing benefits and protection in a non-oily formula specifically adapted to men’s skin. Helps calm irritations nourish and fight calluses” – clarins.com

Yes I tested men’s products too! This is more of a lotion than a cream, as it’s not very thick. It’s not shiny or greasy, and absorbs quickly – but doesn’t leave skin shiny (as that’s not very manly!). True to being a men’s hand lotion, it doesn’t smell fruity at all. Hint a spice, maybe? A little musky, and definitely belongs on a man’s hands. It left my hands smooth and touchable for hours!

Anthony Logistics For Men – Glycerin Hand & Body Lotion ($26)

“We mixed sea kelp to strengthen skin, shea butter to soften, aloe vera and glycerin to moisturize, chamomile to smooth and a nourishing bunch of vitamins: A, B5, C, D, and E. Apply anywhere you have skin. Moisturizes, soothes and conditions. Helps improve elasticity” – sephora.com

The thickness of this lotion is similar to the Clarins Mens Active Hand Care, but slightly thicker. Imagine school glue – it looks just like that! (without the sticky quality, of course). It’s not greasy at all, and silky due to the glycerin. It absorbs quickly, but not as quickly as the Clarins product. The first thing that came to my mind when I took a whiff of this lotion was yoga! It has a hint of spice in it.

Interesting fact: the Anthony brand is a Sephora exclusive, and was created by a man named Anthony (duh!) who felt that men skin products lacked variety.

Overall, my favourite product was the Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream and my least favourite was the Sephora by OPI Daily Hand Moisturizer. If I could get away with wearing the Clarins Mens Active Hand Care, I would! It’s a great product.

I want to thank Elizabeth at Sephora on Bloor St. West for all her help with my research.