There's nothing quite like the compare and contrast shocker of glimpsing your toddler's plump palm in your own chapped mitt. Or the photo reminder that reveals your speed-aged hands used to look smooth even against a newborn's skin. With kids, hands are constantly submerged thanks to the relentless cycle of stuff to wash; dishes, clothes, bottles, backsides - toys fished from out of the loo - repeat, repeat, repeat ad infinitum. The stripping nature of some antibacterial soaps, wipes and detergents can cause the skin's natural barrier function to protest leaving them itchy, irritated and - in severe cases - cracked and bleeding. As my boy would say, 'it's not beautiful.' Since BB came on the scene my hands have been on a downward spiral that's been hard to halt and I hate relying on hydrocortisone. Here are a couple of products I've been trialling religiously which have hands-on-heart helped - you might like them too x
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| Orba Originals Relief Cream - helps to cool and calm irritated skin |
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| Left: Nurture Protect SPF15 Hand Cream. BB aged 2 hours old - before my hands entered a life of domestic service |
Verdict: Despite the fact that this cream is designed with Psoriasis sufferers in mind I've found it has helped heaps in conditioning the tight, chapped skin across my hands and fingers which gets mighty itchy, inflamed and unsightly. The cooling cream formula, enriched with goat's milk extract, has a similar texture to old-fashioned cold cream cleaner and has noticeably reduced the heat and redness of some particularly sore patches on my hands. Relief Cream can be applied any time, anywhere (on the face and body), but I have found it best used as an over-night treatment. Layer it on thickly and your hands almost breathe a soothed sigh - aaah! Made from a blend of lipid-rich, nourishing oils including borage, evening primrose, apricot, jojoba and avocado it's my new winter must-have for buffering reactive, sensitive skin and a real pleasure to dip into. Please note that online this product is called Psoriasis Cream.
Verdict: It's hard to get excited about a hand cream when they're usually a dull, functional necessity but this one I could do - yes, really. Nurture is a fantastic skincare line with a holistic approach to skin health; supplements for the inside and products with performance anti-aging actives for the outside. I'm currently trialling some of the ranges new skincare - which I will post on at a later date - but I can already see that the lab sample of neck cream is doing sterling, smoothing work. Back to the hand cream in question. Cocoa butter, glycerin and sweet almond oil plus green tea extract, vitamin E and UVA/UVB filters all add up to a formula that's nourishing yet not at all greasy. I use this several times a day and - unlike some hand creams - the moisturising factor actually lasts. You can still feel it on your skin several hours later. Love it! Another thing to love about Nurture is that all of their products are tax free and delivery is free too. Good stuff.
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