A short review on moisturisers

I recently indulged in hand lotions and hand creams. $106 for L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (150 mL) and Shea Butter Extra Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body - Milk (300 mL)

I haven't had the time to pamper myself. Do I really need to spend $106 on 450 mL on hand lotions and creams? I'm not altogether sure. But I do know that I have been obsessively slathering my hands with lotions and creams ever since I've stopped marking or doing work with my hands. It gives me a tremendous amount of pleasure to do so. It's an obsession. I have enough creams and lotions to last me a fair number of years but I still buy them.

I like the scent of nice-smelling hands. That is also why I hate washing dishes and chopping garlic. After mincing garlic, the smell lingers for days and unlike the fresh zesty smell it changes into an unpleasant almost disgusting smell so much so that I cannot bear to even have my hands in front of me.

If I do have so much lotions and creams oh why pray tell do I need to spend $106 on 2 extra tube and bottles? That's because hand lotions and creams are a niche area. They are my sinful indulgence and I always have to have something everywhere and I cannot bear to see one finishing and not buy another to replace it.

I am finishing this soon.

It's actually a 30 mL travel size tube but I couldn't manage to find the picture. The rose scent is strong on applying and I always worry that it will annoy the people around me. It gradually fades into a gentle scent.

The Honey and Lemon Hand Cream from L'Occitane really does smell of lemons and honey. It was ok for application but I wouldn't get that again as there are hand creams with scents that appeals more to me.The Cherry Blossom Hand Cream is one that I have been saving up. I had gotten the limited edition of the three 30mL Hand Cream last year.
I haven't tried it yet. I thought I like the scent too much to use it initially but I think my preferences has swung to light milk scented hand creams. Simple scents. I probably will get around to using it soon.

I have also tried most of the hand creams from Crabtree and Evelyn.

My favourite scent will be the Nantucket Briar which reminds me of the clean scent of British soap. It used to be La Source which follows the scent of most sea-related ocean scent but it got to be too cliche for me. Lavender always reminded me of washing detergents although I got it for a friend because she said that that scent calms her. I still have a 100 mL of Rosewater. The scent is quite similar to the Rose Velvet from L'Occitane except that I think upon application, the Rose Velvet somehow diffuses faster. I am guessing that is because the water content is higher.

I was recently asked if expensive hand creams do make a difference. Frankly, they may not. What makes a good hand cream or lotion is in its ability to penetrate the skin as well as prevent moisture loss. That will mean the lotion or cream should contain a good ratio of water as well as oil content for it to work. You may recall that the human cell have hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts to it. Anyway I digressed. The effectiveness of hand creams and lotions may vary for individual because some of our hands are drier than others.

I have dry skin. Some cheaper drugstore brands do work perfectly fine for me whereas some do not and cover my skin like some oily gook. Granted that it contains the preventing moisture loss part, it is still simply too icky for me to bear.

L'occitane hand creams and lotions experienced so far tend to be more absorbing and less greasy compared to Crabtree and Evelyn. However I suspect that Crabtree and Evelyn lasts longer for me.

Other cheaper brands that I've found to work perfectly includes Cyclax. My personal favourite is the Cyclax Aloe Vera moisturiser (I couldn't find a better picture). The company was granted the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1961. Supposedly Royal Warrants are a mark of recognition to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to certain members of the Royal Family. It used to be available at most John Little outlets but I haven't checked if they still carry it. You can get a fair bit for less than 10 bucks if there is a sale.

You can probably tell that it is the cheaper lotion on application. For one, the scent is thinner and has less depth to it. The texture is light, fast-absorbing, definitely a water-based moisturiser. However the penetration is there. In fact I vary my moisturisers a lot based on mood and stocks at hand. In my compulsive-obsessive nights when I was studying for my Uni. exams, I would actually apply the Cyclax Aloe Vera moisturisers before applying a heavier lotion or cream.

I've also used The Body Shop Body Butter. Now, that is extremely moisturising, probably good for overseas where the humidity is way lower. In Singapore, the Body Butter can be a bit overpowering and uncomfortable if you do not sleep in an air-conditioned room or not used to moisturisers.

The rest of the moisturisers that I have used like Vaseline, Jergens, Nivea and Johnson & Johnson are too way back for me to give a fair and adequate review. Jergens was pretty good. Nivea and Johnson & Johnson had pleasant scents though I remembered the latter as being too manufactured for my taste. However I would like to try possibly the Nivea one as I remembered the scent as being extremely pleasant.

After the long entry, I guess it is now time to go and re-apply my moisturisers. Toodles.