Hand Cream - my handbag essential

I hardly carry any makeup in my bag, just a black pencil liner but I ALWAYS make sure I have hand cream. For me, there's nothing worse than having dry crusty hands!

I wash my hands a lot more during my working week. I take the tube to work and have to hold onto rails with lots of sneezy/coughy people. I don't even want to think about what else could be on those rails. Also as I'm on the computer all day, I wash my hands everytime I eat and the handwash at work is very drying.

I have tried a lot of different hand creams but these are the ones I'm currently using:

Dr Organic Rose Otto Hand & Nail Cream - If you like the smell of rosewater then you'll love this one. It's a very rich but effective cream and is paraben/sls free. It has lots of natural ingredients such as rose flower oil, olive oil, geranium oil and clove oil which is why I suspect it's so moisturising. The tube is huge and you really only need a little blob of the thick cream. Any more and it would leave your hands feeling greasy. I even use this on my elbows as it's good for rough skin too. (£6.69 for 125ml).

L'Occitane Fleur Chérie Hand Cream - This cream on the other hand is the total opposite, very light and the consistency much thinner. If you suffer from very dry hands then I wouldn't say this is the best hand cream for you. Even though it contains shea butter and grape seed oil, it's not very moisturising and  I use this mostly during summer. It does however smell really nice - a light floral scent. Mine is the 30ml travel size which was free in a magazine but is otherwise £7. I prefer their shea butter version but I think I'll wait for another magazine promo to get one.

What is your favourite hand cream?

Review: Dr Organic - Royal Jelly Night Cream

It is only recently that I've become more aware of the amount of chemicals in beauty products I use. This is down to one of my best friends who now only uses products that are 100% natural. She uses shea butter (which she buys in bulk), coconut/almond/olive oil, rosewater and even makes her own shampoo and shower gel! I'm not going to go that far just yet but I've started to think more about the ingredients in the products I buy and if there are more natural alternatives.

Whilst I'm aware of the brand, this is the first Dr Organics product I have used. SLS and paraben free, this is made from natural ingredients (see detailed list here). I was expecting the cream to be thin and watery but it's actually thick and performs like any other, just without all the chemicals. It also doesn't feel heavy or greasy. I especially like the swish glass container it comes in. It has a pleasant light scent - to me it smells like the inside of a flower (sorry, I'm terrible when it comes to describing scents).

This is what it says on the back of the box:

I can't comment on if it has made any difference to fine lines/wrinkles as I don't have any but what I can say is that it's rich and very moisturising. I apply this every night before bed and when I wake up my face feels soft and hydrated. In this harsh weather, I've also used this as my daily moisturiser.

I don't have senstive skin but if you do, and you are looking for a cream made from natural ingredients, I would reccommend this or any other in the range.

I'm happy with the results so far and would like to try more products from this brand. I think next on my list will be this Rose Otto hand and nail cream.

Don't forget you can win this night cream as part of a set in my Dr Organics giveaway!

Holland & Barrett paraben and SLS free awareness drive + Dr Organic xmas giveaway

Holland & Barrett has made the decision to reformulate all of their beauty products to be paraben and SLS free, and in future will no longer stock brands containing these ingredients. Earlier this year, they launched Dr Organics, the first natural, organic, paraben and SLS free range of beauty products from a high street store.

Although I have briefly touched on the subject of paraben and SLS free products before, I have never been fully informed and found this editorial to be an interesting read.

Controversial chemicals

Whilst all chemicals must be approved by the EU to be used in cosmetics, there is emerging evidence[1] to suggest some of these chemicals are harmful and may be linked with breast cancer[2]. And there are two particularly controversial chemicals commonly found in cosmetics: parabens and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS).

Parabens

What are parabens used for?

Parabens are added to everything from food to skin care to deodorants. They come in different types and are essentially preservatives to give products a longer shelf life.

What do they do?

In 2004 a study in the UK found that when applied to the skin (as opposed to eaten) parabens may seep in and accumulate in the body’s tissue. This is significant when you consider that in the same study, 19 out of the 20 cancerous breast tumours examined contained parabens[3].

Dr Phillipa Darbre, who led the study, said “This is the first study to show their accumulation in human tissues. It demonstrates that if people are exposed to these chemicals (parabens), then the chemicals will accumulate in their bodies."

"Detection (of parabens) in human breast tumours is of concern, since parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of the female hormone oestrogen."

Oestrogen is thought to stimulate the growth of most breast cancer tumours[4] and so any chemical that acts like the female hormone may increase the chances of developing breast cancer.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)

What is SLS used for?

SLS is a harsh detergent first used as an industrial degreasant to clean garage floors but is now found in most shampoos and toothpastes.

What does it do?

SLS strips the oil layer off skin; irritating and eroding, leaving skin rough and pitted. In fact, the chemical is often used in clinical studies to deliberately irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested[5].

SLS has a low molecular weight and is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in those areas[6].

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[1] Hand et Al, Toxicology. 2006 Oct 3;227(1-2):62-72. Epub 2006 Jul 28 ‘Methylparaben potentiates UV-induced damage of skin keratinocytes’

Philip W. Harvey* and David J. Everett, Significance of the Detection of Esters of p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid (Parabens) in Human Breast Tumours, JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY J. Appl. Toxicol. 24, 1–4 (2004)

[2] Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR, et al. (2004). Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours. J Appl Toxicol, 24:5-13.

[3] Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR, et al. (2004). Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours. J Appl Toxicol, 24:5-13.

[4] Cancer Research UK (2009). Types of treatment for Breast Cancer. http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/breast-cancer/treatment/which-treatment-for-breast-cancer

[5] Keith Green, PH.D., D.Sc., Medical College of Georgia: ‘Detergent Penetration into Young and Adult Eyes, Research to Prevent Blindness’ cited by the Wall Street Journal (11.01.1988)

[6] Vance J, Beauty To Die For, Promotion Publishing, 1998

What Holland & Barrett say:

More research is needed to give us conclusive evidence of the affects of these substances. But whilst the majority of retailers continue to stock products containing these chemicals, we have removed all SLS and paraben ingredients from our entire beauty range. 

 
As part of their awareness drive, I have been provided with a prize for one of you lovely readers!

Dr Organic - Organic Royal Jelly Perfect Complexion Gift Set

I’ve actually been using the night cream (included in this set) over this past week and will be posting my review tomorrow.

Leave a comment below if you would like to be entered. I find “Enter me” comments boring so perhaps let me know your thoughts on parabens and SLS in skincare/cosmetic products? Are you aware of them? Do you actively avoid them? Or are you not convinced?

The giveaway (UK only, sorry!) will close on the 4 January 2010 at 23.00 (GMT) when I will pick someone at random. Looking forward to reading your opinions! Good luck xx