If you enjoy the Beauty Brains blog, you’ll also enjoy sharing your thoughts with others in the Beauty Brains Forum. There are thousands of comments from nearly 400 members on all kinds of beauty issues.
As a special reward to the more prolific Forum members, we provide them with new beauty products to review. In today’s post, forum member “Cate” shares her thoughts on Aveeno Active Naturals Intense Relief Hand Cream.
Nanny knows best
Cate says: Well the Fall is here, the leaves are changing colors and there is a bit of Jack Frost in the air. It’s simply beautiful! But with all the beauty and cooler temperatures comes dry skin. And in my case dry dry dry hands. So I was extremely happy to try a product that might really help my skin. It seems that dry, cracked, skin is coming earlier and earlier every year.
I have been using Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream on my severely dry hands for a week. This product is “formulated with natural oatmeal and rich emollients to heal dry skin and form a protective glove against the elements.” It claims that it gives moisture for 24 hours and even lasts through hand washings.
It goes on nicely and quickly absorbs and feels great for a while. My hands felt soft and smooth. But after a while I could feel my hands becoming dry again and so I would re-apply. Also you can’t apply too much or it won’t absorb very nicely at all. I made the mistake and had to wipe it all off.
I am a nanny and decided to put the “lasts through hand washing” claim to the test. I wash my hands at least 20 times a day, potty breaks, feeding, diapering etc. And in my case this did not last through hand washing for me. I generally had to re-apply after I dried my hands. It may last for other people during hand washing, but in my extreme case it definitely did not.
I have noticed though over the past few days that my hands aren’t as cracked as they used to be and the skin around my nails doesn’t seem as dry. So it is definitely doing something.
I think this is a fine product. I’m not jubilant about it, but my hands do feel a bit softer and smoother. I’m going to continue to use this product and proper maintenance (such as wearing gloves to wash dishes and not using scalding hot water when washing), and hopefully the condition of my hands will improve.
What do YOU think about Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream? Leave a comment and let us know. Or, you can start a thread and talk to Cate directly in the Beauty Brains Forum. And if you’re interested in getting free goodies of your own, join the Forum now and show us you’ve got what it takes to be a Beauty Brainiac!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Great review Cate!!!
Cate, your review is spot on! I’ve used Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream in the past. I work with A LOT of paper, and paper can really suck the moisture out of your hands. I can’t say that it works better than any other lotion on the market, but it does help the dryness. Personally, I like Gardener’s Hand Healer from Bath and Body Works. It contains Shea butter & “seven magical plants” (verbena, mimosa, anthemis, althaea, calendula, melissa, and rosmary). It’s $5 for a 0.8 oz tube, but a little goes a long way and it smells nice.
I don’t like this product at all. It has a weird grainy feel on my hands and it smells bad.
I’ve never tried this, but I can say I’ve never found any Aveeno products to be especially moisturizing. In my experience, St. Ives, Nivea, and Eucerin provide the best long-lasting moisture for hands. Eucerin is my favorite. No frills, no thrills moisturizer that really works.
I can’t see ANY lotion saving your poor hands if they are washed a minimum of 20 times/day. Have you considered using a hand sanitizer as a substitute for some of the hand washes?
I must be weird–I wash my hands about that many times a day, too. I just started using Curel Ultra Healing Lotion and I like it alot!
Thanks for the great information, Cate. Sounds like Aveeno hand lotion could work for some but not for the more severe cases of dry skin.
I used to waitress and would wash my hands frequently from handling so many plates. The skin on my hands paid the price by developing open splits. When I went to a dermatologist to seek relief, he took one look at my hands and said, “I can tell just by looking at them that you’re either a mother of young children or you’re a waitress because both groups get their hands wet far too often.”
His advice: Protect your hands from water by wearing rubber gloves. But once they reach the point of no return, use a product like Eucerin or Nivea and then faithfully apply it before bed. But put on a pair of cotton gloves once it’s on so it can work its magic while you sleep.
Sue-Instant Hand Sanitizers contain alcohol..well, the ones that I have used do…so they dry your hand our even more AND it hurts
But we do carry those with us when we are at the store or library and can’t get to a sink.
Unfortunatley for us in the area that I work there is a nasty staph infection called MRSA going around so now we are slightly more nervous. And with 6 children in the house staying well…is so much better than 3-4 weeks of illness
Thanks Karen and Gloria!
Cate,
What a surprise! I use the Aveeno product and must agree with you. As a Nanny of 6 I know you come in contact with a lot of those “ubiquitous micro-organisms” that do so much damage to our skin. Aveeno has been adequate for me over the past years since I no longer have to take care of you, your sister & your brothers. I don’t wash my hands as often anymore. However that is about to change as my career is taking me into “contact” with children again. Oh, They and their toys have so many little nasties on them. I will be washing my hands much more frequently for the next few years. I’ve been using the Nivea hand cream recently. I’ll let you know if I like it next time I see you…maybe Christmas or tonight when I call you. If you or anyone else finds a product for their hands make sure to let me know. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! I love your writing style. Maybe Mr. Santee actually taught you something about writing. Be sure to thank him someday. Take Care and Love. Cate’s Mom
Cate,
I definitely agree with your attempts to eschew the hand santizer. It seems like an effective quick-fix, but over the long term, it only creates stronger, antibiotic resistant bacteria. Great review of the product and good luck finding something that can stand the test of hand washing. One more thing to keep in mind: be sure you’re drinking enough water. I’ve found that simple water is often times the best cure for my dry skin.
Jennifer: It’s true that some research indicates that one particular type of hand sanitizer (the kind based on Triclosan) may lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, most hand sanitizers are based on ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and those do NOT lead to resistance.