Hi girls, today, I will tell you a bit about a cosmetic each of us buys (personally, I have a few hand creams and I use them alternately. I do not know why this is happening, but I can never have only one … there is always one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, another one at work, and one on the bedside table …). For me, buying hand creams is rather strange: I never pay attention to their ingredients but always check their scent and appearance as I do not want to carry an ugly tube with me. I know, it is not a very wise thing to do. Therefore, today I decided to go into more details in regard to this cosmetic. I will tell you about the types of creams and the best ingredients that they should contain. Let’s get it started!
Hand creams – types and properties
1. Moisturising hand cream
It is a remedy for dry and chapped hands. A moisturising hand cream ensures proper water-level in the epidermis thus it is very useful in every season of the year and suitable for use in air-conditioned rooms.
2. Anti-wrinkle hand cream
It is recommended for mature skin that lost firmness and elasticity and with the appearance of fine lines. Such product firms, smoothes out the skin, fills wrinkles and prevents the formation of new ones.
3. Protective hand cream
It is perfect for winter because it will take care of skin exposed to adverse external factors (frost, wind, blazing sun and rain). The protective hand cream creates a microscopic film that shields from dehydrating and pollutions.
4. Regenerating, repairing hand cream
It is ideal for hands that, for some reason, became damaged, dehydrated and lost elasticity. Regenerating hand cream is useful in the winter – when the skin of our hands is especially exposed to frostbite and dehydration.
5. Multi-purpose hand cream for unusual ailments
Extremely sensitive, atopic, irritable skin cannot tolerate most creams, so people with sensitive hands should carefully choose creams and reach for those designed for special tasks – usually, those are pharmaceuticals and can be bought mainly in the pharmacy.
6. Hand mask
A hand mask is a great way to quickly improve the condition of the skin on the hands. The mask is to be applied overnight, or during the day for 20 -30 minutes. They often come with special cotton gloves attached, which will protect your entire home against invasion of the cream;)
Hand cream and its ingredients – which ones are the best?
The best hand cream is, of course, the one with a good composition 🙂 Preferably the one that has a number of natural active ingredients in a high concentration. When choosing a hand cream, it will be good if you take a closer look at its composition – INCI. There is the whole truth about your cream. INCI gives the full composition of a given cosmetic and determines which substance appears in the highest amounts. The list of ingredients described in INCI is obviously not accidental – it has its hierarchical order, according to which the more substance there is, the higher it is on the INCI list. The first two components are the most important – they dominate in the hand cream. The most common are oils, water (sometimes distilled water from flowers, and sometimes thermal water).
The ingredients of hand creams can be divided into several categories. The most important is the one that includes nutrients and moisturizers because they are the main content of the cosmetic. Next, there are some healing and/or anti-aging ingredients, and finally, (although not always) components like dyes, silicones, parabens, fragrances appear. Remember that the fewer silicones, parabens, dyes, the better for us and our hands. Of course, the more natural the cream is, the higher the price, but it’s probably no surprise to any of you that you should pay extra for the quality;)
Hand cream and its moisturising, regenerating and nourishing components
Glycerin (INCI: glycerin) – very popular; moisturizes, oils and shows hygroscopic properties that are irreplaceable for the hand cream, that is, retaining water in the skin.
Liquid Paraffin (INCI: Paraffinum Liquidum) – it is obtained as a result of crude oil distillation (I have no idea what women were using for lubricating in the times before the invention of crude oil … I bet on natural oils). Paraffin has a protective function and works very well. Thanks to it, the hand cream works like a protective shield that does not allow your hands to deteriorate.
Vitamin H (INCI: Biotin) biotin is an extremely important ingredient that works in the service of our beauty. If you are looking for a remedy for weakening hair or nails – go for biotin. If you want to smooth your skin – go for biotin. Hand cream with biotin will help maintain the proper metabolism of cells in the skin – in other words, it will take care of youth, vitality and the proper level of skin hydration.
Allantoin (INCI: Allantoin) uric acid derivative. It takes part in the renewal of the epidermis, smoothes it out and helps to retain water in the skin.
D-panthenol (pro-vitamin B5, INCI: Panthenol) its presence makes the hand cream work well as a remedy for irritated, dry skin. Panthenol smoothes out the skin, soothes irritations and moisturizes.
Shea Butter (Karite butter, INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii, Shea Butter) excellent, fully natural, rich in good fatty acids and minerals, Shea butter has regenerating properties, lubricates the epidermis, smoothes it out and protects it from damage. I am a big fan of it to the extent that sometimes I buy pure shea butter, and replace my hand cream, body lotion, eye cream and makeup remover with it. I love it and recommend it:)
Keratin (INCI: Hydrolyzed Keratin) it turns out that it is wonderful not only for hair but also for the skin of the hands. Hand cream with keratin will protect your hands from damage and prevent skin from dehydrating.
Lanolin (INCI: Lanolin) it smoothes, moisturizes and gently lubricates the skin, it is irreplaceable, because it penetrates deep into the skin and regulates water balance in cells – I personally promised myself that I will always look for it in hand creams 🙂
Beeswax (INCI: Cera Alba, Cera Flava) another great ingredient, because it contains wax esters that are found in human skin. It moisturizes, protects and gently lubricates the epidermis, preventing it from dehydrating.
Hand cream and its healing and anti-age components
Elastin (INCI: Hydrolyzed Elastin) a valuable component that quickly penetrates deeper layers of the to improve elasticity and smooth out hands.
Coenzyme Q10 (INCI: Ubiquinone) it turns out that it is perfect not only for the face. It firms the skin of the hand, smoothes it and inhibits the aging processes.
Vitamin C (INCI: Ascorbyl palmitate) it strengthens the blood vessels in the skin, brightens it, and fights free radicals. Vitamin C affects the renewal of collagen fibres and slows down the aging processes of the hands. Every self-respecting hand cream should contain a large dose of vitamin C.
Vitamin E (tocopherol, INCI: Tocopheryl acetate) a brilliant antioxidant that brightens the skin, reduces blemishes and improves elasticity.
Azulene (INCI: Azulene) it is a remedy for extremely damaged and dry skin. It is often used in medicinal creams. It has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Bisabolol (INCI: Bisabolol) it is a mild ingredient that is often used in cosmetics for children. It is obtained from chamomile, has anti-inflammatory properties, it heals the skin and soothes irritations.
That’s all, although the list of ingredients of hand creams can be a lot longer. I showed you the most popular ones, without which hand cream cannot do without. When buying a cosmetic for your hand it is worth checking if it contains a set of component that will suit your needs. It would be best if, in addition to the substances described by me, the hand cream contained some natural oils (Avocado, Sweet Almonds, Evening Primrose). When it comes to skincare, oils are unbeatable and gather the best reviews. Another option is to buy pure oil and mix it with the hand cream.
And now a task for you: do you know any hand cream with a good composition that captivated you? Do you have your favourite hand cream? What determines that you reach for a given hand cosmetic? Please, let me know:)
Leave a Reply