Does it happen to you, too?
In summer, my hands are flawless. My skin feels soft and supple to the touch. No extra care needed. But as soon as winter rolls around, I can feel them get a little tighter.
Add to that my OCD obsession of washing my hands with boiling hot water 100 times a day and you’ve got the perfect recipe for chapped hands.
But now I know how to stop that in its tracks. Ah! Meet CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream:
What’s In CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream?
CERAMIDES
Like all CeraVe products, Reparative Hand Cream has its fair share of ceramides. Cera… what?
Think of ceramides as the mortar that holds your skin cells together. These oily waxes create a protective barrier on your skin that keeps moisture in and germs and pollutants out.
Ceramides make up a staggering 50% of your skin’s composition. It’s no wonder that when your skin doesn’t have enough, it gets drier and flaky.
Adding ceramides back into your skin can heal dryness, banish flakiness, and nurse your skin back its soft, supple self.
And when your skin is already healthy? Ceramides will help you keep it that way.
Related: Are Ceramides The Key To Healthy Skin?
HYALURONIC ACID
Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant. That’s how scientists call ingredients that attracts moisture from the air all around you as well as from the deeper layers of your skin.Â
It’s not as drying as you think. Your skin is more than 60% water. Hyaluronic Acid just redistributes it around.
Hyaluronic Acid holds up to 1000 times its weight in water. Your skin then uses that extra moisture to look its best:Â it softens to the touch, plumps up so fine lines and wrinkles look smaller, and glows as if lit from within.
P.S. Hyaluronic Acid isn’t the only humectant in CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream. Glycerin does the same thing, too. Just on a smaller scale.
Related: What The Heck Are Humectants And Do You Really Need Them?
PETROLATUM
CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream has a few drops of petrolatum (a.k.a. vaseline).
Yes, it’s derived from petroleum. Nope, it’s NOT dangerous. It undergoes a strict purifying process that removes ALL toxic impurities from it.
Petrolatum creates a barrier on the skin that reduces water loss. Because there’s no point in adding more water if it’s not gonna stay in your skin, right?
Plus, petrolatum is a skin protectant that reduces inflammation and helps skin heal.
Texture
On the thicker side. But it sinks in fairly quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind.
Fragrance
It’s fragrance-free.
How To Use It
Apply liberally on your hands as often as needed.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Did I mention my hands get red and chapped easily during winter? A hand cream is an absolute must for me during this time of the year.
In the past 11 years, I’ve tried A LOT of hand creams. Some worked, some didn’t. CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream is by far one of the best I’ve come across.
Truth be told, I was a little hesitant the first time I used it. When I poured it out of the tube, it looked so thick. I hate it when hand creams leave a greasy layer that deposits on everything you touch. Ewww.
Luckily, once you massage it onto your skin, this hand cream sinks in fairly quickly. It does leave a protective layer on your skin to strengthen your protective barrier, but no greasy residue on your hands. I can literally massage it on and start typing away at my laptop straight afterwards. Phew!
It does a great job at moisturising skin, leaving even the driest of skin softer and smoother. Of course, the drier your skin is, the longer it’ll take to see results.
If your hands are red and chapped, it’ll take around a week for them to go back to normal. If they’re cracked and bleeding, it may take a couple of days longer. But in the meantime, the protective barrier it creates protects your skin from further damage, speeding up the healing process.
My skin is only a little dry because I use it regularly. I don’t wait for any redness or cracks to show up before I reach for it.I find it keeps my hands soft for hours. I only reapply it a couple of times a day.
Who Is This For?
Everyone can use it, but it’s more suitable for dry and sensitive skin.
Who Is This NOT For?
Oily skin may be a little put off by the thicker texture.
Packaging
CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream comes in a white and blue tube that gives off a medicinal vibe. It’s practical and releases just the right amount of hand cream you need.
Does CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| A non-greasy formula that deeply moisturises dry, cracked hands and helps protect the skin barrier. | True. |
| Rich formula locks in moisture for 24 hour hydration. | It locks in moisture for hours, but not 24h. The drier your hands are, the more often you need to reapply it. |
| Fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. | It’s fragrance-free, but hypoallergenic is an unregulated term that means nothing. You can call any product, no matter how many allergic ingredients it contains, hypoallergenic. |
Price & Availability
£6.00 at Feel Unique and Look Fantastic
Do You Need It?
Yes. If you have dry, chapped hands (or want to prevent that from happening), CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream is one of the best hand creams out there.
[penci_review]
Dupes & Alternatives
- CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream ($10.99)
- Dove DermaSeries Dry Skin Relief Hand Cream ($8.59)
- Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream ($4.99)
Ingredients
Aqua / Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Carbomer, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Ceramide Np, Cholesterol, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Phosphate, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum (F.I.L. D215085/2).
