Are your hands dry and chapped from washing them so much? Has the dry winter air made your feet or elbows feel like sandpaper? My answer to all of the above is YES! A doctor advised that using a cream instead of lotion as a better way to heal dry skin from the extra washing we due to this virus. This piqued my interest since I’m not fond of using lotions that leave any type of greasy film that never seems to fully absorb in the skin. Using a cream sounded like a good alternative so I did some research.
I found this article on Public Goods about Lotions vs Creams:
Lotion vs Cream: What Are the Differences and Similarities
Let’s start with the overlap. Lotions and creams are both moisturizers intended to hydrate your skin.
They are both emulsions made from a combination of water and oil.
Lotion, however, has much more water than cream. In fact, lotion may contain only a few drops of oil. This substance is absorbed much more quickly, making it feel lighter on the skin. This water-based moisturizer can be used all over the body.
Cream, on the other hand, is typically about a 50/50 split of water and oil. Because creams are oilier, they tend to be thicker and greasier when applied to the skin.
This quality is why you’ll often find oil-based creams in tubs instead of tubes or bottles with pumps.
The ingredient is easier to apply with fingers than the squirt of a bottle. It’s also why you’ll find more of these products made for hands and feet — like our vegan hand cream — as its thickness penetrates more deeply on rough skin.
Going through my cabinets, I found L’Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream and Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil. I bought these specifically for my shins as they get very dry and itchy. I end up developing a rash or ripping the skin from scratching. It never occurred to me to use them on my hands too! I mean skin is skin right? If it works on your legs it should work on your hand right? I will use the L’Occitane and see how it feels on my hands. but I’ll wait until my next spray tan to use the whipped argan oil. The argan oil is tinted a light bronze color it will be streaky on my very pale skin.
Since I don’t have many creams to choose from, I went to Pinterest to see if I could DIY something. WOW! It can be overwhelming as there are so many different types to make. I only have a few of the ingredients on hand to make alternatives though so I made a Pinterest board of the creams to make once the quarantine is over.
These are the creams I want to try out before making any of my own:
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hand Gel Cream Walgreens* or Amazon* I have used the face cream version of this with good luck.
Eucerin Advanced Repair Ceramide-3 Walgreens* or Amazon* I have used the Eucerin lotion of this in the past and will try this one to see if it helps my very dry feet. I don’t recall the lotion leaving a residue but I’m not as picky on my feet as I am with my hands.
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream Walgreens* or Amazon* I will be trying this one because it is has a Norwegian Flag and my father-in-law always wore a hat with their flag but sadly never got to visit his family there. It was also highly rated for dry hands.
Are you like me and don’t think outside the box when you buy an item for a specific reason? Please let me know what creams or lotions work for you and if you have tried any of the ones I listed above.
*Affiliate links
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