The Great Hand Cream Search.... solved!

In two of my previous posts, here and here, I talked about the importance of sunscreen for your hands and how I’d had a favorite hand cream or two but they had been discontinued, and I’d been searching for a replacement ever since.

Well, I feel like the dumbest person ever, because all I would have had to do was an internet search for the ingredients.  Can we all say, “No brainer”?

When Neutrogena discontinued their New Hands® lotion and then their Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream® (my emphasis), I wrote to the company both times and asked if they were going to produce an equivalent replacement.  Both times I got a canned, vague answer that essentially said “Not now,” and I was terribly disappointed and had to resort to not-nearly-as-good substitutes.

A few days ago I had the bright idea to Google the important ingredients in New Hands® — SPF 15, alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), vitamins C and E, 7.5% octinoxate, and 5.0% oxybenzone — and what do you think I found?  Another product from Neutrogena!  It’s called Healthy Skin® Face Lotion.  Yes, it’s for faces and not hands, and it’s a lotion and not a cream, but you better believe I almost ran to my nearest drugstore and bought some.

You can read more about it at Neutrogena’s site here.

Now, why couldn’t the company have told me about this when I emailed them in the past?  I don’t mind spending a bit more and using a facial product on my hands, since it’s worth it to me.  If you find the cost prohibitive (although it’s on sale at Neutrogena’s site at the time of this writing), there are house brands at CVS and Wal-Mart, to name just two, with what appear to be most of the same ingredients.

I’ll stick with the Neutrogena brand, because despite my past frustrations with availability issues, I do like their products and believe they have good quality control.  When I used their two hand creams mentioned above, my hands looked great — the small age spots I had went away, no new age spots developed, and my hands stayed hydrated even in our very dry climate.  I expect the same from Healthy Skin® Face Lotion.

You don’t need a lot, just one or two pumps, then rub the backs of your hands together so you don’t waste too much of it on your palms, and then massage it in.  I also rub a tiny bit into my cuticles and around my nails, especially after a bath or shower.  I use it every morning and again at night before I go to bed.  If you’re hoping to get rid of existing age spots, be patient because it might take weeks.  Since the SPF is only 15, I’ll use a stronger sunscreen on top of the lotion if I’m going to be out in the sun much.

So there you go.  Hope my search helps you!

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