Hand creams

La Roche-Posay €5 for 50ml

THIS IS A lovely creamy hand cream that prides itself as hand repair for severely dry skin, and not without some justification. The Lipikar Xerand formula is made with thermal water which La Roche Posay is always very keen to boast about. We have absolutely no idea what this boast means mind you, but we can say this cream is thick and absorbs deep into the skin. It has a pleasant scent while paraben-free so doesn’t cause any irritation. The flip cap is also rather handy to snap closed after application. It comes recommended by some doctors for the treatment of eczema and it has a rather surgical look to the packaging.

Verdict: Hands-down winner

Star rating

: *****

Nivea Q10 €6.09 for 100ml

AGE DEFYING! Amazing! Or ridiculous, you decide. Who wouldn’t want an anti-wrinkle hand cream that makes you look younger? We squeezed this elixir of youth into our hands expecting Disney-like morphing magic, but were left with the same old hands albeit a bit softer and smoother. It didn’t however, as promised, empower our skin with the energy and strength it needs to remain firm and supple, which was also disappointing. Despite their ridiculous claims and lack of miracles Nivea Q10 Age Defying hand cream is grand and is also dermatologically approved. The one thing we did like about it is the presence of UVA/UVB filters and we think all hand creams should include. It also smells rather nice.

Verdict: Ridiculous but good

Star rating: ***

Neutrogena €5.70 for 50ml

THE NORWEGIAN formula is 30 years old and claims to instantly relieve dry or chapped hands with just a dab. It does, but just squeeze a dab as any more can leave hands sticky and clammy. It’s dermatologist tested, even though there is no definition of what that means and we would hope that every skin cream is tested by skin specialists before being sold to us. We would suggest this cream for localised areas as our fingers were sliding off the keyboard as we type. It has a light, pleasant scent and the glycerine-enriched formula gives it a translucent appearance which disappears into the skin. You can’t see it but you know it’s there. The screw cap is annoying as greasy hands don’t make it easy.

Verdict: Greasy but good

Star rating: ***

Kensington Hand Lotion €24 for 250ml

KENSINGTON conditioning hand lotion from Nails Inc claims to be a luxurious firming hand lotion that reduces the appearance of fine lines. What ever about that what we can say for sure is that it comes in a big tub so will last a lot longer that its rivals. It is also enriched with caviar and contains vitamins A, C, E, as well as collagen-boosting ingredients. I’m sorry, what? Pricewatch doesn’t even like fish eggs with a glass of champers, let alone in our hand cream, sorry lotion. Is there a difference? This also boasts a delicate scent, non-greasiness and easy absorbency. These are all true but what’s really wrong with a bit of extra rubbing? While you get more bang for your buck, 24 notes seems like a lot to lash out.

Verdict: Caviar – seriously?

Star rating: ***

Nuxe €12 for 75ml

RÊVE DE MIEL is a hand and nail cream that promises to repair, nourish and protect. It sounds like it’s going to make us a cup of tea too. It’s not exactly special but it’s not awful either. We’re not really sure what it does with cuticles to be honest and ours were the same after application as they were before. It’s fine. It smells a bit dull and left our hands looking slightly shiny. We don’t think that’s really a good look for Pricewatch but perhaps shiny hands are your thing.

Verdict: Shiny, shiny

Star rating: **