Hand and Foot Products

O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Exfoliating Foot Cream Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

O’Keeffe’s exfoliating foot cream is an exfoliating lotion that claims to moisturize, soften and repair extremely dry, rough, cracked feet for softer feet and 48 hours of hydration in one use.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-10, Beeswax, Propylene Glycol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Diazolidinyl Urea

This contains moisturizing and occlusive ingredients, beeswax, urea and lactic acid (for gentle exfoliating).

Directions: Apply as often as needed to dry, rough skin.

My feet are often dry with callused, rough and cracked heels. I have been using the exfoliating lotion for a few months now. I also use O’Keeffe’s Working Hands hand lotion.

This is a very thick lotion (much different in texture to their hand lotion) that smells like peppermint and provides a cooling sensation to the feet. I apply it in the evening. It rubs in nicely and does not leave a greasy or sticky residue.

As above, after the first application, my heels are much improved, hydrated and softer. With continued use for 2 weeks, the cracked, very dry skin is gone, though a bit of hardened skin remains. Like O’Keeffe’s hand lotion, the foot lotion works very well in softening, moisturizing and repairing the skin. I think Heel Chemistry might work a little better on the tougher calluses, so I alternate the two every few evenings. I will continue purchasing O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Exfoliating Foot Cream.

As part of my foot routine, once a week I soak my feet in Epsom salt for 10 to15 minutes, buff with a baked silica glass pumice stone, exfoliate with KP Bump Eraser and leave on for about 10 minutes, then apply O’Keeffe’s foot cream for very soft, smooth and moisturized feet.

Thanks for visiting.

O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

Working Hands is a hand cream that claims guaranteed relief for extremely dry hands. It is said to instantly boost moisture levels, create a protective layer on the hands and help prevent moisture loss. The cream comes in a jar and a tube, with different ingredient lists.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Ceteareth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Paraffin, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Diazolidinyl Urea

Glycerin and propylene glycol are humectants. Stearic acid has been shown to protect the skin’s surface from water loss and support the protective barrier of the skin. Isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are emollients. Dimethicone is an occlusive and prevents water loss.

Directions: Apply a small amount and massage in; applying too much will result in stickiness.

I frequently get very dry hands with cracks in the thumb creases and dry, rough cuticles, particularly now with winter weather and increased hand washing. Working Hands is a thick-ish cream with no scent. I apply this once a day in the evening before bed. It provides immediate relief of my dry hands. It absorbs quickly and is not heavy, greasy or sticky, but leaves a silky, protective layer on the skin.

The morning after one application, my hands felt very smooth and moisturized. There was still some dryness on the knuckles and the thumb creases. After one week, the cuticles look better and my hands overall look and feel healthy, moisturized and smooth, and the dry thumbs and knuckles are improved. After hand washing, my hands still felt protected and smooth.

O’Keeffe’s Working Hands is great and I would repurchase. They have an overnight treatment that I’ll probably buy and will use the regular tube during the day. I recently purchased O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Exfoliating cream as well.

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Dior Nail Glow Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

Nail Glow from Dior is a nail lacquer in a universal shade that enhances the nail’s natural color. This claims to make the pinks of the nails pinker and whites of the nails whiter when applied to bare nails, giving a healthy, shiny glow.

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Benzophenone-3, Fluorescent Brightener 367, Ci 15850 (Red 7 Lake), Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Phthalic Acid/Tricyclodecane Dimethanol Copolymer, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Citric Acid

Nail Glow is easy to apply (and I am not good at applying polish) and dries quickly and smoothly. I applied two coats.

Nail Glow’s color is not that noticeable indoors (looking like clear nail polish), but improves the shine and brightness of the nails. Depending on type and level of light, Nail Glow takes on different shades. It gives a really nice color by the window when cloudy outside and quite pink when outside on a cloudy day. The nails look nice and bright in the sun.

On day 3, there are chips on the very tips and sides of a couple of fingernails. In the photo, on the index finger, the Nail Glow has come off of half the tip of the fingernail and the difference in the white of the nail is noticeable. By day 4, the lacquer has chipped off of the tips of the nails. By day 7 Nail Glow has come off of one-third of the nails.

Dior Nail Glow does make the nails pinker and whites of the nails whiter, with a healthy glow, but is not really noticeable when inside (though the whites of the nails look brighter). If the product showed on the nails when indoors and if it lasted for more than 3 to 4 days, I would consider a repurchase.

Thank you for reading.

L’Occitane Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

The Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil from L’Occitane is a quick-absorbing dry oil that claims to soften and condition the cuticles and nourish, strengthen and improve shine on the nails.

Ingredients: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Trihydroxystearin, Parfum/Fragrance, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Linalool, Coumarin, Limonene, Geraniol, Farnesol, Eugenol

Trihydroxystearin is a mixture of glycerin and fatty acids, used as an emollient and thickening ingredient. Shea butter is an occlusive and an emollient. This product contains 30% shea oil.

Directions: Press on the tube and apply to nails and cuticles with the brush and massage in.

This nail oil comes in a tube with a brush applicator for an easy, no-mess application. The oil is easy to get onto the brush and controls the amount of oil during application. The oil has a baby powder scent.

My cuticles are generally dry and get little hangnails. My nails are thin, bendy and peel easily, getting nicks on the sides of the nails. I’ve been using Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil for one month, in the evening, massaging over the nails and cuticles.

On application, it is a thicker oil and absorbs pretty quickly, making the skin and nails shine. As the shine dries down, it does not feel moisturizing at all, but has a dry, light, shiny coating that initially makes the cuticles and nails look better, but they do not feel moisturized, and the shine and improvement seem to disappear after about 30 minutes.

I did get a couple hangnails throughout the month.

I do not notice really any improvement in terms of hydration, softness or nourishment to the cuticle; my nails look a bit shinier, however. My nails feel the same, but do not peel as easily, though I have been more diligent in filing the nails regularly.

As a comparison, I used The Ordinary marula oil on my toenails and cuticles (which are much drier than my fingernails and cuticles) for the month and my toes felt moisturized and looked much better within about a week.

I would not repurchase the L’Occitane Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil.

The Chemistry Brand Hand Chemistry Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 1 Comment

Hand Chemistry is a hand lotion from Deciem’s The Chemistry Brand that claims to target 8 signs of hand aging (brightness, elasticity, firmness, smoothness, density, evenness, hydration and texture), with noticeable results in 11 days.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Proline, Alanine, Serine, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Tocopherol, Betaine, Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool

Some unfamiliar ingredients – Plukenetia Volubilis seed oil, also known as sacha inchi oil, is from the Amazon rainforest rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Copper lysinate/prolinate is an amino acid/mineral complex that has the potential to target signs of aging. Plantago Lanceolata (also known as plantain) leaf extract has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Hand Chemistry contains fragrance and limonene and linalool are used as fragrance as well.

Directions: Apply to clean hands morning and evening.

I am 39 years old and have noticed fine lines and dull, thin and dry skin on my hands over the last couple years. I’ve used Hand Chemistry for 2 months so far, morning and evening, a bit less than one pump.

This is quite a thick cream. The fragrance itself is not bad or particularly overpowering and fades after a bit, but there is something about it that really bothered me for the first few uses, so much so that I got headaches (which is unusual; I am not generally sensitive to smells). After a few uses I guess I got used to it and no longer get headaches. The scent is an odd, sweet, cherry, bubble gum smell.

The lotion absorbs quite quickly with no greasy or heavy residue that leaves a protective moisture barrier after massaging into the hands. If I use too much product, or continue to massage in after the lotion is mostly absorbed, the product pills on the skin. The hands feel immediately hydrated, smooth and soft, however, this feeling does not too long, nor lasts past a hand wash (or even just a rinse with water) as with some other hand lotions I’ve tried.

Hand Chemistry provided some surface hydration; I expected a better level of moisture after 2 months of twice-a-day use. My hands still feel dry.

I didn’t feel or notice any improvement in brightness or smoothing of fine lines just looking at my hands, but in the photos above, there is noticeable improvement in these areas, particularly with brightness around the knuckles and an overall smoothed appearance of fine lines on the hands. My skin does not feel like it has improved density.

I am undecided about this product; I had hoped hydration and moisture to be better, but there is improved brightness and smoothing of fine lines. I recently got a hand/body lotion with 10% glycolic acid, so maybe using this or another more hydrating lotion (my favorite is from Akita Rosewater) under the Hand Chemistry would show more improvement. I also wonder if I can get similar benefit with using a routine similar to facial skin care with hyaluronic acid, a toner, niacinamide and a hydrating lotion perhaps; so a few things to try in the coming months.

Thank you for reading.