WINTER CARE FOR HANDS, FEET AND NAILS

When the temperature drops during autumn and winter, so does the humidity in the air outside, while the indoor heating leaves the air drier, with the result that the skin on your body, including your hands and feet and not to mention your nails and hair, are often left dry, dehydrated and looking worse for wear. In a series of posts over the next few weeks I’ll give you my selections and suggestions of products that will help you keep your skin, nails and hair a little bit healthy this winter..

Let’s start with the hands, nails and feet..

 

 

Between having two dogs that both like to give me ‘kisses’ on my hands, and a baby with frequent nappy changes, I wash my hands a lot during the day, which in itself is enough to leave my hands and nails dry. But add to that a baby with a cold, and you’d need to wash your hands even more frequently not to spread the bacteria.

And the best way to care for dry, parched and chapped skin and nails, is simply to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise to replace any moisture that the skin is missing.

 

Dirty Works You Soft Touch Hand Cream*

 

 

 

Dirty Works You Soft Touch Hand Cream has a gorgeous but gentle floral scent and comes in such a cute retro style blue tube, and it is made with cocoa butter and jojoba oil to help nourish and smooth very dry hands. It is thick and creamy, yet it absorbs quickly into the hands leaving the silky soft for hours, even after you next wash your hands. And just $5.95 it is such a bargain too so you can afford to stock up and keep on your desk, in your car, and in your handbag...!

RRP: $5.95/100ml – Available from Coles

 

Molton Brown Desert Bloom Intense Hand Rescue*

 

 

This intense hand rescue is scented with myrrh, which to be quite honest, I cannot recall coming across before, and OMG , it smells absolutely aaaaahmazing, with its fresh fruity and floral scent, - it is so lovely that I cannot stop smelling my hands after use. It contains African desert plant extract helps to lock in moisture, candletree leaf extract to deeply moisturise and help fight UV induced age-spots, myrrh to help improve the appearance of skin and nails (plus add that gorgeous scent!), and shea butter to condition and repair dry and overexposed hands, nails and cuticles. It’s is thick and creamy, yet absorbs rapidly, and although it leaves a protective barrier on the skin, it is in no way greasy or stick, but rather it leaves my skin feeling every so soft and clearly so deeply hydrated, ready to face another cold winters day. This is the first product from Molton Brown I’ve ever tried, and I am so in love, that it definitely won’t be the last!

RRP: $50 (75ml) – Available from Molton Brown and David Jones

 

Orly Rich Renewal Pucker Ultra Hydrating Creme for Hands, Feet and Body*

 

 

This cream is a fantastic multi-tasking product suitable for both hands, feet and body, and it really is ultra hydrating thanks to containing shea and cocoa butter, aloe vera, vitamins E and A, to sooth, condition and revitalise and heal dry and chapped skin and protect it for the harsh and cold winter winds. And even though the cream is so thick, it is a non-greasy formula that is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving behind a fresh and refreshing fruity scent of red grapefruit and papaya. And before you ask, the tube may be small for a body product, but it is seriously concentrated so it will dry areas such as elbows and knees back to being soft and subtle in no time.

RRP: $10.95 (60ml) – Available from Select Stockists

 

Lanolips Intense Rose Hand Balm*

 

 

This Intense Hand Balm from Lanolips is made from 98% natural ingredients and is free from parabens, petrolatum, mineral oils and sulfates. It is based on medical grade lanolin, with added shea butter, cocoa seed butter and wheat germ oil, as well as it has rose flower oil added to add a lovely and natural gentle rose fragrance. As you’d expect from an intense cream, it is very thick in consistency, and it consequently takes a little longer to absorb into the skin than a normal hand cream – but once it has, any signs of dry hands immediately disappear, and my hands are left incredibly soft, and surprisingly, also without feeling greasy, so it is as perfect for use during the day, as it is for applying just before bedtime for an intense treatment for hands and nails while you get some beauty sleep.

RRP: $15.95 (50ml) – Available from Adore Beauty, David Jones, Priceline and select pharmacies

 

And even though it will still be a while until you’ll get your tootsies into open-toed sandals again, don’t neglect your feet – if you look after them during winter, they will be ready for show at the first sign of spring.

 

Scholl Eulactol Heel Balm Gold*

 

 

If your feet are really suffering from neglect, and are rough and dry and your heels are cracked, you cannot go past the Scholl Eulactol Heel Balm Gold. The cream is thick, yet it absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving the skin feel greasy, and using it twice a day, you start to see results already after a few days, and soon after your feet are feeling hydrated and soft again, with no cracks in sight. With limited time to file my feet, I really like that it works on its own, and so fast too. And once your baby soft feet have been restored, used just a few times a week, will ensure they stay that way. A pedicure in a tube. Simply too easy!

RRP: $13.49 (60ml) – Available from Supermarkets, Priceline and pharmacies

 

Burt’s Bees Peppermint Foot Lotion*

 

 

Often foot creams are thick and leaves the feet feeling so greasy that you can only use it at night and with a pair of old socks on top. Not with this Peppermint Foot Lotion from Burt’s Bees. The lotion absorbs quickly into the feet without leaving them feeling greasy or tacky so you can get on with your day straight away. It contains among others menthol, witch hazel and peppermint and parsley oils which has a lovely cooling effect on the feet so perfect if you’ve been on your feet all day. It also contains ingredients to help odour at bay, so it's like a deodorant for the feet, yet it moisturises at the same time. And I love that it is made from 100% natural ingredients with absolutely no chemical nasties.

RRP: $24.95/100ml – Available from Department Stores, Priceline and select pharmacies

 

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Foot Cream*

 

 

I have long been a fan of the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream that I always use as a barrier cream to protect my hands when I am gardening or doing other hands-on work, such as moving house (which I am sadly very experienced at having moved twice already this year!!). And this Norwegian Formula Foot Cream doesn’t fail to impress either. The thick concentrated formula has pleasant gentle scent and instantly delivers long-lasting and intense moisture to dry feet and cracked heels, making them feel softer all day long. It has a slightly greasy formula, which makes it perfect to use before bedtime with an old pair of socks, but the effort is worth it as the next morning you wake to the softest and smoothest feet you’ve ever seen.

RRP: $7.99/56g – Available from Supermarkets, Priceline and select pharmacies

 

And while you’re giving your hand some moisture, don’t forget to also rub some into your cuticles and nails on both your hands and feet, as nails are also prone to being dry, breaking and flaking during winter.

 

Scout Cosmetics 5-Free Nail Polishes*

I admit it, I like dark clothes, and have A LOT of it. Many of them classic pieces that I use season after season and simply update with accessories. One of the things that is sure to brighten up a dull outfit, is some colourful nails, and the nail polishes Scout Cosmetics are a fantastic option. At the moment I am really loving these berry shades, including Walk of Life and Never Tear Us Apart, and you can never get too much of a classic French manicure using Just Like Heaven. They are not just  3-free like so many other nail polishes, they take it a step further and are 5-Free Nail Polishes containing no potentially harmful ingredients including Formaldehyde, DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor or Parabens.



Scout Cosmetics Nail Polish in Never Tear Us Apart

These days I rarely apply nail polish during the day when I am home alone with our little boy, as even when he is down for a nap, it would be my luck to just have applied nail polish for him to wake up needing a cuddle. But these polishes from Scout do make it possible as they are so quick and easy to apply streak-free and dry pretty quickly too. And the finish is salon quality with an amazing intense colour and high gloss, and by using the Scout Dual Top and Base Coat, you’ll not only get extra shiny nails, but also a good wear of 5+ days from your manicure.

RRP: $19.95 (12ml) – Available from Scout Cosmetics

 

So there you have it, these are my choices for keeping hands, feet and nails in top condition this winter…

 *These products were kindly provided for consideration, and have been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

Have you tried any of these products? Do your hands and nails suffer during winter? Which products do you reach for?

Product Review: Dirty Works Glow Girl Buttery Salt Scrub and Supreme Cream Body Butter

While the rest of Australia has been sweating countless of hot days already, Melbourne has had one of the worst springs in a long time. It has been cold and wet, and fact some days it has felt like the rain hasn’t stopped for days on end. On the bright side, usually by now the lawn is dried out, but right now things are extremely green, which is such a nice change.

Anyway, now that summer has finally come, it is time to get the body into summer shape. Here are my thoughts on the *Dirty Works Glow Girl Buttery Salt Scrub and Supreme Cream Body Butter;

 

 

What They Say:

Buttery Salt Scrub: "Summer is upon us so it is time to work on your weekly beauty routine to get the blood circulating and the skin glowing! The new Buttery Salt Scrub from Dirty Works is the perfect summer regime and a wonder product to remove all the dry skin that we always worry about in summer. Get to work and bring some health and life to your skin! Step in the shower, damp yourself down, then scoop out a generous handful to envelope your body. Using circular motions start with your feet and work up – the little pumice particles will do most of the work for you, gently removing all surface dead skin so the glow can shine through!"

Supreme Cream Body Butter: "Follow with lashings of Supreme Cream Body Butter for the ultimate moisture makeover. Too much is never enough! Super spreadable, this body butter contains softening Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil to leave the skin super soft and utterly divine!"

RRP: The new Buttery Salt Scrub or Supreme Cream Body Butter ($9.95 each/300ml) – Available from Coles

What I Say:

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of the brand Dirty Works, and as consequently I always do a quick research into the brand. I discovered that it is a UK brand, established in 2010. The brand was created as the people at “Dirty Works Kingdom suffered from dull, drab and dreary lives.
They longed to create glamorous products that would transform their existence from tedious to tremendous, dingy to dazzling and boring to brilliant!” And so Dirty Works was born.

The brand has just launched into Australia, with currently seven products available all for sale at Coles, although more products are set to launch in the near future.

 

 

The first thing that I took to was the gorgeous light blue retro looking tubs.

The Buttery Salt Scrub has the added title Glow Girl, and a black and white 60’ies image of a girl in a swim suit with the words Kiss goodbye to dry skin.

 

 

The scrub has the consistency of a moisturiser, but with the added scrubbing particles made from peach kernel shells, and it feels gentle on the skin.

 

 

 

I use it in the shower while my skin is damp, and a few small scoops with my hands is more than enough to give my whole body a good scrub. Afterwards it is easy to rinse off my skin, and I can instantly feel that my skin is left soft and smooth – perfect for using before shaving to avoid ingrown hairs or to use before a self-tanner for a more even tanned look.

 

 

 

The scrub has a lovely gently fruity scent, which lingers a little on my skin after washing if off.

I always moisturise my skin after a shower, so in spite of the scrub leaving my skin soft, I follow with the Supreme Cream Body Butter.

 

It contains among others shea butter and sweet almond oil, both of which are known for their moisturising properties. The Supreme Cream Body Butter claims to leave the skin feeling 'Super Soft'.

 

 

 

 

Most body butters are very thick in consistency, but this one from Dirty Works is very light, only a smidge thicker than a moisturiser. It absorbs quickly into the skin, and as promised by Dirty Works, the Body Butter leaves the skin feeling ‘Super Soft’ and moisturised and with a nice sheen, and without leaving the skin feeling greasy or sticky. In fact, I have also been using it on my hands, and I haven’t needed to worry about leaving any greasy finger prints anywhere!

It has a lovely sweet scent, no doubt coming from the almond oil, and I really like this scent as it is a pleasant scent, which is far from too sweet or sickly, so I also like that this scent liners around on my skin for quite some time.

 

 

 

The body butter is very concentrated, so the large 300ml tub will last you quite, I have been using this for a couple of weeks now, and the tub is still well over half full.

 

What I Like:

• Both the scrub and the body butter have the most amazing scents
• They are very well priced, and come in large tubs
• They are both very concentrated
• They are very efficient, and do what they promise
• Conveniently available from the supermarket

What I Don’t Like:

• There isn’t really any negative to say about these new products from Dirty Works, they are gorgeous and efficient products, and at those prices you really can’t go wrong!

Overall, these are amazing products, and at just $9.95 each for large tubs of 300ml, these are absolute bargain products, and you can conveniently pick them up when you’re doing your grocery shopping! I will definitely be buying these again when I run out, and check out the rest of the product range too - At these prices you can afford to!

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 

Have you ever heard of Dirty Works? What do you think of these new products?