Every once in a while, a product comes along that just makes your life a little easier. Right now, that product is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield SPF 30 Hand Cream ($9.79, Drugstore.com). While the name is certainly a handful, the product is the same famous Norwegian formulation, plus Helioplex TM, in an easy-to-carry, affordable package. I love it!

How effective is the product?

Think hydration. The main ingredients in Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield SPF 30 Hand Cream are almost all major humectants that seal in moisture and smooth the skin’s surface, like glycerin, beeswax, petrolatum, and urea. These ingredients will literally lock the moisture into your hands. With consistent reapplication, your skin will feel significantly less dry and more hydrated.

The best sunscreen available for your hands

Helioplex is a stabilized, patented combination of oxybenzone and avobenzone that has been demonstrated in clinical tests to provide longer-lasting UVA protection than most other sunscreens. In fact, it has been documented (and cited here) that Helioplex is more photostable than even Mexoryl, another leading UVA absorber found in L’Oréal products. Given the fact that Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield SPF 30 Hand Cream is the only hand cream containing Helioplex, I doubt that better UVA protection is available elsewhere.

It should also be noted that the sunscreen will be particularly effective in preventing signs of aging if you carry the tube around in your handbag and re-apply after washing your hands each time.

How does the product feel and smell?

The cream is on the thick side, and it takes a moment or two to soak into your hands. I thought that it smelled like a watered-down version of Vaseline, and then I was all proud of myself (or rather, my nose) when I realized that one of the main ingredients in the formulation is petrolatum.

Once it drinks in, it leaves skin feeling really soft. For having a reasonably high SPF, it also does not leave a white residue.

Overall opinions…

Love, love, LOVE it. If you buy one new product for your hands this summer, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield SPF 30 Hand Cream should be it! Product Rating: 10/10. (High concentration of proven effective ingredients: 3/3. New technology: 3/3 [for updated formulation with Helioplex]. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 1/1).

Ingredients in Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield SPF 30 Hand Cream

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone (2.0%), Homosalate (5%), Octisalate (5%), Octocrylene (3.55%), Oxybenzone (3%)

Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Silica, Beeswax, Petrolatum, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, Proline, Cetyl Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, BHT, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Trideceth 6, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Methylisothiazolinone, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Fragrance