Every once in a while, I am really impressed with a product not so much for the ingredients, but for the way the ingredients come together to make a truly great formulation. That is the case with Gloves in a Bottle ($9.99, Amazon.com). Designed as a shielding lotion, Gloves in a Bottle works by forming a delicate protective barrier on the skin that keeps oils and moisture sealed into the skin.
The secret of Gloves in a Bottle is mainly dimethicone, a silicone that has been proven to seal moisture into the skin. Dimethicone has also been found to prevent certain bacteria from infecting the skin, as reported in this 2002 study in the Journal of Parasitology. I know that it seems almost outrageous that a skin lotion would be able to protect the skin from bacteria, but the claim appears to be sound, making Gloves in a Bottle particularly desirable for those in the healthcare professions, in which frequent hand washing strips the hands of moisture and in which keeping levels of bacteria low is a must.
After my mother and I used Gloves in a Bottle for two weeks, we both thought that it made our skin softer. My mother said that it made her skin less dry after washing her hands. I actually started to keep Gloves in a Bottle in a dispenser by the bathroom sink. I also used Gloves in a Bottle as a foot cream, and found that it made my feet softer, smoother, and more hydrated.
Of course, I am not saying Gloves in a Bottle is a miracle anti-aging product: it has no antioxidants, retinoids or alpha hydroxy acids, or sunscreen to protect against signs of aging. However, if dry skin is your primary concern, I highly recommend Gloves in a Bottle anyway - it truly is very effective in treating dry skin! 
Product rating: 9/10 (High concentration of proven ingredients: 3/3. New technology or formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
For LOTS more about Gloves in a Bottle, please visit www.GlovesInABottle.com!
Ingredients in Gloves in a Bottle
Purified Water, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Hypromellose, PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Steareth 21, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
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June 1st, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Best Products, Best Products, Dry Skin Treatments, Hand Treatments, Product Reviews |
8 comments
Although I normally apply the excess skin care products from my face onto my hands, as I get older, I notice that I grow to like separate hand creams more and more all the time. Enter Le Couvent Des Minimes Gardener’s Hand Healer ($5.00 for 0.8 oz, $25.00 for 2.6 oz, LeCouventdesMinimes.us) into my quest for the perfect hand cream.
The very rich cream is fortified with a blend of seven nourishing and hydrating ingredients (please click on the links for verifying research studies/texts): shea butter (hydrating), mimosa (restorative), chamomile (anti-inflammatory), marshmallow, calendula (antiseptic), lemon balm (antibacterial), rosemary (an antioxidant), and verbena (relaxing). After I applied it, the cream felt thick on my hands, but not sticky.
I recommend using the product at night, for two reasons: One, it doesn’t contain sunscreen, so you’re probably better off carrying around a hydrator with sunscreen like Neutrogena Norwegian Formula SPF 30 Hand Cream ($9.79, Drugstore.com) or Bath and Body Works True Spa Love Me Tender SPF 15 Hand Cream ($13.00, BathandBodyWorks.com). Two, the lemon balm in the product offers a rather potent fragrance. And while I personally adore the scent of lemons, it may clash with, say, your usual Chanel No. 5.
I love using this product under cotton gloves right before bed - I wake up to soft and restored hands. Definitely a wonderful product, worth a shot after all the incidental and beach sun exposure your poor hands will be getting this summer!
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April 27th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Best Products, Best Products, Dry Skin Treatments, Hand Treatments, Product Reviews |
one comment
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
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April 14th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Anti-Aging Treatments, Best Products, Best Products, Hand Treatments, Product Reviews, sunscreen |
5 comments
Weleda Skin Food ($10.00, Amazon.com) has been receiving a lot of attention lately as an all-natural, highly effective moisturizer. Chocked full of natural plant and seed oils, Weleda Skin Food sounds like it should make all-natural devotees happy…but does it?
Sunflower Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil appears to replace dry skin’s fatty acid deficiency. According to a very small study (3 individuals!) published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, application of sunflower-seed oil to the individuals’ right forearms for 2 weeks markedly increased the amount of lecithin in the patients’ skin, the rate of transepidermal water loss was significantly lowered, and the scaly lesions disappeared. Interestingly (and surprisingly!), these results were not found with olive oil. However, the authors speculate that the reason is that sunflower seed oil is a natural source of linoleic acid, whereas olive oil is a source of oleic acid.
Another exciting finding with sunflower seed oil: topical application has been found to prevent bacterial infections in infants in one small, controlled Egyptian study.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almond oil naturally has excellent hydrating properties. In fact, sweet almond is the massage oil most commonly used by the professional masseuse, for it absorbs into the skin at a pleasant speed and hydrates without becoming too greasy.
One warning: Because of the almonds used in the manufacturing process, sweet almond oil is not to be used on or by individuals with nut allergies.
Beeswax and Hydrolyzed Beeswax
In a partially-blind, single-controlled study in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, a mixture of beeswax, honey, and olive oil was found to improve symptoms of 8/10 patients with dermatitis and 5/10 patients with psoriasis. (Unfortunately, Weleda Skin Food only contains beeswax and hydrolyzed beeswax, not honey or olive oil.)
Beeswax in its most commonly used form, PEG-20 Sorbitan Beeswax, has been declared safe for use upon review in the International Journal of Toxicology. It is generally included in cosmetics and skin care as a hydrating ingredient.
Rosemary Extract
Rosemary extract is generally used as a natural antioxidant, as it is a natural source of three antioxidant compounds: carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. In a 1996 study, it was found that the antioxidant capacities of these compounds varies greatly depending on the lipid constituency and pH of the formulation.
In general, according to the “polar paradox” of Porter et. al. (cited here), polar antioxidants function better in nonpolar (oily) formulations, whereas nonpolar antioxidants function better in polar emulsions. For this reason, as suspected, the polar carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid have been found to be more effective in oil-based creams like Weleda Skin Food, whereas the nonpolar carnosol has been found to be more effective in water-based creams.
The other consideration with the efficacy of rosemary extract as an antioxidant is its pH. At the slightly acidic pH of 4-5, rosemary extract’s three antioxidant components function optimally. However, at a neutral pH of 7, rosemary extract loses all pH activity. I don’t have Weleda Skin Food here to do a litmus test, but an educated guess suggests that the pH is somewhere around 7 - but if you have information to refute this, please comment!
Calendula extract
Also known as marigold extract, this extract “has many pharmacological properties. It is used for the treatment of skin disorders, pain and also as a bactericide, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.“ It also functions as an effective natural antioxidant. However, the concentration of calendula extract in Weleda Skin Food is rather low, and its properties may not be very evident after use.
Use
From reading others’ opinions of the cream and studying the ingredients, Weleda Skin Food is thick and creamy. It does not drink in immediately, but still remains non-greasy.
Overall opinions
At the moment, I am always a little more skeptical of “all-natural” skin treatments, for the simple reason that there are less published scientific research studies incorporating “all-natural” ingredients and their efficacy. At any rate, however, there is no denying that the studies out there demonstrate that the ingredients in Weleda Skin Food make it a hydrating, soothing, cost-effective, unique all-natural antioxidant cream. It may not have the antioxidant power of, say, Topix Replenix (with green tea polyphenols) or Revale Skin (with coffeeberry), but for the cost and for being all-natural, it’s a great choice. Product rating: 8.5/10 (High concentration of proven ingredients: 2.5/3 (minus half point for limited research). New technology or unique formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients in Weleda Skin Food
Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Fragrance (Parfum), Viola Tricolor Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cholesterol, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Coumarin.
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April 7th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Antioxidant Treatments, Dry Skin Treatments, Hand Treatments, Natural Products, Product Reviews |
one comment
Hands are one of the most visible parts of the body. Yet, hands — and more specifically, the skin on the hands — are often ignored. Here are ten superb treatments to keep your hands looking and feeling great:
Stunning hands start with great skin. Photo courtesy NailTechSecrets.com
Best Hand Cleansers
Most hand soaps contain little more than sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate, and drying alcohols. Even worse, anti-bacterial hand soaps often contain high concentrations of drying ethyl alcohol and “literally draw water out of the skin,” according to Dr. Kenneth Beer, M.D., a West Palm Beach derm in the February 2008 In Style. However, the following cleansers are gentle for the skin. Carry them with you in an inexpensive bottle and lid from ContainerAndPackaging.com (starting at 12 cents each, plus shipping and handling!), and fill up your soap dispensers at home!
A gentle cleanser with just 8 ingredients — three of which are hydrating (not drying) alcohols — Cetaphil has been a dermatologist favorite for years. Just one warning: Cetyl alcohol, a hydrating alcohol, is in high concentration in Cetaphil and is derived from coconut oil, so it may not be appropriate for anyone with coconut allergies.
This cleanser contains a high concentration of petrolatum, which, according to Dr. Beer, “acts like a barrier to prevent moisture from escaping.” It also contains lower concentrations of shea butter and niacinamide, the latter which has been found in independent studies to hydrate, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the appearance of hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness (yellowing), and increase elasticity. Finally, Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash rounds out with antioxidant vitamin E and a less potent form of retinol, retinyl palmitate. According to dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo in the journal Clinics in Dermatology, retinyl palmitate has about one-twentieth the potency of prescription retinoids; considering that retinyl palmitate is the least concentrated ingredient in Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash, its effects may not be apparent. Still, a great moisturizing wash for your hands!
This body wash is my favorite because it contains a high concentration of soybean oil, which was reported in the British Journal of Dermatology to stimulate the production of collagen, in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology to stimulate hyaluronic acid in human fibroblasts cultured in vitro, in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology to reduce the number of hair follicles (dermal papillae) on the skin, and in the journal Dermatology to lighten hyperpigmentation after daily use for two weeks. Pretty incredible! Olay Age-Defying Body Wash with VitaNiacin also contains vitamin E, retinyl palmitate, and niacinamide, all in higher concentration than in Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash with Shea Butter.
Best Daytime Hand Creams
A good rule of thumb is to moisturize and protect your hands frequently during the day. The skin on the hands is susceptible to sun damage, and individuals are far less likely to wear sunblock or sun protective gear on their hands than on their bodies. The following are some great hand creams to carry with you through the day:
Contains hydrating (not drying) alcohols, glycerin, and shea butter to moisturize. It also contains vitamins C and E. The great news is that the combination of vitamin C and vitamin E have been found to synergistically enhance the power of one another, and have been reported by Djerassi et. al. to prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines (although in different forms of C and E). Vitamin C and vitamin E have also been shown in this 1996 study, amongst others, to enhance the photoprotective effects of sunscreen. The unfortunate news is that the form of vitamin C used in this product is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, which is a stable form of vitamin C that has not been shown (as of yet) to show all of the properties of L-ascorbic acid (the more unstable form of vitamin C most commonly used in skin care and studies). This 2004 study reported the results of patients’ split-face use of 10% L-ascorbic acid and 7% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate in combination, and the study yielded improvements in hyperpigmentation over vehicle. Still, more research needs to be done on tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. At any rate, Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Love Me Tender SPF 15 Hand Cream is an excellent hydrating hand cream. One personal note: There is a strong citrus scent (I don’t wear this when I am wearing lavender perfume!)
Although marketed as a face cream, this 2.5-floz. product is small enough to carry around in your average handbag, and pretty phenomenal ingredient-wise, with high concentrations of niacinamide to hydrate and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots, anti-aging palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 to hydrate and firm the skin a bit, vitamin C (as L-ascorbic acid!) and vitamin E to enhance sun protection, and potent antioxidant green tea. It even hydrates, with a high concentration of glycerin and a lower concentration of dimethicone. One problem is that vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid tends to break down in the presence of heat, light, and moisture, so I would recommend transferring the product into an equally small opaque container.
Although glycolic acid and retinol typically recommended to be used separately and at night, this product combines both with a daytime SPF 15. (For sensitive skins, you may prefer the glycolic acid without the retinol in Neostrata Skin Smoothing Cream SPF 20). The product also contains vitamin C as ascorbic acid, vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate, and retinyl palmitate. One note of interest is that it has been reported in the Journal of Dermatological Surgery that vitamin C and its derivatives should be formulated at a pH under 3.5, while the pH optimal for retinol esterification (i.e., activation) has been reported in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology to be between 5.5-6.0. With that said, the pH for each ingredient in the formulation is most likely suboptimal. Still, the product contains exceptional ingredients, including glycolic acid, which smooths the skin, quickens the rate of cell turnover (which is reduced by up to 7% every ten years), decreases small wrinkles and increases the fibroblast proliferation of collagen. This is a great product, particularly for the money, and a difference in hand appearance should surely be noticed after about a month of use.
Although NIA24 also has a hand cream, this product is better for day because it contains both more active ingredient (5% Pro-NiacinTM) and sun protection. The 5% Pro-NiacinTM in NIA24 Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 has been shown to have effects similar to that of niacinamide. NIA24 Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 also contains 9.4% micronized Titanium Dioxide and 3.6% Zinc Oxide. Although I would prefer it to be more zinc oxide than titanium dioxide, the product is an excellent way to get the effects of niacin with a sunscreen everyday. One personal note: For the first few applications, I experienced a bit of the “first blush, initial breakout, or dryness” talked about on the NIA24 informational brochure, but my skin became more hydrated (and clear) over time.
Best Nighttime Hand Treatments
Lactic acid is a potent hydrator and in high concentration here. In fact, Dr. Jeffrey Dover, vice president of the American Society of Dermatological Surgery, tells the February InStyle, “Lactic acid draws water up from the dermis to hydrate cells at the surface.” LacHydrin Five is available in stronger form as LacHydrin, a prescription drug FDA approved to treat dry skin. With additional hydrators petrolatum, glycerin and dimethicone, layer on LacHydrin Five at night under cotton gloves and awake to softer, more hydrated skin.
SkinMDNatural contains a reported 93% natural ingredients. The ingredients in SkinMDNatural include soothing aloe, hydrating silicones, vitamin E, antibiotic/anti-inflammatory Arnica Flower Extract and Achillea Millefolium Extract (Yarrow), wound-healing Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract (Comfrey) Extract and Soothing Chamomile. However, although this product is hydrating, don’t buy it just because it is “natural” - it has been reported in the journal Dermatologic Clinics that there is little or no demonstrated benefit to “natural” products. With that said, based on science alone, SkinMDNatural is still hydrating.
This two-step peel contains ingredients like salicyclic acid, glycolic acid, green tea, retinol, and soy extract to cleanse and refine the skin on your face (and hands). Which brings me to the point, most ingredients you use on your face, you can put on your hands (ask your dermatologist if you are unsure of a certain ingredient), provided that you use a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen on your hands regularly (some ingredients, like glycolic acid, make your skin more sensitive to the sun). In fact, it was recommended to me years ago to use the extra creams from my face on my hands, and I have heard that it has worked for others as well. With that said, happy shopping!
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January 27th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Antioxidant Treatments, Best Products, Dry Skin Treatments, Hand Treatments |
4 comments
