Baste those dry hands in moisture

I don't know about you, but the crazy weather has left my hands dry and chapped. So, I decided to try out a few hand moisturizers to see what works best. I wanted to see what worked best for the most money, and here's what I came up with.


OPI Avojuice
Where to get it: Most any salon or beauty supply store.
Price: $16

The spend.
It's not that expensive, but in comparison with the others I tried it's a bit more. If you love OPI products than you've probably already tried their line of Avojuice Skin Quencher lotions. They offer a variety of scents, but my favorite is the Grapefruit. It has a light clean scent that I find really refreshing. It's good if you want a light lotion and don't need serious care, ideal for everyday frequent use. It's actually my lotion of choice for the summertime. I really like the way it absorbs into skin so quickly, never leaving hands feeling greasy. If however, you have some serious dryness, it probably won't fit the bill.

Glysomed Hand Creme
Where to get it: Any drugstore
Price: $5

The good old standby.
For the past year I've been carrying a tube of Glysomed in my purse. It's a nice thick hand creme that does a good job of ridding skin of that dry rough feeling. I prefer the fragrance free version, don't care for the scent of their other one (the green bottle). While it is a great product, I must admit that it doesn't absorb into my hands as fast as I would like it to. So, I continue on the search for the best of both worlds. If you don't mind a waiting for the moisture to absorb in, this is a good product at a very reasonable price.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
Where to get it: any drugstore
Price:$8

The Ultimate.
If you have seriously dry hands, then I highly recommend going for this one. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream has been around for a long time (I can remember using it as a teenager) and still delivers on it's promise. A thick, concentrated formula that really works to get rid of dryness. It's completely non-irritating. I have often applied it to my nose when it gets chapped from constant over blowing due to a cold and it doesn't even make it sting! I do find that it takes a little while to absorb, so I'd recommend this as one you keep by your nightstand for evening or after shower applications. Just visited their website and found out they offer a fast absorbing formula, so I guess I'd better check it out!

Nivea SOS Hand Cream
Where to get it: any drugstore
Price: $5

 The steal.
Ok, I'll admit it. This one was a bit of an oops that turned out well. I was looking for Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Creme and thought I was picking an unscented version of it, but it turns out I actually grabbed a misplaced bottle of Nivea SOS Hand Cream. Don't you just love it when distraction actually works out for the better? I really like this cream. It's almost as thick as the Norwegian, but absorbs about twice as fast. It swathes my skin in a thick protective layer that really lasts. The best part? It's almost half the price.