Look Ma, Soft Hands!
Written: Oct 31 '00 (Updated Nov 01 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Actually helps heal cracked skin
Cons: Pricey, limited retail distribution
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| taurusmoon's Full Review: Essentiel Elements Therapeutic Hand Treatment |
I’ll never forget the comment my 4th grade teacher inscribed on my report card. Anxious to bring a glowing report home to my parents, I was totally dismayed to see the words Mrs. Kane had penned in her most elegant script, “Sara must stop biting her nails.”
How could I have been so misunderstood? Bite my nails indeed! Didn’t she know that the apparent oral fixation I was exhibiting was a result of the unusually brittle cuticles that plagued me as I attempted to comprehend the mystery of fractions? Sure I bit my nails, but that was only because my mouth was already in their general vicinity. If only I could have dealt with my problem cuticles, my otherwise glowing report card would now reside in a scrapbook of childhood mementos unblemished by her too cruel observations.
Of course, that’s all behind me now. 32 years later, those well-intentioned words of concern are fading scribbles on a yellowing sheet of paper. Unfortunately though, I still have difficulty with the nuances of mathematics and I still have cuticles that drive me to nibbling. To add insult to injury, the ravages of time have made the balance of the skin on my hands equally dry. Perhaps it’s nature’s way of not playing favorites. Why should the cuticles be made to suffer the injustice of moisture deprivation alone?
I have tried countless lotions over the years to tame the ragged bits of skin that loiter near the ends of my fingers. None of them helped in the least. Perhaps they may have, had I given them a chance. But, I simply cannot abide the lingering sensation of grease on my hands. Oft times I have slathered on a lotion only to sprint for a towel to remove the offensive substance. Like Lady Macbeth, I cleansed phantom creams off my hands long after the slimy sensation ceased. Lot of good any product will do me if I refuse to use it.
Eventually I gave up and accepted my unsightly hands as something I just had to live with. Either that, or undergo years of psychotherapy to get to the root of my lotion aversion.
Several weeks ago I placed an order with an online retailer (self.com) that was shipped with a free gift; a tasteful mesh cosmetic bag filled with samples from the Essentiel Elements™ collection. Geranium Scrub, Joie de Lavender Relaxing Bath Salts, Citrus Essence Shampoo, Citrus Essence Effleurée, a wash cloth (how thoughtful!) and a small jar of Therapeutic Hand Treatment.
Hand Treatment, huh? I read through the accompanying literature, Essentiel Elements™ At Home Spa Treatments and Tips… “Enjoy a spa retreat in the privacy of your own home. Pure essential oils have a wide range of beneficial effects in skin care, as well as in improving one’s sense of well being.” Yadda yadda yadda
I scanned the sheet impatiently for the nitty gritty on the jar of Hand Treatment that was intriguing me so. Aha! “We spend a lot of time caring for our bodies and face, while neglecting our hands” Blah blah blah Get to the point will you? Copywriters. Sheesh.*
Ah, there it was. “Our rich, deeply penetrating Therapeutic Hand Treatment blends the natural healing elements of Mango Butter with the penetrating properties of Avocado and Jojoba Oils to hydrate and condition rough, dry hands.”
Hmmm. My curiosity having gotten the best of me, I quickly unscrewed the cap on that little jar of hand cream. I was greeted with a pleasant aroma. Fruity? I thought so. Perhaps it was the mango. But no, there was more to that scent. Something naggingly familiar. I didn’t think it was the avocado oil and I’d never in a million years be able to identify the aroma of jojoba. (I’m sure you can now understand why I have yet to attempt to challenge any of this site’s esteemed wine reviewers.)
Crayola! That was it. Something in the cream’s pleasant bouquet reminded me of the unmistakable scent of a freshly opened box of 64 crayons. I flashed back briefly to the 4th grade, but the recollection of that nail biting comment flung me cruelly back from my reverie.
Tentatively I stuck a finger in the white substance that so intrigued me. It was surprisingly thick, with a consistency only slightly runnier than toothpaste. The moment of truth had arrived. I spread some on my hand. Odd. With all the oils that were in the formula, it didn’t feel greasy in the slightest. Instead, in felt sort of… well, waxy.
The leaflet packed with the sample recommended applying the product before bed and sleeping with treatment gloves on. I decided to forego the gloves (I didn’t think either my fleece, ski or leather pairs would pass as treatment gloves) but slathered the Therapeutic Hand Treatment on my hands and hoped that I wouldn’t feel compelled to recreate my legendary Lady Macbeth performance.
Not only did I not feel the least uncomfortable, I awoke in the morning to appreciably softer hands. Ever the skeptic, I withheld judgment until I tried the product a few more times. After three days of applications I was awed by the results. My hands were definitely softer and my cuticles were actually beginning to heal. I assessed the rapidly diminishing supply of this wonder preparation and knew that I absolutely had to get some more.
I logged back onto my account at the site that so generously treated me to my samples and searched for the object of my desire. There it was. Essentiel Elements™ Therapeutic Hand Treatment, 4 ounce tube: $24. Ouch! I knew I could buy an oil drum full of Vaseline Intensive Care™ at the local warehouse club for less than $8. Could I justify spending $24 for a small tube of this stuff? Throwing all caution to the moisture sucking wind I hit the buy button and was delighted to receive my package the next day.
Now that I had the tube in my newly silken hands I could actually take inventory of all the ingredients:
Deionized Water, Glycerin, Apricot Kernel Oil (that was the fruit I detected!), Stearic Acid, Safflower Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate-60, PEG-150, Stearate, Steareth-20, Mango Butter, Beeswax , (the Crayola smell and waxy feel! I was so relieved to learn that I was not hallucinating), Sesame Oil, Dimethicone, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E-Acetate), Cetyl Alcohol, Bergamot Oil, Tangerine Oil (maybe it wasn’t the apricot I smelled, after all), Ylang-Ylang Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Pathenol, Green Tea Extract, Passion Flower Extract, Chamomile Extract, Papaya Extract, Amica Extract, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Frangrance (sic), Methylparaben, Proplyparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea (yuck, I didn’t need to see that last item).
Well, the ingredient list certainly explained the cost. I recognized that the essential oils were expensive in and of themselves. The fact that there were so many blended in this formula made the $24 price tag seem modest. There are people, however, that have a sensitivity to some of these oils. Even the smallest amounts can be potent. If you have known allergies or sensitive skin please review the above ingredients carefully before trying this product for yourself.
After a few short weeks of use, I can attest to the fact that this therapeutic treatment does produce noticeable results. If you are someone who dislikes greasy lotions as much as I do, you’ll appreciate the feel of the cream as well as that of your skin. I have applied it immediately before curling up with a book and the pages remained unstained. In fact, I slathered a bit on before sitting down at the keyboard to write this and left no oil slicks in my wake.
Yes, the price is a bit high. Not being able to tolerate other formulas, I’m glad to have found one I like and made the purchasing transaction with a minimal amount of wincing. Will I reorder when I’ve depleted my supply? Quite likely, especially since the 4 ounces is proving to go a long way. Is the cost too high for you? Only you can make that decision.
For a change, I’m delighted not have to hide my cracked cuticles in my pockets. Mrs. Kane would have been so proud.
*Lest I get a nastygram from the Sacred Order of Advertising Copywriters and Allied Serfs, I am a card-carrying member of that esteemed organization.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
taurusmoon
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Location: New York City
Reviews written: 40
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