Chantecaille
Retinol Hand Cream
10/11/13

A couple of years ago I saw a woman in her forties who had the hands of an 80 year old. As you can imagine, my youth and skin-obsessed self panicked. Could this happen to me?! How good was I with sunscreen on my hands? Who cares if my face looks great if my hands are all wrinkled? Our hands are constantly at work, whether they're typing away, being outdoors or driving in the sun, or dry from frequent hand washing, they sure take a beating. Sun exposure is one of our hands' worst enemies. Think wrinkles AND age spots. Yikes!

I've found a very limited selection of hand creams with SPF, which is bizarre. From Clarins to Kiehl's, many of my go-to day hand creams and lotions have been discontinued, including my beloved Clarins Age-Control Hand Lotion With SPF 15. The name said it all. Since then, I've mixed a couple drops of their UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen with whatever hand cream I use if I'm going outdoors. But what else could I do to proactively prevent my hands from aging prematurely? Enter Chantecaille. 

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I've had great success with many Chantecaille products, including their Retinol Intense which is an incredibly gentle yet effective anti-aging night cream. Since Retinol can be drying or irritate sensitive skin, I knew I'd likely enjoy this hand cream. It has their signature Rosewater base with Rose, Vitamin C, Retinol, Japanese Mulberry Root, Lily and Bears Berry Root. They're very serious about this whole natural thing, which I know many of you will love. Edelweiss flower provides natural UVA and UVB protection, while Vitamin C (from fresh oranges, of course) protects the skin from free radicals. How cool is that?! The cream is easily distributed on hands, without the need for reapplication. I've been using this every other day since I don't want the Retinol, while gentle in this form, to dry out my nails. The scent is natural, without added perfumes which mainly leaves the scent of natural Rosewater. Not perfume to smell like rose, but actual Rosewater. It feels really good on and is absorbed fairly quickly, leaving hands soft and protected. 

My verdict? This is a fantastic preventative and restorative cream to keep hands even-toned and wrinkle-free. If you have age spots, this cream will lighten them naturally. If you don't have spots, this will prevent them. Plus natural sun protection? What's not to love?

Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream is $75 for a 2.55 oz. tube. 

Available at Barneys.

Note: it took me forever to track down this cream, and I've spoken with Chantecaille who informed me that they actually ran out! Not to worry. They are actually in the process of producing more, and it will be available at stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus shortly. That said, Barney's has some stock left. I stocked up. Get on it!

Cult-Classic Salve

Smith's Rosebud Salve 
7/25/13

This is one of those products that I keep all over the place. My makeup bag, one of many skincare-filled bathroom drawers, seemingly every handbag I own, my car, bedside tables, my carry-on toiletry bag...I think you get the idea. It's certainly the most multi-purpose and versatile beauty product I've ever used, and far from the fanciest. I discovered this gem many years ago at the natural pharmacy Pharmaca, which I recently learned has locations in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. I'm both a browser and an impulse buyer, which is how this cute tin of the original salve first ended up coming home with me. 

For the first year or so, I used it primarily as a lip balm. It's absolutely fantastic for this purpose. As the name implies, it's a rose shade and has a very mild scent which is pleasant. The salve leaves lips wonderfully hydrated and naturally shiny. They also offer a Minted Rose Lip Balm, but as you can see in the photo below I've yet to try it! The original is so good that I'm not certain why I even purchased the minted version. I imagine it would feel really great on sunburned lips. After applying to my lips, I found myself massaging the remainder onto my cuticles and nails. This quickly became my second favorite use. Dry and irritated cuticles and nails were instantly softened, and healed over time with regular use. 

Another great use of the salve is on dry skin. I keep a separate tin solely (no pun intended) for use on my toes and heels, which get dry during summer when I wear sandals and more open shoes. It also works wonders on dry hands, elbows, and anywhere else you need extra healing moisture. A little bit goes a really long way. 

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For many years I had my hair chemically straightened (thermal reconditioning), which left my scalp incredibly dry and irritated for about a week after each treatment. I massaged this salve onto my scalp after the torturous three-day period when my hair had to remain dry and untouched. This was the only thing that gave me relief from my itchy and irritated scalp. 

While doing my homework for this post, I was amazed to learn about many other uses, such as applying over lipstick for added shine, to tame eyebrows (I'm so trying that tomorrow), to manage fly-aways or frizz, and even as an eye shadow primer. Not to mention all the medicinal uses like soothing burns, insect bites, and even blemishes. 

My verdict? This gender-neutral product has been healing skin since 1892. Between the medicinal and beauty uses, I will always keep plenty of this cult-favorite on hand. 

- Smith's Original Rosebud Salve is $6 for a .8 oz. tin or a .5 oz tube. 

- Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm and Strawberry Lip Balm is $7 for a .8 oz tin. 

Available at Pharmaca, Sephora, C.O. Bigelow, & natural stores everywhere. 

Note: prices can vary by about a dollar at different stores.