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Hand Cream

hand cream Beautiful hands are an important prerequisite for a well-groomed appearance and moisturising your hands should be part of your daily care ritual. However, the skin on this part of the body is relatively sensitive and has to withstand a lot. After all, our hands are constantly in action and are therefore one of the most stressed parts of the body. A good hand cream provides the skin on the hands with sufficient moisture, makes it soft and supple and at the same time prevents the skin surface from becoming rough and cracked. Today, hand care products can look very different. In addition to classic hand creams, there are rich lotions, scrubs and even masks, as well as special products for the care of fingernails.

 

Why a good hand cream is so important

A good hand cream is so important because the hands have a very special structure. The skin on the back of the hand is particularly thin and has hardly any fat in the subcutis.

As a result, it ages relatively quickly and reacts very sensitively to external influences. There is more fat and connective tissue on the palms of the hands, making these areas less sensitive.

However, as there are no sebaceous glands and hair here, the skin can hardly store any moisture. As a result, the palms also become much rougher over time if they are not cared for properly. Added to this, of course, are external influences such as sun, cold and heat. They disrupt or threaten the skin’s natural protective barrier.

The most important aim of hand cream is therefore to intensively moisturise the hands and protect them from drying out.

Rich creams with dexpanthenol or marigold oil quickly help to combat dry hands. Glycerine and urea are also valuable ingredients in hand creams. They can soothe and protect stressed skin and effectively support the regeneration process.

But nature has even more active ingredients that are good for the hands. Olive oil and shea butter provide important fatty acids that also have a soothing and regenerating effect in hand creams.

A classic body lotion should not be used for the hands, as the skin in these areas has completely different needs.

The topic of anti-ageing is also becoming increasingly important in hand care. Special peptides, especially retinal, can stimulate cell regeneration and collagen formation. That the hands look smooth and youthful even in older age also requires the prevention or reduction of age spots. A good hand cream with a sun protection factor is important in this context, as the spots are usually caused by sun exposure.

Men need a particularly high-quality hand cream, as the palms of their hands often become calloused during physical work. Men who work in trade or construction can tell you a thing or two about this. Ideally, men’s hands should therefore be thoroughly moisturised twice a day. Appropriate hand care products are generally almost odourless or have a slightly bitter scent.

 

Characteristics of the most important ingredients for hand cream products

Profile Ceramide I:

INCI: Ceramide EOS

Alternative name: Ceramide 1

Ingredients:

  • EO: esterified omega-hydroxy fatty acid. The fatty acid is usually linoleic acid, but can also be behenic acid, lignoceric acid, cerotic acid or oleic acid.
  • S: stands for the sphinogsine base

 

Profile Ceramide III: 

INCI: Ceramides NP

Alternative name: Ceramide 3

Ingredients:

  • N stands for the type of normal fatty acid
  • P stands for its phytosphingosine base
  • Further information on this topic can be found in our corresponding article: Ceramides

 

Profile Dexpanthenol:

INCI: PANTHENOL

CAS number: 81-13-0

Property: Dexpanthenol is a provitamin that is converted to pantothenic acid in the body.

Effect:

  • Increases the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
  • Supports the regeneration of skin cells.
  • Improves the elasticity of the skin.
  • Antipruritic, anti-inflammatory and promotes wound healing.
  • Use: Ingredient for ointments and creams, especially in hand creams

Further information on this topic can be found in our corresponding article: Dexpanthenol.

 

Profile Glycerine:

INCI: GLYCERIN

CAS number: 56-81-5

Properties: Colourless and odourless, hygroscopic, slightly viscous liquid at room temperature. Basic structure in many fats.

Effect: Important moisturiser in hand cream products, water-binding.

Extraction: Occurs in oleochemistry during the production of fatty acids.

 

Profile Calendula Oil:

INCI: CALENDULA OFFICINALIS FLOWER OIL

CAS number: 84776-23-8 / 70892-20-5

Extraction: From native marigolds. 5000 kilograms of marigold flowers yield one litre of calendula essential oil.

Effect:

  • Strong antioxidant and wound-healing properties.
  • Soothing, suitable for stressed, cracked, taut and sore skin.
  • Strengthens the skin’s resistance and provides a protective cover.
  • In aromatherapy as a soothing base for blending with other essential oils.

 

Profile Shea butter:

INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter

CAS number: 194043-92-0

Properties: Light to beige-coloured fat, also known as shea butter. The shea tree is only found in West and Central Africa.

Effect:

  • Moisturising
  • The fatty substances it contains protect the skin.
  • Gives ointments and creams a firmer consistency, blends well.
  • Soothingly calming, especially in hand creams for dry, cracked or stressed skin.

Ingredients:

  • 40-50% oleic acid.
  • 35-45% stearic acid.
  • 4.0-10.0% linoleic acid.
  • 3.0-8.0% palmitic acid.

Further information on this topic can be found in our corresponding article: shea butter.

 

Optimised hand care with selected active ingredients

A good hand cream does not depend on chance, the active ingredients are decisive. At Cosmacon, we only use high-quality, compatible and safe ingredients that protect, soothe and care for the sensitive and stressed skin on your hands. Feel free to ask us – we will also develop the perfect hand cream product for you.

 

Sources:

Patient acceptability, efficacy, and skin biophysiology of a cream and cleanser containing lipid complex with shea butter extract versus a ceramide product for eczema.; Hon KL, Tsang YC, Pong NH, Lee VW, Luk NM, Chow CM, Leung TF.Hong Kong Med J. 2015 Oct;21(5):417-25

Anti-inflammatory / anti-oxidant activity of ingredients of sunscreen products? Implications for SPF.; Kolbe L, Pissavini M, Tricaud C, Trullás Cabanas C, Dietrich E, Matts PJ.Int J Cosmet Sci. 2019 Jun;41(3):320-324.

Effectiveness of a Skin Care Program With a Cream Containing Ceramide C and a Personalized Training for Secondary Prevention of Hand Contact Dermatitis.; Larese Filon F, Maculan P, Crivellaro MA, Mauro M.Dermatitis. 2023 Mar-Apr;34(2):127-134. 

Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing after Medical and Cosmetic Interventions (Postprocedure Wound Healing).; Gorski J, Proksch E, Baron JM, Schmid D, Zhang L.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020 Jun 29;13(7):138

A daily regimen of a ceramide-dominant moisturizing cream and cleanser restores the skin permeability barrier in adults with moderate eczema: A randomized trial.; Spada F, Harrison IP, Barnes TM, Greive KA, Daniels D, Townley JP, Mostafa N, Fong AT, Tong PL, Shumack S.Dermatol Ther. 2021 Jul;34(4):e14970.