REVIEW: Nivea Rescue & Care - SOS Hand Balm

Photo from: http://www.echemist.co.uk

If you read my previous post regarding my problem with dry hands due to frequent hand washing, you would have already figured out that I am a fan.  

I know that many of you are also skeptics like myself. We have our own unique journey of looking for the perfect everything --- concealer, lipstick, foundation, lotion or car.  We looked high and low for various reviews and recommendations of family, friends and strangers alike.  

We are all unique in our own way and just because something works for someone, doesn't necessarily work for us but it's nice to get a person's candid opinion about certain things. It's not really wise to be swayed by commercials since the actors/models are often paid to endorse certain products. So I don't really get reeled in by an endorsement by any paid model regardless of who it is. 

I am not in any way connected with Nivea or any of it's affiliates so this is my honest, unbiased review of the product.

My hands on a good day

As mentioned in my previous blog, my hands looks like it's the hand of an 80 year old great-grandmother rather than that of a 30-something mother. My hands used to be my best feature because they are long and slender... not anymore. :(

I have brought this concern to a dermatologist about 4 years ago but all she recommended was a steroid-based lotion that I need to apply as and when needed.  I used it for about 2-3 days but I didn't work for me but her personal formulation worked wonders for my skin allergies. 

So I looked into various hand and body lotion that have claimed to work wonders for restoring the moisture back into the skin.  Some worked better than most but all still left a stingy feeling afterwards.  It wasn't until I have tried the Nivea Rescue & Care SOS Hand Balm did my hands not sting even during application.  It was gentle and moisturizing that I use it at least three times a day however, you should put on hand cream after washing your hands for optimal benefit.

According to Nivea's website -

• Benefits - Nivea SOS Hand Balm provides instant relief and moisturization for chapped hands; rescuing very dry skin.
• How to Use - Apply on clean hands whenever they feel roughed or chapped.
• Ingredients - Aqua, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, DImethicone, Cera Mircocristallina, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Ceteareth-3, Parraffinum Liquidum Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Glyceryl Laurate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum.

I really love this product although I have some complaints about it. For one thing, I wouldn't mind it smelling a little nicer because currently, it doesn't smell like anything. The second one is that it's a little hard to squeeze the content out. I am not sure if it maybe due to the actual balm being less watery than the competitors but sometimes it's an effort to get to the content.

I have tried to look for this locally (Metro Manila) but it's not available and I have tried to inquire with the local Nivea distributor but they couldn't give me an answer. So I get my stash from Singapore.  

In case you want to purchase this and try it out for yourself, please message us at marcusphillippe.ph@gmail.com for details.  You can also check out the our FB page (Marcus Phillippe) for more details on how to purchase. 

RATING:

• COST - 4.5 stars  
• EASE OF USE - 4.5 stars
• EFFICACY - 4.5 stars

Will I repurchase? The answer is most definitely YES! I purchase mine yearly and I usually get at least 10 at a time (because it is very affordable - GBP 3.69 is the SRP) so I will never run out.

Will I recommend this? Unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients, I will most definitely recommend this to everybody I know including you! :)

Have you tried this yourself? What's your opinion? I'd love to hear it!

Hugs!

~mtz~

Problem with Dry Hands?

I am your typical germaphobe and I have been since the birth of my daughter almost five years ago. If you are like me then you can relate to suffering from dry hands due to frequent washing or disinfecting.  My hands would getting really dry that the mere touch from another person can sting.  There would be times that it would bleed (it would look like a paper cut to another person) so my life has been a daily uphill battle with dry hands.

I have tried numerous lotions that claim to cure dry hands like Mustela, Dove, Cetaphil, Physiogel, L'Occitane and Elizabeth Arden among others. I have even tried the Triple Moisturizing lotion from Bath and Body Works but still nothing works. Most of the would provide temporary relief but it won't last long.

I read an article that there are five (5) solutions to cure dry hands from frequent washing.

1. A pH balanced soap - We have all heard of this but what normal person would know what the pH is of your usual store bought hand soap.  I usually get Watson's or Bath and Body Works foaming or moisturizing soap and still I would suffer from dry hands by mid-day.  According to Discovery Fit and Health, the proper pH for a hand soap should be below 9. Unless you have a stash of litmus paper on your medicine cabinet, this might be a little harder to achieve.
2. Paraffin treatment - A weekly paraffin treatment is advised for those who suffer from dry hands but who has the money and the time to do this regularly? In Metro Manila, a typical paraffin treatment can cost around Php500 easy. 
3. Wear gloves - Personally, I hate the smell of rubber gloves and the medical grade gloves are a tad uncomfortable for my taste.
4. Hydrate - It's important to hydrate yourself to prevent your skin from loosing it's moisture.  I have to always keep this in mind since I have a bad habit of drinking plenty of soda, juices and tea. 



Photo from: http://www.echemist.co.uk

5. Moisturize - This is by far the most ideal solution for my situation but as I have mentioned I have tried many products but I haven't had one that helped until the family wen to Singapore last 2012.  I ran out of lotion and grabbed one from a local Guardian store. I used that during the course of the day and I was amazed by the results! It dramatically reduced the redness and flakiness and completely eradicated the discomfort.  What is this magic formula you say? It was Nivea Rescue & Care SOS Hand Balm.  I immediately ran back to the nearest Guardian store and bought myself a few more for in case it's not available back home and I was right! I looked high and low for this around Metro Manila but they do not carry this somehow. I will post more about my experience with Nivea SOS Hand Balm in the next few days.

Do you also suffer from dry hands? What treatment worked for you? Share it in the comments! I'd love to hear it!

~mtz~