YASOU Moisturizing Hand Cream

Days after the Fall Equinox, our weather is finally starting to cool off. Today, it is cloudy and cool at my house. It is predicted to be like this almost all week. We've gone from temperatures in the mid-90's to mid-70's, just like that.

As the weather changes, we all need to take a look at our body products and replace the moisture we lose to cool, dry air. I've started with YASOU Hand Cream ($25), which was sent to me for review. I have been using the Hand Cream for a month, and I'm impressed. Because I was originally unfamiliar with the company, I'll assume you may be too and give you a short summary YASOU.

“YASOU” (pronounced ya-su) natural skin care gets its name from a common Greek greeting meaning “to your health.” YASOU’s mission is to embrace the beauty traditions, natural ingredients, and rich culture of Greece with American technology, bringing you this luxurious natural skin-care line that makes you look and feel good.

YASOU skin care is inspired from the heart, heritage, and passion of creator Theodora Ntovas. Theodora grew up in Chicago and often traveled and lived in Greece as a child, where she spent time visiting her family and soaking up the rich Greek culture and local traditions. As an adult, Theodora felt a calling to return to the Greek village that she remembered so fondly from her childhood. That particular trip soon became a soul-searching and enlightening experience for her and changed the way she looked at the world and specifically beauty products.

While shopping a local farmer’s market, Theodora discovered the purist, most unique, organic skin-care products and was intrigued by the beautiful women who swore by them. These glorious products were made from olive oil, natural essential oils extracted from local flowers, and indigenous plants, plus organic beeswax.

Using what she learned from that small farmers market in Archia Feneos in the Peloponnese region near Corinth, Theodora educated herself in cosmetic chemistry, aromatherapy, and natural skin care solutions. Her research led her to partner with chemist/formulator Nestor Tomasi. Inspired by Greek beauty philosophy, together they developed the unique Calityl-O Complex, that became the foundation of a truly luxurious natural skin-care line. And so, YASOU was born.

This exclusive and completely natural, luxurious skin care nourishes the skin and is formulated with the highest quality natural and organic ingredients sourced from the best growers, producers, and suppliers in the United States. YASOU consists of face cream, a cellular firming and rejuvenating day cream that compliments YASOU’s anti-aging night cream with hyadisine, and the ultra hydrating body cream with essential oils and vitamin E. The ultra hydrating body cream is designed to nourish skin, help calm and relax your mind, and even help you fall asleep (I could use that). It is ideal for those special and precious “me time” moments when you want to pamper and reward your body, like having a spa experience, but at home.

YASOU Hand Cream is a vegan product made in the USA. Beautiful hands conceal our age and  sensitize our touch. We need to treat our hands with tender loving care, particularly as the weather changes and dries our skin. YASOU Vegan Hand Cream is formulated to moisturize, protect, repair, and soothe your hands. It is a natural hand cream that contains moisturizing certified organic extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, bacteria fighters, and soothing botanicals. The company's signature Calityl-O Complex nourishes all skin types. Packaged in a recyclable tube, YASOU Hand Cream protects the environment as well as your hands. In addition to its natural, certified organic, and vegan ingredients, it is gluten-free and Leaping Bunny certified. It does contain retinol, but so far I have had no adverse reactions to it.

You can use YASOU Hand Cream as many times per day as you feel you need, but the company recommends that you use it in the morning and before bed. I've been using it at bedtime because I wash my hands so frequently during the day. Charlie is not fond of scented products, but fortunately he has not objected to the natural ingredients that make the scent of YASOU Hand Cream unique. To me, it's an herbal scent.

I have copied from YASOU the long list of ingredients so that you can see how much thought the company put into the moisturizing formula. 

• Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Jojoba Oil soothes and moisturizes. Olive oil’s antioxidants form a protective barrier, trapping moisture on your skin. Jojoba oil’s vitamins, mineral, and fatty acids promote elasticity and radiance.
• Shea Butter is vitamin-rich and one of the best anti-aging moisturizers.
• Glycerin is a good re-hydrant that helps moisturize the skin without
  making it oily. It attracts moisture and holds it within the skin making skin more supple.
• Coconut Oil is a powerful moisturizer that helps restore dry or flaking skin. It helps to strengthen skin tissue more deeply and eliminates dead skin cells while absorbing quickly into your skin. Containing vitamin E, coconut oil helps delay wrinkles and can soothe skin conditions such as eczema, sunburn, and psoriasis.
• Certified Organic Aloe Vera moisturizes and hydrates the skin.
• Evening Primrose essential oil can help with age-related structural and functional changes in skin tissues such as redness, firmness, roughness, and fatigue resistance. It is also effective in relieving many symptoms of eczema.
• Lemon Extract exfoliates, brightens, and diminishes acne for smoother skin. It naturally bleaches the skin and quickens the rate in which dark spots, scars, sunspots, acne scars, and age spots fade.
• Grape Seed Extract boosts collagen development in your body. Collagen helps your skin stay firm, supple, and moisturized. It aids in the renewal of skin cells. Grape Seed Extract contains compounds called procyanidins, which bond with collagen, resulting in healthier and more elastic skin.
• Tocopherol also known as vitamin E, is an antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin. It promotes cell regeneration, creating an anti-aging effect to make your skin look and feel younger.
• Vitamin A/Retinyl Palmitate has great anti-aging, superb antioxidants, and moisturizing capabilities. It accelerates cell renewal and stimulates the fibroblast and collagen in the skin, thereby reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It helps promote softer, smoother skin.
• Mastic essential oil contains antioxidants along with antibacterial and antifungal properties. It possesses therapeutic benefits for the skin due to its soothing, softening, and healing properties. Mastic oil is used in many personal hygiene products for its antiseptic assets.
• YASOU Calityl-O Complex - The Unbeatable Combination of Nature and Science: Calityl-O is rich in important antioxidants which our skin craves. YASOU's Calityl-O Complex helps form a protective, nourishing barrier that keeps environmental damage and toxins out, while infusing and keeping the moisture of skin in, creating a perfect balance.

Natural body care starts with using the best natural and organic ingredients. YASOU Skin Care products contain no parabens, synthetic colors, or artificial fragrances. How good does it get?

Other YASOU products that might interest you include Cellular Day, Cell Renewal Night Cream, and Hydrating Body Cream - just in case the line intrigues you, but you've got a great stock of hand cream.

You can purchase the Hand Cream at YASOU's Web site, where you can also learn about the company's other products. There is a wonderful, educational section about ingredients used in YASOU products, a video, and a blog with a new feature about recognizing product ingredients. I like the Web site because it's educational and so transparent about the company and its excellent formulas. There is a store locator, but distributors are currently limited; it's easiest to buy it online.

Photos courtesy of YASOU