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    

Buon Amici Restorative Hand Cream

Buon Amici Restorative Hand Cream with Tuscan Olive Oil ($18) may be the nicest hand cream you've never heard about. I didn't know it existed before Barneys New York sent me a sample of both the hand cream and the Hydrating Rich Body Cream. I'm thankful that Barneys opened my eyes to this luxurious Italian brand.

I love products based on olive oil (read about my love for Dauget, which I can't even buy in the United States). Buon Amici hand cream is rich in nutrients and moisturizers, some botanical. It protects the hands from environmental assaults, such as cracking and reddening due to dry air or continuous hand washing. It absorbs quickly and is not greasy at all. With its olive oil base, I know it's good for my skin.

I love using it before I go to bed because it makes my hands feel good and smell good too. Boun Amici Restorative Hand Cream doesn't have a strong scent. It smells good - a little fruity, but not sweet - when I apply it. Just a few minutes later, as I drift off to sleep, the scent is almost gone, but the feeling of comfort and softness lingers. I am sure that feeling of comfort helps me fall asleep.

My little rituals, such as applying hand and body creams before I go to sleep at night, are important to my mental well-being. Could my rituals be responsible for releasing a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure?

You can find Boun Amici products at Barneys New York. The next time I order online at Barneys, I'm going to try the brand's Antioxidant Rich Body Oil.

I did a little Web search to try to find out more information about the company. I came up with nothing other than Barneys - and a lot of restaurants. If you have the scoop, please share.

Photo courtesy of Barneys

Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream

Not long ago, and for reasons I don't understand, Chantecaille promoted its Retinol Hand Cream ($75) to the New Products section of its Web site. I mentioned here that it was new, but learned that it wasn't. I asked my contact there why it had been listed as "new," but never received an answer.

I ordered it anyhow and have been very happy with it. Retinol Hand Cream is a healing treatment - specially developed for the hands - that clarifies, softens, and restructures the skin. Marine collagen-wrapped nanospheres of retinol are delivered to the deepest layers of the epidermis, re-texturizing skin from within and reducing hyper-pigmentation. The result is renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated extremities.

As with many Chantecaille products, Retinol Hand Cream is filled with botanicals. Retinol Hand Cream is 92% natural and includes a healing base of pure rosewater; it's paraben-free and vegan-friendly.

Lemon extract, white lily bulb, bearberry leaf extract, and mulberry root all help to clarify skin and lighten hyper-pigmentation. Vitamin C (from fresh oranges) and ascorbic acid protect the skin from free-radical damage and aid in cellular repair. Magnesium, shea butter and carob fruit extract work together to regenerate the skin's cells. Grape seed oil, olive leaf extract, and vitamin E are an effective combination of natural antioxidants for healing damage created by exposure to the sun. Edelweiss extract, derived from a wild mountain flower, provides a natural UVA/UVB sunscreen with SPF 6-8. Since I've been using it at night, the sunscreen is largely irrelevant to me. I can't use treatment products on my hands during the day because I wash them to often.

It offers beautiful aromatherapy benefits, with a rose scent that "soothes and centers, opening the heart and imparting a sense of well-being."  That's a nice way to go to sleep at night.

As a rule, I cannot use products containing retinol. You've read that here before. I have been successful with a small number of products in which the retinol is encapsulated, which Chantecaille does. Relatively recent industry claims have been made that the encapsulation delivers the retinol to deeper layers of the skin to prevent the surface irritation and burning I experience from the chemical. Based on this product and Le Métier de Beauté's skin care, I have to conclude there's something to that claim.

After 10 continuous days of use, Retinol Hand Cream has started to improve the look of my hands. For years I've used a glycolic-acid-based product at night, especially in the winter, but now I have a new option. I like the idea of lighter sun spots and fewer wrinkles around my knuckles. While I'm not ready for cosmetic surgery (see The Future of Anti-Aging for Hands), I would like to intervene before it's too late.

Chantecaille's Retinol Hand Cream can be found at Chantecaille counters and the company's Web site.

Photo courtesy of Chantecaille

80 Acres Blood Orange Hand & Body Lotion

Almost a year ago, Beautyhabit introduced me to 80 Acres, a small line of skin- and body-care products enriched with McEvoy Ranch estate-produced pure, organic olive oil. 80 Acres takes its name from the plot of land where the ranch first planted Tuscan olive seedlings. The scents in the products reflect the rolling hills and fragrant gardens on the property. Once you learn the line, you'll want to go there.

Just in case you aren't a "foodie," McEvoy Ranch makes some of the best olive oils on earth. They are certified organic - not simply great, but award-winning. I go out of my way to have one of their fabulous olive oils on hand at all times. You should see the huge jug in my kitchen!

Blood Orange Hand & Body Lotion ($25) is made with refreshing citrus essential oils and hints of neroli, vetiver, and jasmine. It evokes the citrus groves and wild jasmine that grow on the McEnvoy Ranch. Emollient and healing, this ultra-rich lotion is a blend of olive, sunflower, jojoba, and grapeseed oils infused with aloe vera, chamomile, and lavender. 80 Acres Hand & Body Lotion is rich in antioxidants and deeply hydrating. The fragrance is divine.

Like the idea, but don't need hand and body lotion? The scent is also available in bath salts, hand and body wash, olive oil soap, and olive oil body balm. The latter may be my next purchase.

I haven't been on McEvoy's Web site for a long time because I had found a local source for their olive oils. You can order the skin and body care at the McEvoy Web site and pick up some olive oil at the same time, or place an order with Beautyhabit (where I bought mine).

Photo courtesy of Beautyhabit

Ecoya Sweet Pea & Jasmine Hand Cream

I love discovering new-to-me lines! Last weekend, when I went to Art with Flowers at Tysons Galleria to purchase Stargazer lilies, which fragranced my bedroom all week, I saw a corner with an intriguing brand I had never seen before, Ecoya.

Ecoya was nurtured on the shores of Botany Bay, Australia - the same shores where Joseph Banks cataloged hundreds of rich botanicals in the 1770s. Now, Ecoya uses those same botanical waxes and oils, along with sustainable materials, to create a line of natural home and personal fragrance products.

Visit the Ecoya Web site, and you'll be treated to soothing music, beautiful pictures, and a lure of two collections, Ecoya and Towra Conservation Range, the latter dedicated to preserving migratory birds and their habitats. Clearly, my kind of company, and I found it in McLean, Virginia!

The box of Ecoya's Sweet Pea & Jasmine Hand Cream ($20) attracted me, with its classy design and wax seal. I knew there had to be something good inside. I sampled the tester and swooned at the light, sweet fragrance of the hand cream. It quickly became mine so that I could sample the Ecoya line at home.

Ecoya Hand Cream is a hypoallergenic cream that protects, nourishes, and moisturizes my hands and arms, while leaving a beautiful scent. Sweet pea and white jasmine are entwined to capture the essence of "floral elegance." The ingredients include sweet almond oil, glycerin, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, vitamin E and, of course, fragrance. There are no parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol (yea!), silicones, or artificial colors.

Find out where you can purchase Ecoya products at this link. If you are in Australia, you can shop online easily. My local friends should visit Art with Flowers on the top floor of Tysons Galleria. It's a treasure trove.

Photo at top courtesy of Ecoya; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Ellen Sirot Hand Perfection Night Solution

Recently I had the privilege - and I definitely mean privilege - to start using Ellen Sirot's Hand Perfection products. Today, I'd like to share with you the "experience" of Hand Perfection Night Solution ($75). This overnight, restorative miracle serum accelerates hand renewal while you sleep.

Did you know that more than half of all women over 30 feel that their hands are aging faster than their faces, hair, or teeth? The skin on our hands is as delicate the the skin on our eyelids, but we constantly exposure our hands to soap and water to avoid bacteria and viruses. On top of that, our hands are exposed to the "elements." Hands have a hard time staying hydrated because they have very few oil glands. They need help!

Hand Perfection Night Solution is not "just another nice hand cream." Night Solution is one of the most luxurious hand creams you'll ever use. For me, the nightly application has taken on all the trappings of a sacred ritual. I look forward to it, and I wait to savor it until after I have given Charlie his Greenies. If I don't, he harasses me, and I want my hand treatment time to be perfect and calming - a short, but perfect end to the day.

The first thing I noticed about Hand Perfection Night Solution is how soft and velvety it feels. It's a white cream, dispensed in a container like my favorite MEG 21 face creams. The jar is designed to keep the product sanitary - no finger dipping to get it out. You press down on the white disk at the top, and, depending on how much pressure you put on the disk, out pops an application through the center airless pump. The directions say to gently massage a pearl-sized drop into the back of your hands every night for maximum benefit. So, that's what I did the first time. It felt so good, so luxuriously velvety, that I applied a second application, applying the cream to the undersides of my hands as well. At the rate I'm using it, I'll probably run out of it before I should - but I'm so happy. That matters for something!

The dry-down is quick. Night Solution will leave your hands feeling soft, but not gooey or greasy. I go to sleep feeling like I've got the softest hands on earth, and my hands look and feel hydrated in the morning. I haven't used it long enough to see my sun spots disappear, but they are lighter than they were when I started using it.

Night Solution is packed with proven, high-quality anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients. It's quite a cocktail for your hands. Maybe that's why it's so addictive.

• Grapeseed oil is an omega 3 that contains resveratrol that helps nourish and protect the delicate skin on your hands
• "Advanced Moisturizing Complex" (glycerin, sodium PCA, urea, and trehalose) helps attract and lock in moisture and protect skin from damage
• Hyaluronic acid helps smooth and plump skin, sealing in moisture. Hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient found in the best, most expensive facial skin care, and it's just as effective on our hands as it is on our faces.
• Licorice root extract helps lighten dark spots and age spots; it also has anti-inflammatory properties
• Lactobionic acid is a milk-derived exfoliant that increases cell turnover
• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps reverse past damage, soothes the skin, and fights free radicals
• Carageenan red algae extract is easily absorbed to soften and soothe skin with its anti-irritant and antibacterial properties.
• N-Acetyl D glucosamine holds in moisture, helping to plump and firm the skin

Hand Perfection products do not contain parabens, sulfates, petroleum by-products, or fragrances, and they are not tested on animals. How perfect does it get?

I'm sure many of you know that Ellen Sirot is a world-famous hand model. For 20 years, Ellen Sirot’s ageless hands have earned her acclaim as the “supermodel of hands.” Her hands have appeared in countless advertising campaigns and every major fashion and beauty magazine. Her hands have even "played a hand," standing in for the hands of A-list celebrities and TV personalities, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, and Rachael Ray. I'd bet that you have seen Ellen's hands, even if you don't recognize her name.

Hand models must protect their hands, so Ellen spent a year looking for the most moisturizing ingredients available to develop her own systematic approach to hand care. She was determined to make her hands the best they could be - to turn back the "hands of time" in no time. The result? Ellen's hands were transformed into smooth, radiant, and flawless hands, with no age spots, freckles, crepey skin, or bulging veins.

These days, Ellen is sharing her hand care know-how with others through the launch of her own product line, Hand Perfection. The comprehensive, solution-oriented line of age-proofing hand care is grounded in dynamic ingredients and exceptional technologies - painstakingly researched and handpicked by Ellen herself.

In 2009, 30 women, aged 35 to 65, participated in a study to test the effectiveness of two Hand Perfection products. The results were extraordinary. Once you start using Hand Perfection products, you'll gain a "first-hand" understanding of the remarkable improvement those women experienced. I've used Night Solution long enough to see a difference, but not nearly long enough, given that I consider it a keeper. I never want to be without it. I will be ordering it (my first jar was provided gratis). I just wish I could purchase a gigunda size - four times the regular size - since I'm sure will use more than I need. It feels so good, I can't help myself.

I have other products from Hand Perfection to introduce to you - and I will soon. There's a special offer for you, so I need to share it with you now. As we start our holiday shopping, the nice folks at Hand Perfection have offered us a discount, which will be valid through December 31! Use code 20BEAUTY for a 20% discount off your entire order at Ellen Sirot's Hand Perfection Web site. You are going to love whatever you purchase. Just make sure to buy something for yourself if you are gift shopping. Hand Perfection is a treat you shouldn't miss.

Photo courtesy of Hand Perfection

Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment

Jo Malone's Vitamin E products are must-haves for me. The one I can't live without, the one I have at every "docking station" in my life is Vitamin E Lip Conditioner. I can't count the number of friends I've addicted to Jo Malone's Lip Conditioner. See if you can use it without developing a need to have it nearby at all times!

Because of that love, it's inexplicable that I didn't start using Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment ($40) until recently. I may have overlooked it because I use a lactic acid treatment on my hands and feet most nights before I go to sleep. What I didn't think about was how delightful it would be to keep the Nourishing Hand Treatment at my desk and slather it on a few times each day.

Rich and sumptuous to the touch, Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment conditions the skin while providing protection against the elements. Vitamin E does so many good things for our skin, I consider it a "legendary" ingredient. The treatment is a medium-weight white cream that absorbs quickly. When my arms aren't covered with a top or jacket, I apply it all the way to my elbows! Why not? The skin on my arms gets just as dry as my hands do. Pomelo (a citrus fruit) and cassis (blackberry or blackcurrant) in the hand treatment provide a quick shot of a delectable scent. I can't get enough of the subtle, but delicious fragrance. Jo Malone should bottle it.

The next time you are in the mood to try a new hand lotion, give Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment and Try. You can see all of Jo's Vitamin E skin care at the Web site, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom - many department stores. Find out what you've been missing.

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone

Philip B Cucumber & Blue Orchid Hand & Body Crème

Before bed every night, without fail, I treat my hands and feet to a dose of moisture. A few months ago, I saw a few new Philip B products at Beautyhabit, one of the sites I browse regularly.

How could someone who uses Philip B hair care products not be tempted by new Philip B hand and body moisturizers? Cucumber & Blue Orchid Hand & Body Crème, which is available for $12 in a two-ounce size (or $47 for six ounces), was priced to entice. I ordered one right away!

Here's the description that lured me.

A limited-edition release in 1994, our original Cucumber & Blue Orchid Hand & Body Crème is back by popular demand. Women were still writing to request it, 14 years on! What we kept: The luxurious blend of pure, soothing-yet-refreshing cucumber extract, cooling menthol, and an airy dose of blue orchid essence. What's new: A generous dose of cutting-edge oligopeptide chains (anti-aging ingredients proven to firm and tighten skin), plus pure hydrating aloe and antioxidant vitamins A, B5, and E to normalize cell turnover and your youthful glow. The crème also includes a combination of peptides (lipoproteins) that penetrate the skin's surface to help rebuild collagen, tightening and strengthening your skin's integral texture and elasticity. The moisturizing equivalent of a Bentley GT (that’s how our chemists refer to it in the lab), the crème’s botanical, green-floral scent is just as gorgeous and sexy as ever.

I can't tell you what a blue orchid smells like. I hvae never owned one. Most orchids have no fragrance, but some have distinctive scents. I can tell you that the scent of cucumber shines through. Cucumbers are known for their hydrating, nourishing, and astringent effects. They make a great natural face mask.

I wish Philip would come back and visit us again in the DC area! He used to visit when Neiman Marcus carried his hair care line, but we don't see him anymore. I would love to tell him I'm still using his amazing shampoos, conditioners, and Rejuvenating Oil many years after we last spoke.

If you are in the market for a new hand cream, you might want to give Philip B Cucumber & Blue Orchid Hand & Body Crème a whirl. Join the women who became addicted 16 years ago!

You can find it at Beautyhabit and the Philip B Web site.

Photo courtesy of Beautyhabit

Sisley Paris Comfort Extrême Mains

Sisley's Comfort Extrême Mains ($100) is a new beauty product for dry and dehydrated hands. The Sisley Comfort Extrême products are fabulous for "traumatized" or dry, dehydrated skin. I love the Day Cream and Night Skin Care! Now we have a specialized Comfort Extrême for our hands.

This luxurious new hand cream is lightweight, rich, and quickly absorbed. It penetrates instantly without leaving an oily or sticky film and immediately smoothes, softens, repairs, and protects your hands. Our hands are probably the most neglected part of our bodies these days; we wash them so frequently to avoid the transmission of viruses that we dry them out - even in warm weather. Now that it's cold and dry, my hands are suffering! Sisley's new product is designed to pamper our hard-working hands.

Comfort Extrême Mains, like all Sisley products, is laden with natural plant extracts that have proven efficacy. The following ingredients will nourish and moisturize your hands and help return their elasticity.

• Shea butter
• Sunflower oil
• Guava, carrot, and vegetal glycerin extracts
• Harpagophytum extract

Harpagophytum is a member of the sesame family. Its large, tuberous roots have been used medicinally to reduce pain and fever. It has also been used to treat arthritis and improve the vitality of joints. It's perfect for anyone whose hands are starting to show knobby spurs from arthritis or whose hands are so dry they hurt!

Good for you skin, and good for your nails and cuticles, this hand cream is a welcome addition to the Sisley skin care line. Love it! I also like the container. Turn the cap to open the central dispenser and squeeze out just the right amount. No waste, no contamination! You can throw this cream in your purse without fear that it will leak. That way, you can use it throughout the day whenever your hands feel dry.

Today, I had a very special treat. The wonderful Sisley Beauty Team at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria gave me a complimentary PerfectSense Paraffin and Aromatherapy (lavender) Hand Treatment. The PerfectSense Paraffin System uses all-natural mineral heating technology to provide the ultimate hydrating and deep-heat treatment. After a massage with hand cream, they put heated PerfectSense treatment gloves on my hands and then covered them with white terrycloth mitts. I relaxed for 10 minutes and then got a second hand massage. It was divine. My hands were so soft after the treatment, and they are still soft, a few hours later. I could get used to that kind of indulgence! My thanks to Sisley for taking such good care of me!

You can purchase Comfort Extrême Mains at Neiman Marcus, Saks, and at select Nordstrom stores. If you live anywhere near Tysons, though, I would head over soon for a deep-heat hand treatment! There's also an upcoming event that may interest you local gals. The Neiman Marcus Sisley team at Tysons is having a facial event on February 18, 19, and 20. If you want to make an appointment to be pampered, give them a call at (703) 761-1600, extension 3230.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Cream

Arbonne International products are sold online or by representatives who work out of their homes. Until a few months ago, I had never been introduced to Arbonne. Then, through a jewelry connection, Jaime Appenzeller found me. She lives a long drive from me (and I hate our area traffic), so she kindly sent me some samples to try. I'll be telling you about them, starting today.

I really like the Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Crème ($18)! This is the perfect time of year to be protecting your hands, and this hand crème has been much appreciated. Thank you, Jaime!

Made with fresh kiwi cell extracts and Arbonne's trademarked Moisture Fresh Complex, this hand crème is lightweight and smells divine. It soaks right into my skin, leaving behind a very light, almost undetectable feel and a fruity-fresh fragrance. It's a very pleasant way to protect your hands!

The Moisture Fresh Complex is a unique blend of botanicals, including St. John’s Wort and extracts of cucumber, birch leaf, watercress, and clover blossom. Arbonne's research shows that together with the other ingredients, this complex helps to soften, cool, soothe, and condition dry skin.

Arbonne uses premium botanical ingredients for their personal care products, which are vegan-certified. Their formulas are never tested on animals and do not contain animal-derived ingredients or animal byproducts. Not only that, they do not contain formaldehyde-donating preservatives, petroleum-based ingredients (benzene, mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, toluene), or PABA. The products are formulated in Switzerland, but made in the United States.

You can find an Arbonne representative near you by visiting this link. Or, you can give Jaime a shout at jappenzeller06@yahoo.com.

I also found this product on Amazon for $13.95 (sold by California-based Blumonga Trading). Isn't Amazon amazing? Of course, you don't get a personalized consultation or free samples that way.

Photo courtesy of Arbonne

C.O. Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy

What a nifty unisex hand cream for the winter! C.O. Bigelow's Chapped Hands Remedy ($14) is a non-greasy, medicated formula that heals and hydrates ultra-dry hands with concentrated (about 40%) glycerin. Although it's perfect for year-round use, I find it especially hydrating now. After all, it snowed Saturday, and on Sunday, I nearly froze at our winterfest hometown parade. My poor numb hands needed some TLC.

Chapped Hands Remedy helps prevent, protect against, and relive chapped or cracked skin. My hands crack open in the winter, when the air inside and out is very drying. Even my feet get dry and crack. I'll probably use this hand cream everywhere except my face and neck.

In addition to the glycerin, the product contains many hydrating and healing ingredients, including olive oil, jojoba esters, and aloe leaf extract.

You can find this Cosmetic Executive Women award finalist at Bath & Body Works. I got mine in the 2009 VIP Bag, a $15 purchase with purchase, but that offer has expired. You can purchase this wonder cream at Bath & Body Works at any time, though. Just visit their Web site or one of their stores. Currently, there is a buy two get one free offer. Our local TV meterologist says it's going to be a snowy winter. I'll need another one.

Photo courtesy of Bath & Body Works