Seed Healthy Hand Cream: Not Like the Other Brands

December 03, 2014

 

 

 

“Hand cream is hand cream.”

“My hand cream is one of the best sellers so it must be good.”

“My hand cream comes from a high end boutique, so it is superior.”

Not so fast!

These are common comments you may have heard about hand creams. We’re going to take a look at a couple popular hand creams today and zone in on their ingredients. I’d like to share with you some information about these ingredients and explain what they are.

I’m not going to name names of the products. We’re just interested in looking at the ingredients today.

Brand A is known as more of a European boutique brand. It is sold in the company’s stand alone stores as well as other boutiques. The product retails for $19 for a 3.4 ounce tube.

Here are the ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Emulsifying Wax NF, Shea Butter (Butyrospermim Park ii), Stearic Acid, Capric/Caprylic Stearic Triglyceride, Cyclomethicone, Sucrose Distearate, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Yarrow Extract (Achillea Millefolium), Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Flower Extract, Clover Bud Extract (Trifolium Pratense), Propylene Glycol, Sucrose Stearate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Proline, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben

Brand B is an extremely popular hand cream sold in drugstores, grocery stores, and other mass merchandise stores. It retails for $4.49 for a 2 ounce tube.

Here are the ingredients in this product: Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Sodium Sulfate, Fragrance (Parfum)

For comparison, here are the ingredients in (seed) Healthy Hand Cream. It retails for $7.99 for 3.5 ounces. For reference, I am using our Relaxing Lavender formula, although the core ingredients are all the same in our hand creams.

Ingredients in (seed): Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Coconut Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Stearic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Gluconolactone (and) Sodium Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Tapioca Starch, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

What is similar?

*All three are sold in tubes.

*All three contain water and glycerin.

That’s it.

 

Brand A and (seed) both contain shea butter. Other than that, the only things they share are listed above.

Glycerin is found in all of the creams. It is a simple ingredient which is the byproduct of combining water and the fats from natural vegetable oils. The result is sugary, syrupy glycerin. Glycerin is used in the majority of skin care products on the market because it serves as a natural barrier to protect the skin and seal in moisture. It is an emollient.

This is where the product similarities end. These hand creams are not created equal.

What is different?

You may notice that there is something missing from (seed) Healthy Hand Cream: PARABENS.

The safety of parabens has been called into question for years, as they are believed by many to be endocrine disruptors.

Here is more information about parabens–

In the September 1, 2011 edition of Carcinogenesis, researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center released their findings showing that both BPA and Methylparaben at even low concentrations found in humans have negative health consequences such as an increased breast cancer risk. 

Something else we do not use in our hand cream are silicones. Brand A uses Cyclomethicone and Dimethicone, both silicones. There is very limited safety data on Cyclomethicone and Dimethicone is now considered a “Moderate Hazard” by Skin Deep. These are polymers used to condition the skin. It’s not beneficial to have silicones in your hand cream, though.

Why? Truth be told, they work similarly to mineral oil in that they are occlusive and just sit like a barricade on the skin. Your skin cannot breathe and it then may become irritated. When that happens, what do people do? They apply more hand cream hoping that it will solve that problem.

Brand A and Brand B also both use Artificial Fragance. In our two “scented” hand creams, we use natural essential oils such as lime and grapefruit to scent the product. We do not use artificial fragrance. Read more here on the (seed) blog about why artificial fragrances are not safe.

Brand A also uses something called Propylene Glycol, which is the cosmetic form of mineral oil–a crude oil. It is also found in similar form in antifreeze and in brake fluid. In cosmetics, it is supposed to help retain moisture. It is linked in some studies to liver and kidney damage. It is highly irritating.

Brand B actually is lacking ANY type of natural butters or oils to nourish and protect the skin. There is no shea butter or grape seed or or jojoba oil or vitamin E…nothing natural at all other than the glycerin.

Some other ingredients you will not find in the others but that are used to create (seed) Healthy Hand Cream:

Aloe Vera

Grape Seed Oil

Jojoba Oil

Coconut Oil

Sunflower Oil

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

The ingredients in (seed) Healthy Hand Cream were carefully chosen to ensure these qualities:

*Fast absorbing

*Soothing & protective

*Deeply conditioning

*Non greasy

*Paraben & phthalate-free

*Gluten-free

*Dairy-free

*Soy-free

*No artificial ingredients

Naturally wholesome and effective products do not have to be expensive! If you are looking for a gift to use as stocking stuffers, workplace Secret Santa gifts, etc., this is perfect for you.

 

Give the gift of healthier hands to your friends, family, yourself! Try Seed Healthy Hand Cream.





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