little white truths

Gosh I had such trouble photographing this product, and I've worked out it's because the tube is warped so it doesn't lie well and the angles of the container and print on the packaging don't match up. Annoying! But I'll live ; )

I received this product as a GWP with a Beauty Bay order a while back, and since I've managed to accrue a ridiculous amount of hand cream and have run out of body cream, I decided to use this as a body cream and delay a purchase.

Of course, when I use it this way it also gets used on my hands (and feet) at the same time, so I've got a good idea of how the product performs on all fronts.


Madre Labs claims/product details:

• Our concentrated, moisture-rich and unscented hand cream helps rehydrate dry, damaged skin
• Argan nut oil (high in vitamin E) plus a premium blend of select oils (rich in essential fatty acids) have been included to nourish and moisturise your skin
• Leaves your skin feeling silky smooth 
• Our proprietary blend of açai, goji, pomegranate and seabuckthorn helps protect your skin from oxidative and environmental damage
• Contains no nasties
• Suitable for all skin types
• pH balanced
• To use: apply as often as needed throughout the day and before bedtime
• RRP $11 AUD for 71g (see eg iherb)

Verdict

First, I do detect a slight scent with this product and it's a little off - it smells like yoghurt mixed with metal or something like that.

The scent doesn't bother me too much because it is very faint, but I've seen a lot of reviewers comment on the smell of this product and say they hate it: so if you have your eye on this because it's labelled as 'unscented', be aware.

Also, the second ingredient listed on the tube is alcohol - so I'm not sure why Madre Labs says this doesn't contain any nasties, because it does. If you're someone who's concerned about ingredients, I would read the ingredients list before purchasing this because it contains a few other things (like sodium benzoate) that you mightn't be happy with.

On the product itself, it's a thick white cream that takes a bit of work to rub in - both on my hands and on my body. Once applied, my skin feels greasy but not moisturised: if anything, it feels a little dry. This may well be the alcohol, since that ingredient has never agreed with my skin.

Overall, this is a pretty uninteresting product to me (even the packaging bores me) and it's not one I would buy. I prefer my handcreams to smell delicious, and this smells a little whacky.

Also, as far as I'm concerned, this cream doesn't meet its claims because it feels drying on my skin and leaves a slick residue that I don't like. Indeed as I write this, I can feel the cream on my hands and my fingers are slipping against my keyboard a touch - even though I applied the cream half an hour ago.

I'd avoid this one. At least I'll get through it quickly if I'm using it on my body as well as my hands!