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I Think I’m Addicted…

9 years ago by

I Think I’m Addicted…

To hand cream.

I wish I was joking! (But I’m not.)
I think the addiction is in the more developed stages, too. Like, the moment when people around me are considering an intervention. The red stage, stage five.

I came to this realization last night when I was about to go to bed, exhausted, but was tossing and turning. Then I noticed my hands felt like taut canvas, that there was NO WAY I could ever sleep with hands so dry. (Lucky I have a tube of hand cream on my bedside, and a huge bottle of moisturizer a little further off for backup.)

My dehydrated palms had kept me awake.

Then I took an inventory. In addition to the tube and bottle in my room, I have a HUGE pump bottle in my bathroom, a small tube in my handbag, a mini tube in my makeup case… And a bottle on my desk (that drives Erik crazy)!! What should I do? Coat my hands in oil and wear gloves to bed every night? I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to…

What’s your current beauty addiction? Any fellow hand creamers out there?

Hand cream, Aveda.

51 comments

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  • Ben moi c’est fou, pareil un tube sur ma table de nuit, sur mon bureau à la maison, sur mon bureau au bureau :), dans ma voiture, dans ma cuisine et enfin dans ma salle de bain! Le 1er lieu où devrait se trouver ce produit…. Et c’est idem pour les baumes à lèvres, j’en teste des tonnes et j’en ai partout, je ne peux pas m’en passer!!!!
    C’est grave Doc?!!

    http://www.blushandbeyond.com/well-being/today-is-a-big-day-here/

    Bisous bien hydraté
    Alix

  • Tu fais bien d’avoir cette manie! Tu verras qu’on vieillissant les mains qui ont été bichonnées dévoilent moins leur age que celles dont on s’est pas occupées. Beaucoup de femmes l’oublie ou ne le sait pas. Tu es sur la bonne voie!

  • I have exactly the same problem! I fell asleep Monday night – so tired that I didn’t even manage to put my head on the pillows and instead, awoke with my head where my feet normally rest, PLUS I was sprawled ON TOP of my covers – but it wasn’t the cold that woke me up at 5am. It was my sandpaper-dry hands! I’d forgotten to do “the cream ritual” before crashing into deep sleep. So I turned myself in the right direction, did a quick coat with the goop that I keep next to my bed and promptly fell back asleep…

    I won’t begin to list the array of hand-creams you can find on my person at any given moment… But I’ll defend myself by saying that I do get Eczema if I don’t use the stuff, so I feel like I’m trapped in some kind of sticky-Neutrogena-dependant mess. Help?!

  • I use hand cream all the time because I’m often washing my hands and my skin gets so dry. My favourite of all hand creams ever tried (and I’ve tried many) is the Barr-Co. original scent hand cream. It’s really moisturizing, non-greasy and I love the smell. You can get it at Anthropologie or Amazon, among other places.

  • My name is Catherine, and I am also a hand cream addict. I have tubes everywhere: at my home office desk, my bedside table, my office-office desk, in my purse… I find the glycerine-based creams work best for me. Depending on the time of year, my hands almost feel as if they’re burning if they’re in need of a good slathering.

  • Oh hell yeah!! I’m always using handcreme. Just like with lipbalm, I can’t function if my hands are dry. My boyfriend keeps complaining that there are grease stains on the doorknobs and cabinets. But I have soft hands!! What is there to complain about? :D

    xx

    http://www.sacdujour.de

  • Moi non plus je ne peux pas me passer de crème pour les mains! C’est un automatisme, comme le baume à lèvres et le parfum!
    http://ladiesandcroissants.blogspot.fr/

  • Au début je me suis dit “wow comment on peut être accro à un truc aussi futile” mais en fait je met du baume hydratant pour les lèvres environ 1000 fois par heure (j’en ai deux dans mon sac, un sur mon bureau, 3 en stock et mes birchbox préférées sont celles qui m’en font découvrir un nouveau).
    Il faut rire de ses petits défauts non ?

  • I also have this same addiction. I have bottles and jars of Kiehl’s, Ahava, Bliss and many other lotions/creams/balms that I love for different reasons. I have three on my night stand of different consistencies and my husband just thinks I’ve gone mad. :P

    I also have a lip gloss/lipstick/lip balm addiction. I could wear a different color each day of the year and probably still not go through them all. :P

  • Hand creams are a god send. Depending on the weather, my hands can tend to get quite dry. I love L’Occitane. :]

    // ? itsCarmen.com ?

  • I love trying new hand creams — I always get addicted!

    http://hashtagliz.com

  • Ah oui moi aussi ! Je ne supporte pas d’avoir les mains sèches ET j’ai une peau de dessus de main de vieille, je sais pas pourquoi et j’assume pas du tout.
    J’ai un pot de crème pour les mains à coté du lavabo principal où se laver les mains chez moi, un sur mon bureau, un dans ma table de nuit, et tous les matins et tous les soirs en faisant ma toilette, j’huile mes bras, épaules et bas de jambes, et mes mains bien sur… Dans mon sac, un petit tube de crème riche qui va aussi bien pour le visage que pour les mains.

  • I am obsessed with my lip balm. I can’t concentrate if my balm is starting to dry! I have them everywhere, even the car…

    http://imyownmuse.blogspot.com

  • Hue moi aussi je deviens accro aux crèmes pour les mains. Je n’en jamais achetées mais juste cumulées avec My little Box. Mais j’en suis bien contente. Parce qu’il m’arrive dans la journée, tout comme toi, que cela deviennent une obsession soudaine. Hors de question de rester avec des mains sèches…peut-être en parlerai-je sur mon blog…
    http://www.mlle-lovemuggen.com

  • I totally agree- I have a lotion or ointment in my purse, every room, at work, and in coat pockets. When you have to wash your hands a lot, it’s a must! I like intense hydration, so far my favorites are Rose salve, uka for nails. and Yu-Be…. I have some from Nuxe I’m saving up for when I use up my & other stories tubes. And in a pinch, I’ll use some lip balm for my cuticles!

  • lindsay April, 22 2015, 5:45 / Reply

    LIP BALM. like, a huge tub of josie maran argan balm next to my bed, from which i fill up tiny containers which i have in my bag, desk, makeup bag… i probably apply it 20 times a day. i am obsessed.

  • Ditto. My lips get so dry and parched, it’s almost scary to be without balm. It would definitely be a desert island item. It’s not entirely physiological though because I don’t have the problem when I wake up in the morning.

    As for hand cream, I really appreciate them in the depths of winter when the skin starts to crack. Alternating virgin coconut oil with a simple (and oil & lanolin-free) cream like Complex 15 Daily Face Cream works really well in my case. When there are deep cracks, I use Gehwol Salve for Cracked Skin. Problem solved.

  • Face spray – rosewater mostly – i am obsessed with it !

  • Jennifer April, 22 2015, 7:31 / Reply

    I have terrible hand eczema. It’s painful and very ugly and depressing at times and the medicated creams are gross. I am always looking for great creams to help prevent having to use the gross meds. Vani cream is a current go to. Don’t love it but it works.

  • Moi aussi! J’ai plusieurs de bouteilles de crème pour les mains par tout, sur ma table de nuit, dans mon sac, au bureau, etc. Je ne peux absolument pas rester avec des mains sèches, ça me donne qqchose. C’est pour ça que je me douche avec de l’eau froide ou tiède. Je ne sais pas ce que vous en pensez, mais après la douche à l’eau chaude ma peau est sèche et tendue.

  • This obsession is quite common. Just like obsessed to perfume and manicure.

    http://www.swingsnowman.wordpress.com

  • Thermal water spray. I have it on my desk at work, in my bag, beside my boyfriend’s bed, on my own bed side table, spares?? in my cupboard…because just what will happen if I need it and it’s not there!?! The brand doesn’t matter…Avene, Evian, La Poche Posay. As long as it’s close.

  • Addicted to the Skin Renewal Complex by DCL, I love how my skin is glowing and once a week I do their clay mask

    http://m.dermstore.com/profile_DCL+Dermatologic+Cosmetic+Labo…_500746.htm

  • Entre autre crème pour les mains ( crème jeunesse des mains de Clarins pour ma part) et baume à lèvres ( accro au petit marseillais), je suis foutue sans pince à épiler ! J’ai testé toutes les sortes possibles et continue à chercher l’élue ! C’est le truc que je n’oublie jamais et ( je dois bien l’avouer) que je ne veux pas prêter !

  • One thing I can’t sleep without is my lip balm! I use Jack Black’s Lip Therapy every night and it helps keep my lips so smooth. I can’t sleep without applying it first, so I keep it at my bedside too!

    lauren schroer | graphic designer & blogger

  • I feel you. I’m an addict to hand cream and a recovering “wash your hands all the time” addict. My dermatologist told me last week that my hands were so dry because i wansh them too much. So now I’m struggling. But in the meantime I continue with my hand cream addiction. One step at a time…
    xx,
    E.
    http://www.theslowpace.com

  • I’m addicted to lipbalm. My lips start to crack the exact moment I discover that I have left home without it!

  • Yes! Same here :)

  • Je comprends tout à fait, j’ai 5 tubes de crème éparpillé un peu partout et j’en utilise quotidiennement, ça rends dingue mes amis et ça dépanne bien certaine de mes copines aussi.

  • Hand cream and lip balm. Don’t know why I need such copious amounts of lip balm, but I do wash my hands a lot, which is good – it just necessitates constant hand cream application, and especially before bed. I’m happiest if I cream my feet too, put on socks, etc. before sleep.

  • Absolutely, I too am addicted to hand cream and also have some next to the kitchen sink. For me it also doubles up as a neck cream as I put the surplus on my neck every time, discreetly of course! It really does help keep my neck in good shape :)

  • I’ve sensitive skin on my hands. They are dry each time I wash them :(
    After trying almost everything you can find in pharmacy and perfumery (in France), a dear friend of mine found the Graal in Germany : Wuta Kamille from Herbacin (the green tube)! It’s glycerin and chamomile based. The perfume is a light sense of the flower, the texture is a bit thick, but after one minute, your hands are soft as baby skin and non sticky. The best for me! I can not use another!

  • I am certainly a hand creamer – but chipped nail polish causes so much stress for me too.

    Warm Regards,
    Alexandra
    http://www.littlewildheart.com

  • Hello, Neada!
    Well, I am not addicted to a hand cream. I am addicted to lip balms. Which is pretty much the same thing, just the application target differs. Huh.
    Right to this day, I own at least ten lip balms (not the mention lipsticks, rouges and lip glosses). Ok, I am starting feeling sorry for my addiction. If I somehow forget to pack one of my cheapest yet most efficient chapsticks, I am a pile of nerves, always licking and biting my upper lip (no, it doesn’t help at all).

    On the other hand, the environment is getting tougher and tougher, the summer are getting hotter and hotter. It would be strange to be capable of maintaining our hands/lips nourished without some extra help. Do not feel guilty and put that cream on! :):)

    Regards!
    Katarina
    http://www.thestyleexpose.com/

  • Yes, me. I use hand cream everyday. Sisley Confort Extreme Main
    My mother always did and I remember her hands … baby skin.
    Guess what ! No sun on your hands please …. soooo I drive with gloves and at the beach, I wear extra SPF50.
    Anne

  • I am an addict of many products, and hand cream is no exception! I cannot tell whether my skin has become dependent on lotions/creams for moisture.

  • i also can’t help but always reach for hancrwam. I hate the feeling of try hands but must say I just have a trusty bottle of Aesop cream that just moves around with me. With love from sojustnice.com

  • Dans mon sac, sur la table de nuit, à la cuisine, à la salle de bains, sur mon bureau, partout où j’en ai besoin. Ce n’est pas une addiction, c’est juste que mes mains sont facilement sèches et ont besoin d’être nourries. On vient de me faire cadeau d’un soin visage anti-rides pour peau sèche – et la mienne est grasse. No problem, mes mains sont ravies d’être chouchoutées une fois avec un soin d’une grande marque et s’en portent très bien :-))
    Belle soirée

  • bavarian_blue April, 24 2015, 2:36 / Reply

    Yep, Neada. I’m the fellow hand creamer. I know what to avoid: to hot water, wash the dish or gardening without without gloves. But I really want to feel what I’m doing with my hands and therefore don’t wear gloves at all … What I’m doing when I want to have an effect immediately is to use a rich facial mask for my hands. And I’m loving Rose Hand Cream by Dr. Hauschka

  • Totally obsessed with Aesop hand cream. Especially Reverence.. it has lactic acid so it works really well for cuticles as well and absorbs in super quickly so you can get on with your day.

  • Pareil ! Complètement accro. Je ne suis pas capable de faire grand chose si mes mains sont sèches et tirent…! Un tube de crème dans ma sacoche, et un gros pot sur ma table de nuit ! Je ne peux pas non plus dormir si j’ai les mains sèches ahah :) tu n’es pas seule ! Mais c’est une belle addiction, mon chum adore le fait que j’ai toujours les mains douces (ah, et je suis aussi complètement accro aux baumes à lèvres…j’adore en tester de nouveaux, des bios de préférence, et je peux encore moins vivre si mes lèvres sont sèches ! J’ai comme toujours 2 ou 3 tubes dans ma sacoche, 2 crèmes différentes dans ma table de nuit – oui oui, traitement de choc pour la nuit…ça ne va plus du tout !).
    Ça rassure de se sentir moins seule !!!
    Merci pour tous ces articles si vivants à chaque fois.
    Eva B. from Montréal

  • Hi Neada, I was totally obsessed with lip balms (so glad to hear there are more people like me), but somehow I got over this obsession. However, the love for lipsticks has never ended. I always have at least a few of them in my purse. I never know when I’ll be in the lipstick mood. :))

  • The better question is what type of hand lotion are you using? Most cremes and lotions contain mostly water, along with a bunch of other ingredients you dont really want entering your body… (polypropylenes… etcs…). Water content in lotions and cremes is actually what dehydrates you skin. It feels cool, silky, smooth and soft initially, however it forces your skin to “drink” up the water, thus plumping up the skin cells and then evaporates quickly, which in tern dehydrates it further…. making you want more lotion again and again… it’s a cruel cycle and ingredient in lotion.

    Best advice, use a thick organic shea butter like “Shea Moisture” from Duane Reade or apply a few drops of Argan Oil to lock in moisture.

    Hope that helps.

    XO

  • grace // gracejoakley.com April, 24 2015, 11:49 / Reply

    just reading this made me put hand cream on! I’m also super addicted to cuticle cream (I’ve been using it in an attempt to not pick at my cuticles). I’ve been loving Nuxe hand cream, it smells amazing.

  • Ludmila April, 25 2015, 7:15 / Reply

    I totally agree with you! I LOVE hand cream since I was 12, but I don’t own THAT many creams, just two: one in my beside and one in my purse (both Nivea soft). Ok, and a third one also in my beside, but that’s it!

  • I thought I was addicted, but it ended up being hypothyroidism!

  • Talia May, 8 2015, 1:46

    I completely related to this! Like you, I am addicted to hand cream. I have it everywhere (including in every.single.vehicle we own) and always have it readily available. I have a stash so I won’t run out. Ridiculous!

  • Talia May, 8 2015, 1:47

    I never put my hypothyroidism and addiction to hand cream together! Is this a symptom????

  • most creams dry your skin on the long term (to ensure you’ll keep buying more). switching to (pure!) oils would probably help you out! your skin will improve and you won’t need it so often anymore :)

  • I use hand cream all the time! I have it at home, at work, in my purse. It’s also the best way to test a new brand. Hand creams usually sell for way less than body lotion for example so they’re the perfect excuse to try a new brand.

  • Ce n’est pas trop inquiétant (ou alors je m’inquiète aussi), j’ai trois réflexes avant de m’endormir IN-DIS-PEN-SA-BLLLE : crème pour les mains (dont le parfum doit m’envouter impérativement, sinon elle quitte ma table de nuit), stick pour hydrater les lèvres et bouteille d’eau (pas un verre, une bouteille!). Si l’un des trois manquent je ne peux pas m’endormir, c’est comme si j’avais besoin d’un plein d’hydratation pour tenir la nuit.
    Mes amies se moquent de moi, mais dans mon sac de voyage, même pour une seule nuit, j’ai toujours mon trio gagnant !

    Surtout ne perds pas ton addiction, il me semble qu’il y a même un secret de grand-mère selon lequel la clef de la beauté c’est l’hydratation, alors hydratons !

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