The Product
Deborah Lippmann Marshmallow Hand & Cuticle Scrub, $33 at Murale (www.murale.ca).
The Promise
This scrub exfoliates hands to lift away dead skin cells, smooth rough cuticles and clear pores, revealing a brighter, more even-toned surface.
How it works
Naturally sourced acids found in lemon and willow bark extracts, along with perlite – a biodegradable volcanic ash – lend their exfoliation benefits by increasing the rate of cellular renewal and ridding pores of debris. Marshmallow root extract hydrates the skin to calm irritation, while glycerin and coconut oil condition and help to retain moisture.
How to use it
Apply to wet or dry hands and cuticles and rub in a circular motion for 30 seconds. Rinse with warm water or a damp cloth.
The bottom line
I speak with a lot of dermatologists, and recently they've all been quite vocal about the fact that the practice of skincare doesn't stop at your jawline. As far as warding off those maligned "signs of aging" goes, they say the neck and décolletage require daily attention, as do hands. We're likely accustomed to applying hand cream during the dry winter months, but we should all be adding some quality SPF to that routine and making it a daily, year-round habit. Of course, one way to help your topical creams do their thing is to exfoliate, which improves skin texture by removing the dead cells so that active ingredients can better penetrate. This scrub is designed to do just that for hands, with a mix of chemical exfoliators (the botanical acids) and physical scrubs (the perlite). I've been using this scrub in
the shower every morning and following it up throughout the day with my usual hand cream and cuticle oil. Any winter-induced itchiness has vanished, and I have exactly zero pesky hangnails. I have yet to visit a dermatologist for personal rather than professional reasons, but if I keep this up, when I do, it won't be for my mint-condition mitts.