Review: Yes! Nurse Protect Your Lovely Hands

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity by the lovely peeps from The Love Jars to try one of the products they carry called Yes! Nurse Hand Cream.

I have a history of love-hate relationship with hand creams and honestly, I have yet to find a good brand which is worthwhile to keep. This is why I always rely on my body oils instead to keep my hands supple. Weird but it works for me. When this opportunity arose, I was a bit worried because I am not sure if this is able to meet the expectations I have regarding hand creams. Well, let's see if it does.

Brand 

All the best things in life started with a story. Apparently chocolate bars were created by a Doctor and his sons in the early 18th century after using it as a medicinal product. Boy do we wish we they were still prescribing chocolate today!

We do however have our own unique tale to tell. Yes! Nurse was co-founded by a young paediatric nurse at the beginning of 2009. Having been signed off work with dry, cracked and sore hands, she noticed that many of her colleagues were suffering in the same way.

Trying numerous hand creams with little or no effect she decided to research and develop a unique formula that actually worked.

Guided by nurses across the UK, she co-founded Yes! Nurse and developed an intensive moisturising hand formula that specifically combats the daily routines faced by nurses. 

Yes! Nurse is now a rapidly growing cult brand and quick becoming a trusted favourite of nurses, busy mums and beauty fanatics alike from across the UK.  Yes! Nurse offers a powerful ‘Super Moisturising’ formula crammed full of essential Omega’s, antioxidants and natural actives –  together designed to soothe, hydrate and revive tired skin all day long.

Source: www.yesnurse.co.uk

Product Description

Yes! Nurse's Hand Formula is a fast absorbing, non-greasy emollient. It actively hydrates and replenishes the skin's natural defences against the harsh effects of constant hand washing.

Directions

Apply a pea-sized amount to clean, dry hands regularly throughout the day, and massage well into the skin for at least 30 seconds.

Ingredients

Aqua, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Mel( Active Manuka Honey ), Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sucrose Stearate, Panthenol ( Vit B5 ), Sweet Almond Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja, PEG 100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Passiflora Edulis Seed (Passionflower) Oil, Punica Granatum Seed (Pomegranate) Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate( Vitamin E ), Salix Alba ( Willow Bark ) Extract, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Coumarin, Linalool.

My Experience

I was greeted with this lovely sight when I open the package! I find that the little gestures and effort from The Love Jars is just lovely and it does make the receiving customer feels warm and appreciated.

The consistency of the hand cream is semi-thick, with a lovely mild 'baby-powdery' scent. As advised, I use a pea-sized amount and massage it well into my skin. I am surprised that it doesn't leave my hands feeling tacky or sticky. It just leaves a thin film of protection, which then slowly sinks in after several minutes. I am not sure if others have the same experience as me, I had experiences with the L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, which leaves my hands feeling tight and uncomfortable ( even with generous amount ).  I am glad that this does not leave your hands feeling tight.

My hands are subjected to constant washing, sometimes up to 5-6 times a day with a disinfectant liquid. Because of this, my hands are always dry and tight and no amount of lotions or hand creams I have used were able to give me the nice, moist hands. So this is where my body oil comes into play. It is the only way for me bring back moisture to my hands.

Now with this hand cream, I was taken by surprise on how it replenishes moisture back to my hands almost immediately, making my hands feeling comfortable. However, it does not give you the whole moisture protection with just one use and the feeling would just slowly wear off after 2 hours. In my case, I need to reapply after 3-4 hours to keep my hands feeling comfortable. One thing I like about this hand cream is that it does not hinder your everyday routine. Some hand creams would often leave an overly slip, due to silicones, which makes it a hassle just to grab things with your hands.

Overall 

This hand cream definitely does what it says and has given me protection to my hands for the past one month or so. This is a keeper for me and has met the expectations I have on hand creams. If I have to gripe about something, well...it's the size! I wish these will come in bigger tubes as with the existing size, it will last me to 3 months max. Apart from my gripe on the size, I may have found the hand cream, which is worthwhile for me to invest in the long run.

I am glad to finally see companies like The Love Jars, who are committed to bringing in good, interesting and award-winning products to our shores. We need this in our country! Do visit them at www.thelovejars.com

This item was sent to me by PR for review consideration. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.

Review: Phytopanama Daily Balancing Shampoo ( Oily Scalp )

Phytopanama Daily Balancing Shampoo ( Oily Scalp ) 200ml

A couple of months back, I was told by a hairdresser that my scalp is prone to oiliness and that is one of the main causes of my 'on off ' dandruff affair. This new revelation has taken me aback because all the while, I thought my scalp was normal! Anyway, I was advised to use a shampoo, specifically for oily hair, and use it alternately with my normal shampoo.

I have decided to go back to Phyto, since their Phytoapaisant Soothing Treatment Shampoo did quite good for me.

Product Description 

Rich in quillaja bark extract, PHYTOPANAMA helps regulate excess sebum production. Quillaja bark is rich in saponins and known for its oil absorbing qualities. Recommended to refresh and purify an oily scalp. PHYTOPANAMA is gentle enough for everyday use. Hair is left fuller and softer.

Ingredients

Quillaja saponaria bark extract, water, disodium laureth cocoamphodiacetate, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, disodium ricinoleamido mea-sulfocuccinate, potassium undecylenoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, cocamidopropyl betaine, zanthoxylum alatum fruit extract, xylitol, junipers communis fruit oil, lactitol, polyquaternium-7, glycerin, fragrance, methychloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone citric acid. 

My Experience 

The product is housed in a screw top aluminium bottle, which is great against accidents in the bathroom. The shampoo is very, very runny ( too runny in fact ) and smells lemon-y. Because of the watery consistence, it makes it very difficult to control the amount that you need. I would usually pour two times the amount unto the palm of my hands and quickly pour it unto my hair.

To make the product work effectively, I noticed that my hair needs to be thoroughly wet. I start from my scalp and work my way to my hair ends. This shampoo makes minimal foam and if your scalp is 'super' oily, you may need to shampoo your hair the second time. ( I had to shampoo my hair twice at the first two uses and subsequently reduce to one time ) You definitely have to follow up with a conditioner with this shampoo as it tends to make your hair feel squeaky clean.

In the first two weeks, my scalp feels revitalized and light. The amount of oil secretions on my scalp has been reduced a lot after using the shampoo close to 4 months. It is very noticeable, thus making my scalp feels balanced and I itch less. My hubby also experience the same thing and one thing we both agreed on, there was less shedding of hair.

Though this shampoo is said to be fine for frequent use, I personally like to use it as a 'treatment' shampoo, twice a week, alternating with my regular shampoo because I find that if I use it 4 times a week, it tends to make the scalp too 'dry', resulting to unwanted flakiness. So I find it best to reduce the amount of usage per week and this helps to really balance the condition of the scalp.

Overall 

This is a great shampoo to use alternately with a normal shampoo as it really helps in controlling excess sebum production. My scalp definitely feels lighter and revitalised. Comparing with the Phytoapaisant, Phytopanama gives the hair a better manageable texture than the former. This does not make my hair dry nor straw-y. Though I like it, some may not because this shampoo has minimal foam and the shampoo is too runny.

The other day, my hubby made a visit to our regular hairdresser and she mentioned that my hubby's hair is much fuller and healthier. ( My hubby's hair is very fine and little ) She mentioned that the possibility may be the switch in hair care products. My hubs agreed with her because when he was using those drugstore bought shampoos, he noticed he sheds more hair and his hair goes limp come mid-day because of his oily scalp.

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.