I’m highly susceptible to what I like to call “FOMO Checkout Syndrome,” which means that I always want to buy products I don’t necessarily need while I’m waiting in line at TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. They’re so cute! They’re under $10! (But really, you don’t need any of that stuff.) I recently gave in to temptation and picked up a last-minute purchase while waiting in line at Nordstrom Rack: a cute little 1-oz. bottle of philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream, packaged as a holiday ornament/stocking stuffer.

Initially, I accidentally sent my dad the wrong ingredients for this hand cream—I was looking at the “fresh cream” variety of the hands of hope hand cream, which apparently includes some sort of fragrance (maybe to make it smell like fresh cream).

Here were the ingredients I sent:

I was alarmed that the fourth ingredient was fragrance, and was disappointed in myself for accidentally picking up a potentially smelly and irritating hand lotion. I was perplexed because I usually don’t buy any hand lotions with fragrance in them, because of my hand eczema. I posed this concern to my dad, and here’s what my dad had to say:

My Dad the Chemist’s review of philosophy hands of hope fresh cream hand cream

My dad notes that it’s probably not a good idea to use hand cream that lists fragrance so high in the ingredient list. But he says that it might be all right if it is in compliance with the International Fragrance Association. I have no idea if companies are required to use fragrances that are in compliance, or if it’s just an extra certification that companies can choose to get if they wish—kind of like the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation (which some companies like Australian Gold choose not to apply for). Even if the fragrance usage is in compliance with the IFRA’s standards, he recommends staying away from hand creams that contain a high level of fragrance if you have sensitive skin.

philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream ingredients

After I realized my mistake, I looked up the actual ingredients in philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream. Here they are:

This fragrance-free formula includes some nice moisturizing ingredients, including sweet almond oil, shea butter glycerides, and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. It also contains arginine, a hydrating ingredient that’s also found in COSRX Snail Mucin Essence 96, and has been shown to help dryness in eczema patients, according to this study. And it even contains ethyl macadamiate, which is exactly what it sounds like: ethyl alcohol mixed with a macadamia oil byproduct.

The only thing I didn’t like to so much was alcohol denat., which, of course, is alcohol denatured. This ingredient might help the hand cream feel less greasy, but it could be irritating to some people (which is unfortunate, because a hand cream should be soothing, not irritating!). If you suspect that you may be sensitive to products that include alcohol denatured, it might be worth patch testing this hand cream before using it everywhere.

My dad the chemist’s review of philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream

My dad thinks that philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream has a pretty good formula and he likes that it has reduced its potential to irritate sensitive skin by leaving out any fragrance.

My review of philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream

I like philosophy hands of hope hand and cuticle cream because it feels rich without being too greasy. However, at this price point, I don’t think it has the potential to replace my old standby, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion. It feels pretty similar in smell (and by that I mean, it has a nice absence of fragrance, if that makes any sense). Even though it’s a hand lotion, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion feels just as thick and rich as this philosophy hand creamAfter all, I go through a lot of lotion. Which brings me to the next observation from my dad’s email…

Comparing hand lotions vs. hand creams

My dad pointed out the difference between a hand lotion and a hand cream. Most hand lotions aren’t water-resistant because they are oil in water emulsions, so you’ll need to reapply them after washing your hands.

By contrast, hand creams are usually water in oil emulsions, which means that they contain more oil and may feel more greasy. However, they pose a benefit for avid hand washers: they may reduce the need to reapply and remoisturize the skin after exposure to water.

All of this aligns with my observations of the difference between, say, CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion (which is quite runny), and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. The lotion is the second from the right, while the cream is the one all the way on the right.

So there you have it. Go with hand cream if you wash your hands a lot and are too lazy to reapply 20 times a day. Stick with hand lotion if you don’t like the greasy feel of a hand cream, or if you don’t mind reapplying the lotion after washing your hands.

Related reading

• What is denatured alcohol, and why is it used in personal care products?
• Best Hand Lotion for Eczema: O’Keeffe’s Working Hands, or Vaseline Intensive Care?
• Best products for hand eczema
• CeraVe skincare products: A texture comparison
• Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve Review