If you have read some of my previous posts, you might be aware of my dry-skin woes. My skin is the most extreme form of dry. And so are my hands ;( Add to that my inherent habit of washing my hands a few hundred times a day, and using alocohol based sanitizer too, and what I’m left behind with is completely rough, parchment-like hands, thoroughly thirsty for moisture.
You will always find a hand cream in my bag, no matter where I go. I don’t use it as often as I should, but that is another matter 😉 I’m trying to make it a point to keep a tube well within my range of vision, so that I end up using it as soon as I set my eyes on it.
I’m always seeking new hand creams that can help out my hands. So when Plum, a new online-only beauty brand (which, by the way, is selling products completely free from parabens, SLS, phalates etc) sent me this hand cream, I was overjoyed! So how did this fare? Let’s check out!
Ingredients and Claims:
Product Description: This has been taken from Plum website
A buttery soft cream that just disappears into your hands and keeps them feeling soft and smooth. With real cocoa butter that’s rich in essential lipids and antioxidants, this hand cream is non-greasy and also free of unnecessary harsh chemicals. Packed in a convenient, purse-friendly flip-top tube. A little smidge of this cream every now and then will keep your hands perfectly soft & smooth, without any residual greasiness. No more fingerprints. Just a smooth, silky sensation that smells yum… and innocent. Hmmm.
Packaging: The cream comes in a practical and fuss-free white plastic tube with a flip cap. I love flip cap based products, as you don’t have to worry about screw caps rolling away somewhere. I really love the ‘Plum’ logo, where they have used a cute drawing of a plum, and in the case of this choco-latte range, everything is in a brown theme. Their other ranges are thematically colored as well, such as green for the aloe-vera range etc. I also appreciate how they have kept all the descriptions on the packing in a very youthful and modern lingo. The tube came in a cardboard box with product details. The manufacturing date is given on the tube itself, which is always helpful.
My Experience: I have been using this hand cream for about 2 weeks now, mostly in my office, where I always find myself reaching for something to soothe my hands as I have been suffering from hangnails recently, and the skin around my thumbs is feeling really hard.
Color and Scent: This cream is the palest brown in color, which is definitely reminiscent of a ‘heavily laden with cream’ choco-latte. It claims to have FDA approved colors. The scent is quite a sweet chocolatey one. I like it, but it is just a tad bit too sweet. But I think everyone would like the fragrance! Once you apply it, the scent is quite significant if you sniff your hands, but it settles down to being a mellow sweet chocolatey one after a few minutes. It lingers on for quite sometime, about 3 hours or so. I guess it is a winner in these terms.
Texture: It is a moisture high creamy, or a heavier lotion in consistency, if you get what I mean! But don’t let this water-high texture mislead you to believe that this stuff is not moisturizing. Let’s get to the effectiveness part!
Effectiveness: Firstly, the amount that I have shown in the picture is sufficient for both hands, really that is all you need. Second – this cream works! This little quantity leaves my hands very smooth and healthy looking. Another fascinating thing, which makes me adore this is that it absorbs super fast. This is completely gone inside my skin in a matter of 10 seconds, without any residual watery/greasy feeling AT ALL. Really, even detectives won’t be able to figure out if I have applied something, or it is just my naturally healthy skin (unless they sniff up my hands..then the chocolatey aroma can give it away 😉 ). All this makes it a PERFECT FOR OFFICE HAND CREAM! I can just put it on and get back to working on my keyboard and phone, without waiting for my cream to get settled, and plus no greasy marks anywhere. So all their claims regarding the product are really true. The effects of this cream last till after one wash. After washing hands for the second time, you would feel the need to reapply.
However, with my extremely dry hands I don’t find this good enough for night time usage, as I prefer something greasier and heavier at night. I guess it would be fine for night-time if you don’t have hands as dry as mine. I also tried taking a teeny-weeny amount and massaged my hardened finger edges and cuticles with it. While it did sufficiently moisturize my cuticles, it couldn’t do much for my hangnails, and frankly, I never expected it to do so as this is not a heavy-duty moisturizer, but something that can really prevent dryness and soothe the skin on the go. So I forgive it!
Fun trivia: I used it with Neutrogena Hand Cream once, and the combination made my hands smoother than ever, I really couldn’t stop feeling them!
Price: Rs 375 for 60 ml. It is a bit expensive for a hand cream, but judging from the fact that it is free of all chemicals that go into making cheaper ones, I guess this is OK.
FFS Rating: 4/5
Shelf Life: This needs to be used up within 6 months of opening up the tube.
Where to buy: This is available from the Plum Goodness website, you can buy it by clicking here
Pros and Cons:
PROs:
- Very effective at providing smooth, healthy looking hands
- Absorbs supremely fast
- Leaves no residues or greasiness, so your laptop/phone would be thankful too!
- Completely free of chemicals like parabens, propylene glycol, phalates etc
- Delicious sweet scent of chocolate (I found it a tad bit too sweet)
- A tube would last you about 45 days-2 months, you need a tiny amount only
- Travel friendly: this tube never leaks or opens up on its own accord. Plus I find the flip-cap quite practical.
- Not tested on animals, and Plum gives 1% of their sales to protect the environment. I feel good knowing this 🙂
CONs:
- Just a bit expensive for a hand cream
- Can’t be used as night-time moisturizer, at least by the dry-handed beauties.
Repurchase: Yes! I liked it a lot 🙂
Final Word: If you’re looking for the perfect hand cream for your workplace/college, where you can’t work with greasy hands, and can’t wait forever for your hand-cream to sink in, this is your best bet. The creamy chocolatey scent would be liked by many. Being completely free of controversial chemicals, this is something that can be a cute addition to your handbag. Not the best for night-time usage, but my best friend when I’m in my office or in the metro 🙂
**PR sample sent by company, however, my review is true and unbiased
I have so much wanted to try the products from the Plum goodness brand, should get few soon to try out, this hand cream looks tempting to my dry hands, the review was very well written
Thanks Preethy ☺ it is definitely worth a try! My favourite product for office use now