Guest Blogger: Kellie on Aveda Hand Relief

Kellie, a.k.a. Coffee Gal, is a 30-something mom of two children living in the desert of Arizona with her husband, The Mister.  She blogs regularly at LaVida Dulce.

Last year I did something horrible to my 35-year-old skin.  I moved to the desert.

Older women always told me when I was a young and sassy 24-year-old that someday, around my mid 30’s, I would need moisturizer and lotions. But I didn’t believe them. Not one bit. I was young and knew it all.

Imagine how shocked I was, at thirty-something, when suddenly I was experiencing something I had never really experienced before — dry hands. 

Of course, I can’t blame it all on getting older.

I can (and will) blame it all on motherhood and homemaking.

If washing my hands, doing dishes, scrubbing toilets and using hand sanitizer, fifty-bazillion times a day wasn’t hard enough on the hands, moving to an arid climate rendered my epidermis moisture-less.

Enter Hand Relief by Aveda.

I first discovered this stuff when I went to a dinner party hosted by one of my closest girlfriends.  I had some dry hands and she had a tube of this luscious lotion. It was love at first lather.

Aveda Hand Therapy promises to “leave your hands softer and smoother”, and it does.

It’s also not greasy when rubbed into the skin (and cuticles!), and what’s more, it has a pleasant smell. It smells like being outside first thing in morning when the dew is sitting on lush, green grass. When the day isn’t quite awake yet.

If you live somewhere where there is green grass and dew, you know what I am talking about. If you live in the desert like me, well, go buy some of this lotion. That’s what green grass and dew smell like.

There is good reason the Aveda products smell clean and natural — the Hand Therapy ingredients include “Hydrating plant emollients, humectants, exfoliating fruit acids and anti-oxidants—including vitamins A and E.” As well as Licorice extract and Meadowfoam seed oil, which are listed as the main ingredients.

The down side to this product is the price. At $18 for a 4.2 oz. bottle, I limit application to bedtime. The good news is that I always wake up with soft hands that are ready to take on a day of soapy water and 3% humidity. 

I could save my $18 and stop doing laundry, dishes, and scrubbing toilets. But then I would have to fork out the cash for a housekeeper. Which isn’t likely to happen. So the way I figure it, I am saving money.

Plus, who needs a housekeeper when you have soft hands? 😉