Hand creams

Hand care products which are used for dry, rough, cracked or stressed hands. Hand creams should be absorbed quickly into the skin to make the skin of the hands supple. In particular, hands should not feel sticky or greasy, which would interfere with daily handling.

Most commercially available hand creams contain glycerine (alternatively sorbitol, polyethylene glycol), various fatty acids (e.g. stearic acid), fatty alcohols or fats or oils (triglycerides, paraffin oils, silicone oils), preservatives and fragrances.

In the pharmacy prescription and pharmacy defect (Karl Thoma) the following prescriptions are listed.

Rp. Soft Hand Cream (O/W)

• Cremophor® A 25 2,5 (polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, non-ionic emulsifier)
• Cetylstearyl alcohol 13,0
• Silicone oil 1000 5,0
• propylene glycol 5,0
• Preservative q.s.
• Purified water 74.5
• Additive: Perfume oil q.s.

S: Nourishing O/W Hand Cream

Rp. Glycerine Hand Cream (O/W)

• Tegin® 10,0 (emulsifier from mono-, di-, trglycerides of stearic and palmitic acids)
• isopropyl myristate 4,0
• Tegosoft® 189 4,0 (Isooctadecylisononanate, spreading improving oily liquid)
• Abil® 350 3.0 (methyl silicone oil, as skin protecting component)
• Sorbitol (70%) 12,0
• glycerol 12,6
• Preservative q.s.
• Purified water 54.4
• Perfume oil q.s.

S: Easily spreadable glycerine hand cream

Finished preparations (selection with own experience values of the article author):

• Weleda Citrus Hand and Nail Cream (with the fragrances geraniol and citral).
• Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream
• (contains pomegranate seed oil, sesame oil and shea butter).
• Sante Natural Cosmetics Family Hand Cream Organic Goji & Olive (contains the fragrances geraniol and citral).
• Eubos Sensitive Hand Repair & Protection (contains the fragrances lyral and citronellol).
• Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Perfumed Hand Cream
• Eucerin pH5 Hand Cream Sensitive Skin (contains PEG/PEG derivatives as emulsifiers, paraffins and silicones).
• Kneipp Hand Cream Almond blossom skin type (contains besides perfume the fragrances coumarin, citral, geraniol and citronellol).