"Neutrogena - Hands Balm Cracks & Chaps" has a good moisturizing formula. As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Humectants in this product (panthenol and glycerin) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (paraffinum liquidum, cera microcristallina, dimethicone, cetearyl alcohol and cyclopentasiloxane) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
An effective concentration of Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) - about 1.30% - 1.90%. Panthenol helps strengthen the skin barrier, improve hydration and reduce inflammation in skin.
In addition, this moisturizer contains Allantoin (0.80% - 1.25%). Allantoin is helpful in wound-healing and can help restore the skin barrier faster. It might also be able to improve scars, but the evidence is not very strong for this.
Irritation risk
This formulation includes some common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide a benefit for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be medium. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails from 5.36£ up to 9.53£ in the United Kingdom.
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”: these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses
moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels
less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
cera microcristallina, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with
the hydration level: panthenol, paraffinum liquidum
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
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Evens skin tone
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm
that it
actually works: dilauryl thiodipropionate.
Helps preserve the product formulation. It also can have a skin lightening effect. It can be irritating.
Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (tocopheryl linoleate) that might be able to help
neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun).
There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
A relative of vitamin E (Tocopherol). It can have an anti-oxidant effect in skin and/or to stabilize the product fromulation. It could be irritating but most of the reported allergy and irritation cases appeared in one geographic location (Switzerland) in 1992, and might be due to the quality issues in manufacturing of a particular batch of the ingredient
An active component of chamomile plant that historically has been used to calm down irritated skin. A recent study shows that bisabolol indeed can have some anti-inflammatory effect on skin, even though conclusive data is lacking. Bisabolol has a sweet floral scent and can be added to products for its aromatic properties
Honesty check
How honest is this product?
Promise
Can it deliver?
Moisturizing
Total Promises Fulfilled score:
100/100.
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