Healing Hands - Crabtree and Evelyn Gardener's Hand Therapy

Crabtree and Evelyn Gardener's Hand Therapy


Where to buy: Crabtree and Evelyn
Price: $14.00 (US)
Price rating (1-5 with 1 = great value and 5 = expensive): 4
Size: 3.4 oz
Favorite or featured ingredients: Shea butter and bisabolol
Greasiness (1-5 with 1 = not greasy at all and 5 = very greasy): 2
Staying power (1-5 with 1 = constantly need to reapply and 5 = lasts even after hand washing): 2
Softness of hands (1-5 with 1 = not soft and 5 = very soft): 4
Fragrance: herbal upon initial application but fades quickly to become much more subtle
Overall rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Since this is the first review of hand creams, let me set up my criteria:
* I will use a product exclusively for at least 24 prior to reviewing.
* Each will be tested under the same circumstances when possible (variables such as weather are beyond my control)
* Each will be reapplied at regular intervals during the waking hours.
* Each will be tested while knitting with wool yarn for at least one hour.
* Each review is purely my opinion and experience and are not based on research based evidence
* I'll add updates to the various reviews as comments and suggestions come in

My Review:
I've used several of the Crabtree and Evelyn hand therapy creams over the years. La Source, Lavendar, Goat Milk and the Gardener's cream have been my favorites. The pros of these creams is the shea butter content which is great for super dry hands like mine. The tubes, while expensive, last a very long time because a little goes a long way. The fragrances tend to be subtle and yet pronounced enough if you really like good smelling hands. The Gardener's Hand Therapy smells a bit bohemian - like Patcholi - which my kids tend not to like to smell. But the fragrance fades quickly and isn't overpowering. Even though it is billed as a hand therapy for gardeners (which I am not), I didn't find that the cream has the best staying power. On cold dry days like yesterday (Dec. 3rd) which is when I tested it, I had to constantly reapply every hour or so. I also needed to reapply after hand washing otherwise my hands were horribly dry.

As far as softness, my hands feel great when the cream is regularly reapplied. The cream is very tacky and greasy upon initial application. However, it rubs in within a minute or two and doesn't leave a greasy residue. I keep this in my knitting bag because it does seem to last very nicely on my hands when knitting. My hands aren't too sticky after application so I can immediately resume knitting without worrying about getting residue my project.

Overall, I really like this hand cream and its certainly one of my top 10 favorites. However, in my neverending quest for the "perfect" hand cream, this one is lacking the staying power that I want when its cold and dry. In the spring, summer and fall, its great but when the temps start to drop below 40, I need something more.

What are your thoughts?