5 Hand Soap + Cream Combinations to Make You Feel Better

I know what you’re thinking.

“Not another hand soap article 🙄».

With the current events, if there’s one thing we’re not missing—unlike toilet paper—is another hand soap best-of. A frenzy which, in turn, has birthed an equivalent amount of hand cream must-have lists. #crocodileskin

Photo @sarashakeel

Still, paired with social distancing, washing your hands has proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent the spreading of the virus. But what if by trying to fix one problem, we created another one? In no way is this one as pressing as the COVID-19, but it’s still a pretty major one.

The Two Ingredients You Should Avoid

Scan through your hand soap and hand cream ingredient list. Do you see sodium laureth sulfate and fragrance? Yeah, most likely. Whether you bought it at Dollorama or at the fanciest spa in town.

From shampoo to soap, sodium laureth sulfate is the most popular foaming agent. The issue? It deteriorates skin barrier. In other words: it dries out and irritates the skin. Not ideal when you’re washing your hands 25 times a day! Beyond discomfort, through its transformation process, it can also get contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, recognized as a ‘possible carcinogen’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

As for the fragrance, it’s the shadiest of the two. Why? Because fragrance, whether it’s in a perfume or a hand cream, is considered to be a trade secret. That means that brands are not obliged to disclose any of the 3,000 possible ingredients that might have gone into its making. It’s like buying a box of cookies that only says ‘cookies’ under ‘ingredients’. And the list of health issues related to the use of fragrance is pretty alarming, to say the least: asthma, allergies, cancer, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption (ladies, that’s our reproductive system).

There’s a lot of anxiety going around already and my goal isn’t to add another layer of panic. I just want you to be able to make better-informed decisions in the future, if you wish to do so. Because, as cliché as this might sound, information is key in making positive, long-lasting changes. Whether we’re dealing with a pandemic or our own health.

How are you feeling?

Stressed? Tired? Uninspired? There’s a hand cream for that. Kidding. Kinda.

Essential oils are known to have psychological benefits, so I made a skincare concierge of myself and put together 5 hand soap + cream combos catered to your emotional needs.

I’ve also added AN EXTRA topping of feel good with quotes from inspiring women. Too much? Nah.