little white truths

My mother-in-law kindly bought me this for Christmas, and I wasn't able to open it until recently because I've had so many hand creams in my stores that I didn't want to try it until there was a spot for it.

I'm pleased to say it's a lovely product, and it's quite different from other hand creams I've used in terms of texture, so it's been nice to try something that isn't same same.

While it's a Brazilian product that's not widely stocked, the online shop appears to ship internationally (see here) so you should be able to grab it relatively easy if it's something that appeals.

• Enriched with castanha (Brazil nut) oil
• This hand and nail pulp cream provides 24-hour moisturisation (clinical test carried out on 19 volunteers) for the hands 
• Also strengthens the nails (in vitro test)
• Nourishes and protects your skin, leaving it delicately perfumed
• Natura Ekos was inspired by the traditional knowledge of Castanha, transmitted by the community Iratapuru
• RRP 15.50 Euro for 75g

As you can see, it comes in a large 75g metal tube - the kind that you can roll up incrementally as you use the product so the tube itself can become more compact over time.

I think this is useful packaging for hand creams - particularly if you want to store them in your hand bag - although it's not my favourite because I've used so many tubes like this in the past that have split on me over time. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen with this one : )

Verdict

This is a lovely product and I'm really enjoying it. It's not one I would seek out because it's not readily available in Australia, but if it were, I'd certainly be considering buying it for myself in future - perhaps in another scent, just for something different.

It's a very thick, pale pink product with a sweet, fruity scent that's almost a bit too sweet - but it's not overpowering and the smell it leaves behind is subtle enough so I can live with it.

The texture of the product is quite hard to describe: it's almost a gel/balm hybrid that's like a thick jelly, but it's not too greasy or heavy on the skin and it spreads and absorbs beautifully well. 

Despite this, it does leave a slight film behind - not a greasy one but more of a velvety one - so I've been using this as my night hand cream and I apply it before bed because it is so rich and during the day I'd prefer something that doesn't leave my hands feeling coated after use. 

The good news is, however, that the coating doesn't hang around and it's gone within ten minutes, so don't discount the product if you're after something that vanishes into the skin because this does soon enough.

I'm loving keeping this on my bedside table because it's rich enough to help with the dry hands I've had ever since having children (I think this is because you wash your hands a lot more when you're handling a young 'un). Few products are hydrating enough to be given the bedside-table spot, and the fact that this is says very good things about the product.

On the claims, I don't feel that it provides 24-hour hydration (I wash my hands too much for that) and I haven't noticed any difference in my nails, although this could be because I'm pregnant and my nails are stronger than usual anyway. But it does nourish and protect the skin, leaving it delicately perfumed, so those claims are true.

All in all, this is a lovely hand cream and I recommend it. I'm not sure I'd pay full price for it, but I'm super glad I've had the chance to try it and I'll enjoy my tube until it's all gone.

Great for dry skin.