Why are hand creams important? Well, studies have confirmed that hands can give away our age, showing visible signs of aging due to a combination of environmental and age-related factors. Neglecting our hands while caring for our facial skin can lead to an unbalanced appearance. Recently, I realised the importance of incorporating a retinol hand cream into my daily routine and decided to try out a couple of different options – one from luxury brand Chantecaille (Retinol Hand Cream) and another from the budget-friendly Beauty Pie (Super Retinol Anti-aging Hand Treatment).
£66 for 75ml – that’s the hefty price tag on the Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream, which is a whopping 5.28 times more expensive than the Beauty Pie Super Retinol Anti-aging Hand Treatment, priced at a reasonable £12.50 for the same quantity. But the question is – does the more expensive retinol hand cream really live up to its cost?
So, what is retinol?
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that’s commonly used in skincare for its anti-aging benefits. It’s a potent antioxidant that stimulates collagen production, increases cell turnover, and protects the skin from environmental damage. Retinol can be found in creams, serums, and oils, but it can be irritating to sensitive skin, so it’s important to start with a low concentration. In addition, it increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, so using sunblock during the day when using retinol products is highly recommended.
Comparison
Both Beauty Pie and Chantecaille retinol hand creams share a similar consistency, with Beauty Pie’s being ever so slightly runnier. The Chantecaille hand cream has a subtle rose scent, whereas the Beauty Pie hand cream is more or less scent-free. They’re both lightweight, don’t leave a sticky residue, and leave my hands feeling much softer after application. However, due to the light consistency, neither is suitable for extremely dry hands. If you have super dry hands then these might not provide enough hydration. In which case I’d recommend layering a richer hand cream (preferably with SPF) on top.
After using both both hand creams on different hands for a week, I didn’t notice much difference between the two. Although Chantecaille’s hand cream does leave my hands feeling soft and smooth, and I do like the delicate rose scent, I don’t believe that it’s worth its price tag, which is over five times that of Beauty Pie.
The fact that I’ve repurchased Beauty Pie’s retinol hand cream multiple times, as evidenced by the photo above, but not Chantecaille’s, pretty much confirms how much I prefer the former. For the price of one Chantecaille hand cream, I could have five tubes of Beauty Pie, so it’s really a no brainer!
I’d highly recommend adding a retinol hand cream to your daily routine, and the Beauty Pie Super Retinol Anti-aging Hand Cream is an excellent alternative to more expensive products. Not only is it much more affordable, but it also keeps your hands soft and moisturised.
Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream ingredients:
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cellulose, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Carbomer, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Caprylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Phytic Acid, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Retinol, Acacia Dealbata Flower Wax, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Wax, Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Wax, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Diacetyl Boldine [Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene]
Beauty Pie Super Retinol Anti-aging Hand Treatment ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetyl Alcohol, Coco-caprylate/caprate, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Silica, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Disodium Edta, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyurethane Crosspolymer-1, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Retinol, Peg-8, Tocopherol, Faex (Yeast Extract), Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Ci 19140 (Yellow 5), Phenethyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Opuntia Ficus-indica Stem Extract, Opuntia Ficus-indica Callus Culture Extract