Julep Glow On Brightening Hand Cream

With the army of hand creams and lotions vying for the spotlight, I thought it appropriate to feature a few of them on the blog. After all, what better way to whittle them down by nitpicking at their various claims, scents and efficacy so that they can be sent to better homes (or purses) that will appreciate their lotion love all the more, while I keep the beloved few close at hand. For today's post, we'll be putting the spotlight on a travel sized cutie from Julep that I'd gotten in one of the Julep Maven boxes.

(via Julep.com)

The Quick Take

Brand/Name: Julep Glow On Brightening Hand Cream
Price: $32 USD for 3 oz.
Seen at: Exclusively available at Julep.com
Note(s): My tube is a 1oz/30mL travel size that came with one of my Julep Maven monthly boxes. So no, I did not pay $32 USD for mine. The travel size comes with another travel size version of the Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub that as a set of two retails for $22 USD.

The Fun Facts

 The handy, on-the-go tube.

 Directions for application.

 Back of the tube.

A small dollop of the hand cream on the back of my hand.

Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener visibly minimizes the appearance of fine lines and age spots on your hands, adding radiant glow and evening skin tone.  Contains rare African plant extracts that are clinically proven to block melanin production and reduce hyper-pigmentation and micro light diffusing technology gives hands an instant glowing and luminescent appearance.  Advanced emulsion system imparts water-resistant, non-greasy softness.  For best results, use after exfoliating hands with Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub.  Does not contain: parabens, sulphates or phlthalates. (from the Julep website)

I've purposefully placed in bold the product claims so we can address them one by one, in a detailed fashion. Now, I'm only in my late twenties, and luckily, I haven't seen any sign of fine lines or age spots on my hands so I can't really comment on this aspect. I'll try to have my mom or mom in law test it out for a few weeks next time they come visit and I'll report back with their results. But for now, let's just skip to the other bits like giving your skin a radiant glow and evening the skin tone. I've been using it for a few weeks and I haven't really noticed much difference with respect to a more even skin tone or radiant glow.

(Image Credits)

Nope, nothing like this either. (But bonus points if you know her!)

As for the melanin blocking technology, I can't really vouch for that over just a few weeks worth of usage. I suppose this would be a wonderful long term effect of using the product if it does do what it claims to do. I have to admit that it sort of makes your hands look more... luminescent but I wouldn't go so far as say radiant. No, there's no glitter or shimmer in the formula but I think the formula itself gives the skin that nice healthy glow that's really only most obvious under very bright light (like midday sunlight).

What I really liked about this particular hand lotion is the emulsion formula that feels more like a cross between a gel and lotion so it feels a lot more lightweight than a cream would. It has this fascinating way of feeling like it's melting into your skin, if that makes any sense. You can see what I'm talking about in the swatch photo above in the area where the product touches the skin and it looks more liquid. This characteristic makes for a fast absorbing moisturizer that is definitely non-greasy. I have to mention that it has this herb-y/floral scent that may not appeal to everyone. I know Mr. J isn't a big fan (and while I don't mind it, it's not something I'd prefer to smell all day either). It does tend to linger for a bit so that's something to consider for the more scent discerning. Also, while water resistant, it isn't completely waterproof. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually withstood at least two vigorous hand washings before my hands started crying out for more hydration. Pretty impressive, I'd say!

As for the price, well, it's still easily pricier than my beloved Crabtree and Evelyn Ultra Moisturising Hand Therapy (SRP $19 for 100mL) or even the already pricey L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (SRP $30 for $150mL) and it's the least amount of product you'll get among the three seeing as it clocks in at SRP $32 for 88.7mL or 3 oz! (Btw, SRP mean suggested retail price.) But that doesn't seem all that fair a comparison as the two I've cited have none of the anti-aging benefits of Glow On. So picking similar products from the same two brands, Crabtree and Evelyn has Gardeners Age Defying Hand Remedy that's going for $27 for 100mL, while L'Occitane has Brightening Hand Care SPF15 for $32 for 75mL. Now it's a more level playing field with each of the three having their own merits. The Crabtree and Evelyn one is easily the best value for money with the lowest price and most amount of product to boot. Julep Glow On possibly has the most lightweight formula (based on my previous experience with the earlier two I've cited, assuming these anti-aging ones have the same consistency) with the added bonus of skin luminosity even on the first use. But L'Occitane tops them all with essential oils that supposedly stimulate collagen production to lessen wrinkles AND SPF15 to defend against more sun damage, but all for the same price as Glow On and with about 13mL less product.

I guess at the end of the day, it really all boils down to what factors are your must haves in a hand moisturiser. For me, the most important aspects include non-greasiness, fast absorbing, a pleasant scent (or none at all), and a decent price for the amount of product you get. Water resistance and additional SPF would be a nice to have, too. So far, from all these, Julep Glow On satisfies 2 out of 4 (or 3 out of 6 if you count water resistance and additional SPF) of my personal requirements. That puts it in so-so categories for moisturisation alone, but if I were looking for anti-aging properties, this will definitely get a higher score from me.

Hammie says that adding SPF to Julep Glow On will tip his scales in favor of the hand moisturiser over its competitors. He's not a fan of the scent either, though like me, he doesn't particularly mind it. He also admires the philanthropist leanings of the company so he gives Julep Glow On a final score of:

7 Hammie Points!

Happy Friday and Hooray for the Weekend! Do you have a favorite hand cream? Are you looking for anti-aging options in terms of skin/hand care? Will you be willing to pay premium for the promise of better looking skin/hands?