If you’re an Alpha-H Liquid Gold devotee, we’ve got seriously good news for your digits…
Aussie brand Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold , £33.50, was one of the first glycolic acid based liquid exfoliators to hit the over-the-counter skincare market, and at 17 years old, the skin cell renewing, pore minimising solution has evolved from night treatment to face wash to moisturiser, and now a rose infused incarnation is at hand to smooth and brighten your mitts, not to mention soften raggedy cuticles and chapped knuckles. As skincare for your extremities go, Liquid Gold Rose Hand Cream may smell of freshly cut roses (appreciative comments from far and wide across our open-plan office), but it’s far from fluffy- as the ingredients list testifies…
What does it do?
Exfoliates away rough skin and dead skin cells by way of a 10 per cent glycolic acid formula- basically what the traditional Liquid Gold aims to do for your face, this does for your hands, minus the blackhead blasting element. The glycolic alpha hydroxy acid also encourages skin cell renewal and helps to speed up skin cell turnover, ideally leaving you with brighter looking skin and fewer signs of sun damage. There’s a catch there though- while this AHA hand lotion can indeed lessen your chances of age spots and pigmentation setting in owing to the lightly resurfacing AHA prowess, you’ll need to up the ante in terms of using SPF on your hands at least a week post-use, as the glycolic can make skin more vulnerable to UV damage. Protect yourself, however, and it’s high fives all round.
In addition to giving your skin a spring clean, the exfoliating cream also helps to soften up cuticles and smooth over the nail bed. All of that skin cell sweepage will also leave hands primed to better penetrate hydrating ingredients and key lipids, handily also present here- namely avocado oil and vitamin E for antioxidant-rich nourishment. Scent-wise, the rose is a new twist on the classic Liquid Gold formula, but it adds a luxe edge to an otherwise very functional product, plus, as above, it’s a sophisticated floral rather than a stuffy one.
Who is it for?
Anyone concerned that their hands are suffering a bit with the weather/ sun exposure/ the passage of Old Master Time, or just if you fancy softer hands on the daily. A word of caution for the sensitive skinned- the glycolic acid can be somewhat tingly and on rare occasions trigger adverse reactions, so patch testing is advisable. If you struggle with glycolic on your face, you’ve been warned.
The verdict…
In my opinion it goes above and beyond the calling of a hand cream while also fulfilling the ‘treaty’ quota- rose fragrance + immediately soft and plump feel = short and long term satisfaction. It’s currently only available on QVC at £28.50 for two 100ml tubes, which I think is quite the steal given that a single blob goes far.