Hand Creams: I've reviewed my top five for you to try

Apologies for my prolonged absence, all. 2014 was a busy year. I'm back with a bang though, and with all this chilly UK weather, I've decided it's about time you and I talked hand creams.

Whether or you are a knitter, a nurse, or someone who just likes being outdoors - hands are easly forgotten in skincare regimes. They shouldn't be - neglecting them will leave you with poor cuticles, rough skin and weak nails. So we should all invest in a good hand cream - I've tried and tested my favourite 5 to get you started and narrow it down a bit.

1. Salcura Four Seasons Winter Skin Warming Hand Therapy £12.99/85ml (4/5)

I first came across Salcura's products at a London Allergy Show some years ago where I bought some skin sprays to try [and now swear by them]. I suffer with intermittent nasty eczema - and very sensitive skin, all the time. Salcura pride themselves on producing natural, soothing products that people like me (as well as everyone else) can enjoy. So when they bring out a new product to try, I am always excited.

Salcura Winter Skin Warming Hand Therapy samples are currently availble free with any purchase (at the time I wrote this) and I must say the cute little sample tins are perfect for keeping in your bags for emergencies where the full-sized tub is a bit on the bulky side.
 The cream itself is very light and absorbs quickly so it's perfect for any time of day. It leaves skin feeling soft and soothed with a gentle and pleasant tingling sensation. Tthe scent isn't for me - it's a blend of ginger and vanilla (both I LOVE) I just found it a little on the strong side and slightly over-sweet. Excellent value for money though and perfect on sensetive skins.

2. Eve Lom Hand Cream SPF 10 £22.10/50ml (5/5)

Don't worry, I realise the price is steep. I probably would never have tried this hand cream if it weren't for the fact that I recieved it as a gift, but I'm glad I did! Lots of people give me hand creams as gifts, which is really thoughtful. Us knitters need to keep hands smooth to stop snags and discomfort while we work, and it's nice to see my friends and family think of me that way.

I keep the tube on my desk at work so I use Eve Lom hand cream quite frequently. Much like the Salcura, it's very light and has a luxurious viscosity. It carries a very subtle almond aroma which is gorgeous. If I'm going to be knitting, however - I'll apply it no less than an hour before I whip out the needles because it can feel a little greasy and the lotion takes a little while to absorb completely. Leaves hands feeling healthy and protected.

3. Norweigan Formula Unscented Hand Cream £3.69/100ml (2/5)

I used to really love this one - it's probably one of the first ones I ever tried, but that's going back a great many years now. I've only fallen out of love with Neutrogena Norweigan Formula Unscented Hand Cream because of how greasy it is.

It's very very thick because of a rich glycerine content. I now only use it as an intensive night treatment, massaging a healthy pea-sized amount into hands, cuticles and wrists before putting on cotton gloves and going to sleep. In the morning you will find hands feel nourished, but still a bit on the greasy/sticky side. I do think however that my hands perhaps don't need such an intensive hand cream and therefore don't absorb a great deal - this cream would be far better suited to very severe dry, cracked hands with flaky skin.

4. L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Hand Cream £8.00/30ml (3/5)

I came accross this hand cream as a free sample with a magazine and must admit, I only bought the magazine so that I could try the hand cream. I'm not overly familiar with L'OCCITANE hand creams but I love looking after my hands and nails and as soon as I saw that it contained Shea Butter, I was sold and keen to try it.

I keep this one in my contingency knitting bag - at my Fiance's house. His house gets very cold so this thick, luxurious cream does come in handy. It takes a while to absorb so it's really more of an after-knitting treatment (if you swing that way!) but it's the best out of all these creams for cuticle protection - and the aroma is delicious, sweet coconut-shea scent which smells good enough to eat.

5. Vaseline Healthy Hand & Stronger Nails Hand Cream £3.99/200ml (1/5)

I used to use this one when I was working in healthcare - when you wash your hands every thirty seconds, they dry out very quickly, so the big size is useful and very cost effective.

Vaseline Healthy Hand & Stronger Nails Hand Cream is really more a lotion than a cream with a very light and runny consistency. It's pink where all the above creams don't appear to contain any artificial colourings, and has a habit of drying up around the top in unsighly thick pink lumps.

The aroma itself I can't place, it's quite heavily perfumed which I find unpleasant. But it's fine for general care and frequent applications if you don't mind the smell.