Review - Ponds Hydro Nourishing Cream

Disclosure - this product was provided free for review

You may remember both Gemma and myself being very taken with old-school beauty item Ponds Cold Cream cleanser last year, which turned out to be both versatile and effective.

As a result, I was interested to investigate the range further. I have been using Ponds Hydro Nourishing Cream in place of my usual moisturiser for the last two weeks.

Hydro Nourishing Cream comes in the same heavy glass screw-top jar as the Cold Cream, with very similar branding on the label. The jar is a pleasingly solid piece of construction and the lid closes tightly. Although it is a finger-dipping-in sort of format, the aperture of the jar is quite small, so most of the product is not exposed to the air.

The cream itself is white with a medium-weight consistency. It spreads easily on the skin with a slight feeling of greasiness that quickly disappears as it sinks in. I found that I was surprised how much of it I needed, since on first impressions it seems rich enough to be used sparingly. In fact it is quickly absorbed and can be used quite freely. This is not a criticism - the 75ml fill weight and rock-bottom price point (£3.99) mean there's absolutely no reason to scrimp on application if you don't have to.

The cream is scented with a light floral aroma. I didn't find this unpleasant, but if you are sensitive to fragrance it's worth noting (as many such "basic" products are fragrance free).

Ingredients-wise, this is not one to go for if you are of the "chemical free" persuasion. It contains paraffin liquidum (vaseline), mineral oil, carbomer, and two flavours of parabens. However, it also contains Vitamin E and Vitamin C (antioxidants), plus Evening Primrose Oil (anti-inflammatory) and, interestingly, hydrolysed elastin (the same bounce-imparting ingredient found in Phillip Kingsley's Elasticizer).  

I have normal/dry skin and I was using this alongside a "regime" (ha, as if I'm even that organised) of Eve Lom cleanser on some days and Elemental Herbology Cool & Clear facewash on others.

For me, this is a great product, and I recommend it to those who have no aversion to perfume or mineral oil in their products. The fact that it costs a mere £3.99 and is available in most Boots and pharmacists in the land make it even more of a winner.