In a clear-thinking moment I’d be forced to admit that this is not a revolutionary product.  It cannot and does not stand at the pinnacle of human achievement in the same way as other inventions, for example the wheel, the light bulb, microwave ovens, Pop-Tarts and the crochet hook.  But the thing that has become my current obsession is so simple, so functional and  so majorly cool that I feel the need to share here.

From the moment I held this thing in my hand, judged the smooth curves and nearly weightless heft of it, I sensed I was witnessing something divine. What is it, you rightly ask. A better question would be why has it taken so long for someone to do this. It is the most perfect container/dispenser of hand cream that I’ve ever held.Working with yarn and crochet or knitting tools takes a toll on your hands, as do the mundane tasks of everyday living.  I have allergies to some animal fibers and to some extent to my own dog who is in turn allergic to wool.  Unspeakable torture follows if I touch my face or eyes directly after handling these things.  So I wash my hands frequently throughout the day, which takes another kind of toll on your skin.  To counteract and ameliorate the effects of this obsessive hand-washing I use a crap-ton of hand cream.

Although I will test drive any product that’s around, lately I’ve gotten pretty picky about what I keep in good supply.  I have my favorites, as I am sure you do, too. But today I am not evaluating the product itself, rather I am extolling the wonders of the packaging.

It would make sense to keep hand cream dispensers right at the locations where washing occurs or wherever else it occurs to me to apply hand cream. But as there are several sinks here and many places where I sit, work, write and ponder the nature of existence, like in my car, it became impractical to leave a dozen hand cream tubes lying about in anticipation. I tried this approach and discovered that those tubes never stayed put. They migrated. At the end of the day I’d find three in one place and none in another, or worse, just the cap from a tube next to the sink with no clue as to where the tube itself had gone.

The sane thing to do would be to carry one around with me all day.

Away from home it’s all about throwing the tube in your handbag.  Unless you don’t mind carrying a big purse, you’d need a container that is portable or travel sized, lightweight, crush-proof, with a cap that will never ever ever inadvertently come off and allow hand cream to be deposited all over the inside of your bag.  At home, assuming there are pockets in your pants or shirts, and that those garments are loose fitting enough to actually squeeze something into those pockets (neither assumption holds for most women’s clothing), you’d want something even more portable and not a pain in the butt if sat upon.This is the one; the ultimate in portable hand cream packaging.  Smaller and lighter (even when filled) than my cell phone, it sits perfectly cradled in you hand. There’s a soft little dent or depression in one side that accepts your thumb and invites you to squeeze. The plastic body has a satiny smooth finish and is seamless, with no points or raggedy bits to snag your yarn, purse contents or pockets. The cap is a tapered flip-top (no lost caps) that closes with a firm snap (no spills) and is flat (no jab in the butt). It’s sexy.  As sexy as hand cream packaging ever gets, anyway.

Admittedly, this little darling is a bit pricey for a mere 1.5 ounces (44ml) of product for $3.99 full retail. But the formula is fairly clean, labeled 97% natural (which begs the question what could possibly constitute the 3% part that is by inference NOT natural), no parabens, no mineral oil, no petrolatum, no lanolin. It currently comes in three fragrances, none of which are my favorite but none are objectionable or overpowering: cucumber in the green tube; fresh, white floral in the aqua tube; fruity berry in the pink tube.  Although the company calls it hand lotion, it is nicely thick like a cream, easily applied and absorbed, not sticky and so far effective.  I can’t say if the softness and moisturizing effects are lasting since I wash and reapply so frequently.  But for my money, it’s not about the product.Because once you have emptied the paltry one and a half ounces of cream (which I can go through in a couple of days), don’t cry and rush out to purchase another tube.  I am a firm believer in recycle, reuse, repurpose. If you do it carefully and gently, you can pry off the top. Don’t twist.  Insert the tip of a blunt blade under the lip of the cap and lift. Refill that baby with whatever you want.  Snap the cap back on. Smile. 🙂

The company, EOS (Evolution of Smooth), could be a brand or division of some giant corporation.  Or not.  I really love their egg-shaped lip balm packaging, too, which my friends and most kids think is a riot.  You can find this stuff in drugstores and online.