Skincare Saturday: Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer

Jack Black, makers of my HG lip balm (Grapefruit and Ginger is the best!), also have a variety of other skincare products aimed at men. I got a sample of their hand cream with my most recent Sephora order, and though I am not a dude, that hasn't stopped me from using the lip balm and it sure as heck wasn't about to stop me from using the hand cream.

image via Sephora

It absorbs pretty quickly, though I can still feel a bit of a film for awhile after application, so I find it works best before bed rather than when I'm working on the computer. On the upside, it is super moisturizing. While it has a sorta funky smell, that fades quickly, unlike the hand cream itself, which wears like a champ, surviving multiple hand washings and a full night's sleep. If you're looking for heavy hand cream that, like the Energizer Bunny, keeps on going, Jack Black is well worth checking out.
$15 for 3 oz, available from Sephora

Jack Black Lip Balm

I have the unfortunate habit of rubbing my lips together when I'm bored, tired, nervous, walking, sitting, wearing any lip products, and not wearing any lip products (yes, this accounts for ALL THE TIME).  It annoys me when my lips feel dry, so I'm pretty obsessive about keeping lip balm of some sort on them.  Sadly, anything I put on my lips tends to disappear within a half hour, usually leaving my lips feeling even more chapped, which makes the cycle worse...so you can see why I'm always on the lookout for the perfect lip balm.  I want something that will last a not-insignificant period of time, that leaves my lips feeling moisturized even after I've managed to wear it off, and that isn't sticky or goopy, because I absolutely hate it when my hair sticks to my mouth.  The original Burt's Bees tends to leave a weird white residue on my lips, probably because I apply it too often, though I do like the Pomegranate Replenishing kind, except that it doesn't last very long.  I used to use the Medicated BB with Clove Oil until my ex told me he didn't like the way it tasted; current boy hasn't mentioned any aversion to it, but I also don't use it very often.  I hate ChapStick because it always leaves my lips feeling drier than they started; I don't mind the regular Blistex, but I've found that it works best at night, since I don't like dipping my fingers in the pot all the time.  The Blistex Daily Conditioning Treatment gave my lips a weird rash and made them extremely chapped and painful.  I used to love Carmex, but it started irritating my lips, too.  Aquaphor is fantastic at night in the winter, when my lips need lots of help, but a little too slick for during the day.  I tried Rosebud Minted Rose Lip Balm, but found it way too sticky and not at all moisturizing--not to mention, it wore off in 20 minutes.