Why We Still Love Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream - The Gloss Magazine

Why We Still Love Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream

A stalwart of bathroom cabinets and handbags since 1930, there’s not much this cult classic can’t do …

New launches come thick and fast in the beauty world, and it’s easy to get swayed by fancy new brands and zippy marketing. But let’s not forget the classics – the beauty buys we still use, years on from a first discovery. I’d forgotten how much I love Eight Hour Cream, Elizabeth Arden’s star “Skin Protectant”, a stalwart of bathroom cabinets and handbags since 1930. Elizabeth Arden owned thoroughbred horses and used this – an ointment rather than a cream, in practise – to soothe their legs. This makes us love it more. And it does banish dry skin down the front of human legs, too, should you have ditched your tights by now.

I love its colour, a dark golden apricot, and its medicinal scent – they do make one without the fragrance, but I find it far less satisfying and comforting to use. You can use this stuff in so many ways, but the best is to protect dry lips, soothe burns (it’s ideal on sunburn) and any patch of skin that’s irritated or scratched or just dry, and to give your skin a glow – the tiniest bit makes your cheekbones and eyelids gleam.

It can also improve the skin’s barrier function, fast – it’s like the wellyboot of skincare, always reliable in tough weather (good on frizzy hair, wayward brows, dry nails and hands…). I mean there’s not much it can’t do. Put it on feet overnight (it’s pretty sticky, so with socks over) for a restoring treatment. Always nab the mini tubes if you see them, as you only need a tiny bit each time – it’s strong stuff, and such a useful travel companion. Eight Hour Cream is available on Boots.ie, €35. I like the tins of Eight Hour Lip Protectant too (€8.60 at www.theloop.ie)

OTHER OPTIONS

Does anthing else come close? I really like L’Occitane’s super-natural Petit Remède balm, with entirely natural origin ingredients including shea butter and almond oil, a really gentle all-rounder in a bright yellow round tin (get the €12 mini tin for travel; www.ie.loccitane.com).  And Pommade Divine is a really beautiful remedy balm, with a recipe apparently dating back to the 1800s, with clove and nutmeg oils that give it a wonderful natural scent. It’s harder to get hold of, and usually comes in a glass jar which isn’t madly portable, but I found it at www.bathandunwind.com for €20.27 (no additional customs charges). www.pommadedivine.com 

Main featured image: Photographed by Barry McCall for THE GLOSS Magazine, styled by Catherine Condell.

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