November 2, 2011

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Review

Oh it is so brisk outside this morning. Did ya hear we had a little snow over the weekend? Listen 8 inches of snow in October is absurd in New York just so you know.

Crazy.

Who pissed off Mother Nature?

As I brace for the weather to get even colder I’m starting to rotate my lotions and potions. My gel moisturizers that I love for Summer wearin’ are heading to the back of my stash and I’m starting to haul out the big guns like Badger Balm Evolving Body Care Massage Oil because my dry skin needs all the help it can possibly get.

I also got a tube of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant in the mail several weeks ago so I yanked it out to see if it needed to become apart of the “Muse’s Surivial Kit for Cold Winter Weather and the Defense Against the Undead”. No one wants dry skin while fighting off the undead dontcha know!

Jump!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is something Shakespeare wrote sonnets about but something I’ve personally never tried. I mean I hear about it everywhere, the hype is there, and it has a bit of a cult following but why I never tried it I can’t say particularly because I have some mean dry skin!

Count me shocked that it isn’t actually a cream. Doh! Who knew? It’s actually a gel based petrolatum (aka Vaseline) product! Now actually using and enjoying this is really a personal preference. Some folks aren’t particularly keen on petroleum/mineral oil in their skincare products and in that case you might want to avoid as over half of this tube is in fact made up of “petrolatum” or petroleum.

The thing is my mum has always recommended common Vaseline for every ailment I’ve ever had in life, that and Vicks. Cuts, burns, bad hair days, stray eyebrows, itchy skin, dry skin, chapped lips, raw noses after a cold, you name it and my mum has rubbed it on us as my sister and I were growing up.

And she’s right. Vaseline does actually cure common problems.

Now Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant formula isn’t as thick as Vaseline and it sports a fresher smell but for the most part it is indeed glorified Vaseline.

I liked the formula, loved the squeeze tube it comes in, and felt like it’ll be the cure all for all my winter woes including dry elbows, knees, and heels plus the never ending chapped lips I get.

However….

It is $17…a big old pot of Vaseline will set you back $3 bucks.

It does live up to some of it’s hype as it’s a generally nice product that will add miles to your Winter skincare kit but you have to jump over the hurdle and digest the near $20 price tag first. I find it’s alot more comfortable to apply than plain old Vaseline to be honest but on the down side the smell is quite powerful (it’s a citrus-y perfume-y scent I can’t quite put my finger on, hard to describe).

Do you need it?

Depends on how snotty you are about your skincare products….as in would you rather say you’re using Vaseline or would you rather say you’re using Eight Hour Cream….

This one also comes down to tradition as Elizabeth Arden as had this product on offer for many years.

Anyone use this?

What do you think?

Do share!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • HapaGirl84

    I love Eight Hour cream for itchy, dry, flaky skin! I also use it on my fingertips before I go to bed because I suffer from dry, peeling cuticles. But $17 is indeed steep 🙁 I got my tube at TJ Maxx where they had some nice gift sets (2 full size tubes plus 2 lip protectants with a similar smell/formula as the Eight Hour cream) for $20.

    • the Muse

      hey hapa I actually like the texture and formula alot. It’s considerably nicer than plain old, ordinary Vaseline but you do have to put yourself in a state of mind where you don’t feel guilty about indulging in it ;-D as essential vaseline does alot of the same things just with a thicker texture ;-D but hey brills on tj maxx, they have some fab deals there!

    • Michelle T.

      Me too! Fingertips for sure at bedtime. I use the cocoa butter vaseline on my tootsies in the morning only because of the quantity needed for the price on my feet, but vaseline is just too drying on my hands. The bandaid smell that NeenaJ described is right on, but since I use it at bedtime, it doesn’t bother me. Can’t live without this stuff!!! (or the matching lip cream too!).

  • Anna

    Hmm this is how I feel about Rosebud Salve, which I adore. It is, in many ways, like glorified Vaseline that looks/smells/feels better. But then, Rosebud Salve is $7. I don’t think I can spend $17 for Eight Hour Cream. It doesn’t come in a cute retro tin!!

    • the Muse

      haha anna ;-D I hear ya on the retro tin. Girl, for some reason, rosebud salve seems WAY better than vaseline though or is it me?

  • kiwikiwidragon

    I actually prefer a product called Multi-purpose Jelly, its made by Alba Botanica. I think it’s about 5-6 dollars for 3.5 oz. Here is a link. Love this stuff! It’s a great alternative to Vaseline and Vaseline-type products.

      • kiwikiwidragon

        I use it around my eyes at night, my poor outer eyes get so dry and chapped. It has never caused millia or other eye issues. It might make your vision foggy if it gets into your eye but then again, what wouldn’t. I think you can get it at health food stores as well.

        • the Muse

          have you tried the badger balm oil? that stuff is great for eyes ;-D my eyes are terribly dry too, I feel ya 🙁

  • LouAnne

    I use the Eight Hour Cream lip balm AND LOVE IT! I always have at least one extra one because I don’t want to run out… It has spf and a very feel and really helps my chronically dry lips. However it does have that SMELL…. and you do have to get used to it… I have some the cream but never use it primarily because of the smell.

    • the Muse

      louanne haven’t tried the balm but sounds fab. this can be used on your lips too but the taste just isn’t my cuppa tea 🙁 yak! but it feels AMAZING on lips!

  • NeenaJ

    I grabbed a tube of this at TJ Maxx for $9.99. I’ve used it a couple of times and really liked it except for the smell.

    To me, it smells of a freshly opened box of Band Aids. As someone who is afraid of needles and all things hospital-smelling, using a skin cream that smells like the conference room after a blood drive is not a win.

    I’ll use my tube and go back to Vaseline.

  • Jane

    Count me in the vocal minority; the major selling point for me is the smell! My grandma was a nurse and she had this terrific collection of band-aids. I used to love to plaster myself with band-aids do the very medicinal smell is very comforting.

    Bonus trivia: the Arden lady who sold me my first tube (when I was 13) told me that Ms. Arden used to have this used on her horses skin ailments, too. I don’t kow why that sold me on it, but it did.

  • Lexi

    LOL at your mom, at least it’s not Windex! 🙂

    Not on the East Coast, but like Un-petroleum Jelly (http://www.amazon.com/Un-Petroleum-Multi-Purpose-Jelly-3-50-Ounces/dp/B00028LUB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320294986&sr=8-1) which I get for under $5 at Whole Foods. Also, am a HUGE fan of coconut oil. Seriously miracle stuff. It’s solid at below 75 degrees, so you scoop a bit out, warm it up with your hands and rub it on. I get it for about $10 a tub at Whole Foods.

    For Arden fans, have seen this lotion regularly at TJ Maxx.

  • Majick

    I read about this being in every make up artists kit and thought, “why have I never tried this?”
    I picked up a tube at Ulta with my 20% off coupon. It does smell kind of funky but works great. I like the delivery system. I think the tube is less messy than the jar (although I think you can get vasaline in a tube as well).

  • JennySue Makeup

    ok, been wondering if i really needed to sink my money into this stuff for my extremely dry skin, but after reading this review and comments, think i’ll run to the drugstore instead of department store. thanks for saving me some $$

  • B

    I found some Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protect ant formula at a discount store for about $10. I like it. I only use on my face occasionally, I’m afraid of running out and not finding it for a reasonable price. I use a product called Trianon International Dry Skin Creme for all over dry skin care. Cost more than Vaseline, but works better too. Colorado is dry all the time, drier in the winter, very bad for your skin.

  • Kirsten

    This stuff works good, but is smells SO bad!!! My husband asked if I had turpentine on and he was gagging!! Haha

  • Ashley

    The smell isn’t great. But on chapped winter skin or a bad sun burn this stuff is great. I keep a mini in my purse mainly for my lips. It kind of reminds me of Neosporin, and would work great to treat cuts and burns with. I agree its glorified Vaseline, but it does work pretty well, and I like it.

  • Becca

    Holy Grail product for me. I love the stuff! I know the smell can be overwhelming but there are just so many advantages to having this on hand. It was even used by nurses in WWII for burns. You can use it for: Dry.patchy skin. chapped skin from wind season change, colds and around your nose from excessive tissue use. on cuticles, blemishes. Elbows/kness/heels. Horses for shiny manes. unruly hair flyaways/brows. Traveling especially when flying and traveling into higher altitudes.. Diaper rash.. even on your lips. I carry this in my handbag at ALL times!!!

  • Donnakerri Hofstetter

    I started using this cream recently since Catherine Zeta Jones swears by it and ill be darned if my skin is not much more soft the last two weeks. so it definitely works, and I have used Vaseline, not quite the same feel – or smell. So, I use pricey products because I am stupid but this one is a great find.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m glad it works for you Donna 😀 that’s all that matters!

  • JohnnyO

    My mother was an Elizabeth Arden consultant for decades after she retired from fashion direction at a major southeast department store chain. The story the Arden cosmetic bosses told her was that Ms. Arden had originally developed it for use on her horses, to protect and cure any places their tack might be hurting them, and cure any scrapes they may have gotten from running up against thorns and briars…and apparently it was the first cosmetic product to bear the Arden name. Mother started using Eight Hour Cream and, as many do, I thought it smelled like something that should have gone in the trash days ago. But once I tried it (and I don’t have especially dry skin) and saw what positive differences it made in all ways, I was willing to ignore the scent and put it anywhere on my skin that had problems (even cuts and abrasions–it clears them up quicker than does something like Neosporin). So, straight from the horse’s mouth, I can tell you that this stuff is the colt’s pajamas! The lip protectant and hand and face creams in the Eight Hour brand are also worthwhile, and if the scent really bugs you they now make an unscented variety, but there’s nothing like the original–I would not be without it.