I have used Sanctuary products in the past and have generally been pleased with their quality. I currently have a bottle of Sanctuary Hand Cream which I'm using because my hands get particularly dry because I have to wash my hands six million times at work (I'm a nurse) and so it's really nice to be able to treat my hands to a little bit of love and care! A 75ml bottle of the cream cost me £5.10 from the Sanctuary website - which isn't a bad price, particularly as a little of the cream goes a very long way. There are often also 2-for-1 offers on this website and so this is a little added incentive.

The Sanctuary Hand Cream is contained in a plastic tube-like bottle that has a orange flip top and can be stored on it's cap so that the cream is always at the bottom and ready to come out. It comes out easily with a gentle squeezing pressure on the bottle - although there is a little of the cream which remains stuck to the side and so I think there will be a little waste. The hand cream is a very light peachy colour and looks thick, creamy and rich. It has a lovely smell which is fresh and smells very sweet, but it is not fruity or floral and so it's actually hard to identify the actual aroma......but it is pleasant.

Using the cream is a positive experience because the cream is very rich and you really do only need the smallest dollop to massage into your hands. I tend to massage it all over my hands and wrists and then spend a little time doing extra massaging around my nails and knuckles, which tends to be where my hands get driest. When I first put the cream on, it is true that it does feel a little greasy and it takes a while to fully absorb (up to about 5 minutes) and I have to admit that I don't like the slightly damp clammy feel that my hands initially have. However, after about five minutes, the cream absorbs well - and then my hands are left feeling nicely hydrated and moisturised. It feels gentle and yet intensive on my hands, although I do often need two or three applications a day to keep my hands in the best shape possible.

I do suffer from sensitive skin but I have never reacted negatively to this product. However, my daughter has used it (who does not suffer from sensitive skin ironically) and she complains of a burning sensation where her hands feel very hot and quite uncomfortable for about 30 minutes after application - and so she doesn't use it. Therefore, if you have the option of sampling this product before purchasing it, then it might be worth doing that.

Overall, I do like this product, but I do have a slight concern over wholeheartedly recommending this because of the reaction my daughter has to it.