Switching to solid skincare: what is different in the first weeks

If you use a solid, water-free cream for the first time, you soon notice that it behaves differently from a cream out of a tube. It is firmer, you need less, and a thin film stays on the skin. This post describes what is different in the first weeks, what customers write about it, and who solid care is not right for.

What is different from a tube

A cream from a tube is usually an emulsion with water as its largest component. Part of it evaporates after application. A solid cream contains no water, but oils, plant butters and waxes. The background is explained in the guides Water-free cosmetics and Solid cream or tube: which is greasier?

The first applications: how to find your amount

What changes most is the amount. If you take as much as you are used to from a tube, you will have a shiny film on your skin afterwards.

1. Wash your hands and dry them well. Water does not belong in the tin.
2. Warm the cream briefly and rub it directly over the backs of your hands, knuckles or heels.
3. Spread it and massage it in for one to two minutes.
4. Check after five to ten minutes: if the skin is still clearly shiny, it was too much. Take less next time.

After a few applications you will know the amount that suits your skin. The individual steps are shown in How do I apply a solid cream correctly? Why the same cream sometimes feels greasy and sometimes well cared for is explained in Greasy or well cared for? Why creams feel greasy.

The film stays until washing or friction wear it off. More on this in How long does a care film stay on the skin?

What customers write about it

A few observations come up again and again in the reviews of our solid creams. They are customers' descriptions, not measurements.

• Texture: Customers write time and again that the solid form feels unfamiliar at first. Some find the cream firmer than expected, a few find it too firm. Several mention that the cream first has to warm up in the hand.
• Absorption: Most of those who comment on it write that the cream absorbs well or is not greasy. A smaller share describes a film that stays. For the body butter the picture is more mixed than for the hand cream with beeswax.
• Amount: How far the cream goes is praised far more often than it is criticised. The critical voices mostly describe that, with daily use, the tin was empty sooner than expected. How long a tin lasts varies widely in what customers report.

That is why this post gives no number of applications. The reasons are explained in the guide Why does solid cream last so long?

Who solid care is not for

Solid, water-free care does not suit every skin or every habit. It is less suitable if

• you want to apply cream to large areas quickly and are looking for a dry skin feel straight away,
• you do not like a noticeable film on your skin,
• you have to type or use your phone right after applying it and do not have one to two minutes to massage it in,
• your skin is prone to blemishes and you find rich care heavy,
• your skin mainly needs moisture. A water-free cream keeps moisture in the skin but brings hardly any in itself. In that case a combination is the better fit: first a water-based serum such as the Aloe Vera Serum 99.6%, then a thin layer of solid cream.

If you react to fragrances or essential oils, read the ingredient list first: the hand cream with bergamot and the foot cream contain essential oils. The foot cream is not suitable for children under 7 years. None of the creams should be used on injured or irritated skin. If you notice a skin reaction, stop using the product.

If the solid form still does not suit you after a few weeks, a cream from a tube is the better choice for you.

Where you can start

The hands are a good place to start: the area is small, and you quickly notice whether the amount is right.

• Solid Hand Cream - Beeswax, 30 g in a metal tin: beeswax, olive oil and sunflower oil with extracts of St. John's wort and aloe vera, without essential oils.
• Solid Vegan Hand Cream - Bergamot, 30 g: vegan, with candelilla wax instead of beeswax and with essential oils from lemon and bergamot.
• Solid Foot Cream – Rosemary & Sage, 40 g: with shea butter and essential oils from rosemary, eucalyptus and clary sage.
• Solid Body Butter - Beeswax & Aloe Vera, 40 g: with cocoa butter and shea butter. It leaves a more noticeable film than an oil.
• Solid Care for Dry Skin – Hands, Feet & Body: hand cream, foot cream and body butter in a tin, plus one refill for each.

When a tin is empty, you keep it and insert a refill, for example the Solid Hand Cream Refill - Beeswax. How that works is explained in Refillable Hand Cream: How the Refill Works.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the cream so hard at the beginning?
Waxes are solid at room temperature. The warmth of your skin softens the oils and butters at the surface, so that a thin layer comes off. You do not need a radiator, a hairdryer or a water bath to apply it.

My hands feel slippery after applying the cream. What can I do?
Then it was too much, or the cream has not been worked in yet. Keep massaging, or take off the excess with a dry cloth.

What do I do with the rest in the tin?
Towards the end the piece of cream becomes thin and can break. Pick up the pieces with your fingers, warm them briefly between your palms and massage them in as usual. Then wipe the tin dry and insert the refill.