lather mangosteen & green tea hand lotion

Reviewed by Kimberly on August 20, 2014

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I'm a retired nurse in my mid-50s, and for decades I have been a lotion hoarder. I guess my obsession with lotions started due to the necessity of washing my hands constantly as a nurse. When I started my nursing career, gloves were not a requirement for all procedures. Thus, at an early age, my hands developed a habit of looking dried out and ashy from constant washing with harsh, antiseptic soaps. Sometimes my knuckles even cracked from the extreme dryness. So, when TIA asked me to try LATHER mangosteen & green tea hand lotion ($15), I quickly agreed. Over the years, I have tried many, many lotions, and they were either too oily and didn’t absorb or they did absolutely nothing for the dryness. Either way, as soon as I washed my hands, they were back to being dry and ashen, requiring more and more lotion. It was a vicious cycle.

The LATHER lotion arrived in a white pump bottle with a pretty blue label — nothing fancy, but attractive in a minimalist way. The bottle contains 8.5 ounces. It has a pump-dispenser lock that is easy to use and prevents it from ending up all over your make-up case should you take it on vacation with you. After reading up on this lotion, I also found that it has received a number of awards, such as the Healing Lifestyles & Spas 2014 Earth Day Beauty Awards!

LATHER's literature on the lotion touts mangosteen as being the "Queen of all Fruits." They also state that mangosteens have long been used in folk medicine for their powerful antioxidant properties and have a royal reputation for their truly unique, mouthwatering taste. This silky, lightweight hand lotion combines antioxidant protection with a 100% natural juicy, sweet and tangy aroma. Again, it contains phytonutrients called xanthones, known for their antioxidant and soothing properties.

So after reading a bit about the lotion, I opened the bottle to find the most lovely and natural scent. Indeed, the aroma was divine and did smell like juicy, sweet citrus fruit. The lotion is silky and relatively lightweight. Upon application, your skin does feel a bit oily for about five minutes. You will notice that it takes less of this lotion to do the job. After that, you will notice that it penetrates the skin completely and leaves little to no oily residue. Nothing but soft, fragrant skin is left. Although the natural fragrances are rather strong at first, they did not bother me in the least. As the lotion penetrates your skin, the fragrance dwindles to soft citrusy notes that are quite subtle. One thing that really impressed me further was the fact that I could apply this lotion to my hands, and even after washing and drying them they still felt moisturized. Impressed with how my hands were beginning to look softer and smoother with use of the lotion, I tried this on my elbows, which are always a bit dry. Within a week, my elbows felt healed. The little dry patch on the right elbow that wouldn't go away is now gone. I also used it on my arms and legs, and I am thrilled to tell you that after my morning full-body application of LATHER mangosteen and green tea lotion, I did not need to reapply any lotion for the remainder of the day. This is unusual for me, as I usually have to reapply lotion to my dry legs and arms at least twice a day when using other lotions. I know this says it is for hands, but it works great as a body lotion. And you smell heavenly!

Overall, this natural antioxidant lotion is my new favorite for keeping my skin soft, supple and moisturized. It is comprised of natural ingredients and is antioxidant-rich, with the only ingredient of concern being phenoxyethanol, which is way down at the end of the ingredient list. My only problem with the LATHER Mangosteen and Green Tea lotion is that I want a larger bottle!