The first thing that strikes you when you open the pot is the smell. I can’t quite place what it is, and although it smells fresh, it’s definitely strong! It’s a really thick cream which means you definitely don’t need much of it – this tester pot should last quite a while.

It’s not a cream I have used much of, mainly due to the overpowering aroma. For me, it’s just too strongly scented to be a cream I can use on a regular basis. However, if you like your hand cream to have a really strong scent, then this could be the one for you!

However, I didn’t like the steroid cream I got from the doctor, and when I used the emollient that the chemist recommended, it felt like I was smothering my hands in Vaseline every night; which resulted in a greasy patch on the pillowcases and sheets, even though I wore two pairs of cotton gloves….

My local Lush store recommended I tried Dream Cream, so initially I went away with a little tester pot; I was uncertain that my hands would approve of the cream and didn’t want to spend out £11.95 for a pot if I couldn’t use it. Despite being a “hand and body lotion,” which sounds like it could be quite a watery consistency, it’s a surprisingly thick cream (although some pots have been a slightly runnier consistency, which I think might be down to the temperature), so you definitely don’t need much at all. This means that using it only on my hands and wrists, I can make one pot of Dream Cream last around 6 weeks, which works out much better value price-wise than a smaller pot of Helping Hands, and also better value than other hand creams I’ve bought previously.

Dream Cream’s main ingredient is oat milk (oatmeal steeped in water), although it definitely doesn’t smell like a bowl of porridge. It does have a scent, but it’s not as overpowering as Handy Gurugu or Helping Hands, so you aren’t feeling that you get that additional whiff every time you move your hands during the day. For me, that’s perfect as I don’t really like getting the smell of a body lotion each time I move!

Unlike some other creams I’ve tried, Dream Cream doesn’t sting when gently rubbed in (even on aggravated skin) and although there is a greasy feel to all creams, you don’t feel that there’s excessive grease or oils on your skin. It also soaks in reasonably quickly, eliminating the feeling of spreading it over anything you put your hands on.

I was sceptical that any cream could actually sort out my skin, but looking back at some photos I took when my hands were at their worst earlier in the year, it’s an incredible difference. They were really nasty looking, with hot, red raw skin, which cracked and split. They’re not “perfect” now, but the skin looks more normal, there’s no splits, and even with a particularly stressful few weeks, there’s only a small patch where they’re not looking brilliant, but that’s no way near as bad as they could be.

Strangely enough, having used Dream Cream regularly since February, my hayfever hasn’t been as terrible this year either. The only things I’ve done differently this year from last, are using Dream Cream, and using the shampoo bars from Lush rather than bottled shampoos. Seeing as this year was meant to be a nightmare year for hayfever, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something in Lush products that have helped to ease my hayfever….

It’s definitely a brilliant lotion, and one I’ll keep buying regularly! I can recommend it if your skin gets angry easily, although I would suggest getting a tester from a store first, just to make sure your skin approves

I spotted the Charity Pot on the counter in my local Lush store, and decided that I’d give it a try. If I didn’t get on with it, it’s only a 10g pot so it wouldn’t be a waste if I had to scrap it, and with the proceeds from the sale of the cream going to “good causes” I felt it was worth a try.

The cream is surprisingly thick so the tiny pot lasts ages, although trying to screw the lid back on with creamy hands is a little challenging! Lush products tend to make me think of overpowering scents, but the cream doesn’t seem overpowering at all. It’s certainly nicer than the chemically scents of some creams I’ve tried before!

Although it’s not currently my go-to cream for every day use (a review for that one will come later in the month), I would definitely recommend it. Even if you just were to get the small pot and put it in your bag for those days when your skin needs a little something while you’re out and about.

Update March 2016  – it looks like the £1 small tins are no longer available, and have been replaced with a £3.50 45g pot instead.