Protection from the Elements

Outdoor Hands

My colleague, photographer Marianne Lee, showed me her red, chapped ring finger. “Got any hand cream?” she asked as we sailed the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior aboard the crewed Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 Windwalker on a downright frigid September day. “Every time I put something on my skin, and put my ring back on, it just gets worse.”

“As a matter of fact,” I said, “I do.”

Outdoor Hands and Li’l Pucker’s Lip Cream , according to their pharmaceutical makers, work well because they’re absorbed deeply into the skin immediately when you apply them. They’re made from a non-greasy blend of botanicals and oils that don’t give off an overwhelming fragrance. Outdoor Hands doesn’t contain mineral oils, petrolatum, glycerin, or lanolin, which can impede moisture absorption. Li’l Puckers Lip Cream has a subtle mint flavor (I can vouch for that; I used it) and Vitamin E.

I handed both products over to Marianne, and a day later, she gave them her stamp of approval, which I don’t take lightly, as Marianne’s work puts her out on the water in all sorts of nasty conditions.

At $12 and $4, they’re practically priced; the company also sells a poison ivy scrub. For more details and ordering information log on to the Outdoor Hands website.