Hollywood Hands Anti-Aging Hand Treatment: does it really work?

Living in Southern California all my life, and visiting Hollywood more times that I can count, I always groan when I see the word "Hollywood" in the name of a beauty product. It's just a tiny bit too gimmicky (even for me, the queen of gimmicks!), but when I spotted this on deep clearance at my local Rite Aid a few months ago, I couldn't resist:

Hollywood Hands Professional Anti-Aging Hand Treatment

(retail: $15.99, 4 oz)

I was able to purchase this for $3.99 instead of the retail price of $15.99 but, even still, I looked it up on my phone when I was standing in the clearance aisle at Rite Aid and, much to my surprise, I saw over 15 favorable reviews on drugstore.com. That was enough to get me to put this in my shopping basket, and I've been using it pretty consistently for the past several weeks.

As you can see, there are lots of claims on the label. I don't have any sun or age spots on my hands, but I do have fine lines that I would love to see disappear.  If you're over 30 and reading this, I think we all can agree that the thought of brighter, younger-looking hands is very appealing.

First off, the "genuine pearl and light-refractive minerals" in this hand cream aren't visible at all when I apply this product to my hands. I've looked at my skin in all sorts of light, and I just cannot see any sheen whatsoever to my skin.

The formula itself is of medium consistency. It's not super thin or watery, but it's also nowhere near the thickness of, say, L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. I would say the formula of this hand cream is just a tiny bit thicker than a Bath & Body Works body lotion. The fragrance is not obnoxious, though it's nothing to write home about either. To my nose, it's a light floral with a clean, almost soapy note. After using it for so many weeks now, I'm longing for something that smells more "pretty", but it's not unbearable.

I find this hand cream to absorb in an average amount of time (not quickly but not slowly). It spreads across my hands with ease, but I don't find it terribly greasy and it's not sticky either. The one thing I really don't like is that if I accidentally squeeze out too much product and work it into my hands, it can ball up and leave tiny, icky balls of lotion all over my hands. 

After using this product for several weeks now, I'm sad to report that I see no difference at all in the texture of my skin. My fine lines are exactly as they were before I started using this product, and I don't see any increased brightness or youthfulness to my skin. I would post some before-and-after pics, but I'm afraid you'd think you were looking at the same picture twice.

One last thing: if you wash your hands a lot during the day, you'll find that you have to reapply this hand cream often. It does not last through even one hand-washing on my hands, which is disappointing for a hand cream that retails for over $15.

FINAL VERDICT: While this product did not help soften fine lines or give my hands a more youthful appearance, I cannot say that it won't work for you and your hand care needs. I noticed that on drugstore.com a few reviewers said it helped fade sun and age spots, but because I don't have those, I can't speak to that claim. Personally, I can think of half a dozen hand creams at the drugstore that retail for a fraction of the price and work just as well on my hands--if not better.

Have you ever tried Hollywood Hands? If so, how did it work for you?