Love & Toast Mandarin Tea Handcreme

It's always fun to discover a new cosmetic containing tea, and last week I came across one I love for a whole variety of reasons, this Love & Toast Mandarin Tea Handcreme by Margot Elena! First: It smells yummy, and it did a great job of moisturizing some dry skin on my hands following a recent post-gardening battle with poison ivy.

I found this cream at a newly-opened gift shop, Gillyweed, located just a few doors down from my office. A formerly drab building has been turned into a cheerful, light-filled gift shop offering such goodies as jewelry, accessories, home decor, candles and, happily, even some cosmetic products I haven't seen before. It's always a good sign when I discover something tea-ish upon first visiting a new store, and the words "Mandarin Tea" on this Love & Toast Handcreme jumped out at me.

I'm a sucker for cute and clever packaging, and after I got home with this hand cream, I discovered that the box itself features the "love" ...

... and "toast" images. Kind of like "tea and toast" for us tea fans, eh?

The ingredients list shows this product does indeed contain our beloved camellia sinensis leaf extract, and it also includes another tea-related ingredient, oil of bergamot, the citrus fruit used to make Earl Grey tea. As if all that weren't enough, the company gives a portion of every sale to regional affiliates of Girls Inc. and says "we believe there is more than just being a pretty face. Along with Girls Inc., we encourage girls everywhere to be 'Strong, smart and bold.'" An impressive product and an impressive philosophy! To learn more about Love & Toast, go here.