Ultra Rich Hand Cream

Merle Norman

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Merle Norman Ultra Rich Hand Cream is a misc. Our analysis of its 30 ingredients (21 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Misc
Ingredients
30
Low-risk
21
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 13/7
Good for dry skin
Glyceryl Stearate Methyl Glucose Dioleate Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate Cetearyl Alcohol Echinacea Purpurea Extract Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate Dimethicone Sodium Lactate Lactic Acid
Caution for dry skin
Dimethicone Crosspolymer Maltodextrin Centella Asiatica Extract Xanthan Gum Glycerin Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate PEG-100 Stearate
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin No data
Sensitive Skin 5/8
Good for sensitive skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Glycerin Dimethicone Tocopheryl Acetate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Caution for sensitive skin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin Potassium Sorbate Lactic Acid Methylparaben Phenoxyethanol Propylparaben

Ingredients list

30 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (7)
All30 Skin Conditioning24 Emulsion Stabilising8 Fragrance8 Emollient8 Humectant6 Perfuming5 Viscosity Controlling5 Emulsifying4
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
limnanthes alba seed oil
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
1
B
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
A
PEG-100 Stearate
(Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
B
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
(Skin Conditioning)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Glycine Soja Oil
(Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
A
Methyl Glucose Dioleate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
1
A
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Magnesium Sulfate
(Bulking Agent, Hair Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Maltodextrin
(Absorbent, Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Binding)
3
A
Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic)
1
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
(Moisturising, Skin Conditioning, Tonic)
3
B
Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic)
4
B
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)
4
A
Methylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
7
A
Propylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative, Perfuming)
Paraben
Paraben

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
limnanthes alba seed oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Skin Protecting, Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Propylparaben — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingOpacifyingFoam boostingViscosity increasingagent - aqueousViscosity increasing agentEmollientEmulsifyingViscosity controlling
limnanthes alba seed oil
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmollientSkin conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollientEmulsifyingSurfactant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingHair fixingSuspending agent - nonsurfactantViscosity increasingagent - nonaqueousViscosity controlling
Glycine Soja Oil
Perfuming, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A PerfumingSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollientHumectant
Magnesium Sulfate
Bulking agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Bulking agentHair conditioningViscosity controlling
Maltodextrin
Absorbent, Binding agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AbsorbentBinding agentEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingHair conditioningSkin conditioningSuspending agent - nonsurfactantBinding
Potassium Sorbate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservative
Xanthan Gum
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingSkin conditioningSurfactant -emulsifying agentViscosity increasing agentBindingGel formingViscosity controlling
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothingSoothingTonic
+ 3 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Surfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A CIR B Skin conditioning Good for Sensitive Skin
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantFragranceHumectantPh adjusterSkin-conditioning agent -humectantSkin conditioningBuffering agent Bad for Sensitive Skin
Methylparaben
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Propylparaben
Fragrance, Preservative
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 7 CIR A FragrancePreservativePerfuming Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinyl Palmitate

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Lactic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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