Ultra Rich Hand Cream
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.
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.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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limnanthes alba seed oil
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
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Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
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Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
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Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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PEG-100 Stearate
(Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous) |
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Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
(Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Sensitive Skin
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Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Glycine Soja Oil
(Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient) |
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Methyl Glucose Dioleate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant) |
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Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Magnesium Sulfate
(Bulking Agent, Hair Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Maltodextrin
(Absorbent, Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Binding) |
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Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
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Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic) |
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Echinacea Purpurea Extract
(Moisturising, Skin Conditioning, Tonic) |
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Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic) |
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Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming) |
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Methylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Propylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative, Perfuming) |
Paraben
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No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
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 →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
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.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
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
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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