- Why is it essential to take care of your hands?
- Balea: DM Germany’s affordable brand
- Testing Balea Buttermilk & Lemon and Urea hand creams
- My daily application routine
- Results: Balea hand creams on my hands
- Final Review: Should you buy Balea Buttermilk & Lemon and Urea hand creams?
Earlier this year, I went on a little city trip to Düsseldorf from Belgium, a city I had never been to and that I really loved.
And of course, as a big skincare and beauty fan, I couldn’t skip a visit to DM, the famous German drugstore. They have tons of quality skincare products, often much cheaper than in Belgium. I couldn’t resist picking up a few things, including two Balea hand creams that I was really excited to try.
Honestly, if you travel to Germany (or any country with a DM), it’s a must-go… kind of like Olive Young in South Korea for K-beauty fans!
➡ If you want to see all my purchases, I shared my full Düsseldorf haul, as well as my reviews of some other tested products (like the German sunscreens “Hej Organic” and “Sundance DM”; and Garnier Vitamin C sheet mask) in other blog posts.
Why is it essential to take care of your hands?
We often forget about hand care, even though our hands are very exposed and fragile. Personally, I have the (bad) habit of washing my hands way too often. Of course, like everyone, I wash them when I get home, after the bathroom, or after cooking… but at my place, it goes further:
- If I put food in the fridge after eating, I wash my hands (because I imagine they’re still “greasy”).
- When I take off my socks at the end of the day, I go straight to the sink (because they’ve been in my shoes all day and have sweated).
- After touching anything that looks “dirty,” I wash my hands without thinking.
- And in the kitchen, to make things even worse, I sometimes wash my hands… with dish soap! So yeah, my hands really get a hard time.
If I don’t use a proper cream, especially in autumn and winter, my hands quickly get dry, red, and damaged… yes, I know, I need to work on this habit!
That’s why putting a Balea hand cream in my DM basket was a must, clearly on my to-do list. A good quality cream and at a low price? Impossible to miss!
Balea: DM Germany’s affordable brand
Balea is DM’s in-house brand. It’s extremely popular in Germany for its quality/price ratio: effective products, often vegan, with pleasant textures and very low prices. It’s a perfect option to try without spending a fortune.
Testing Balea Buttermilk & Lemon and Urea hand creams
I picked two hand creams:
- Buttermilk & Lemon Handcreme (€0.75)
- Urea Handcreme (€1.23)
Honestly, the price is crazy! Less than €2 per cream, I still can’t believe it. I only bought two to test, but next time I go, I’ll stock up! For 100 ml, it’s really not negligible. You just can’t find hand creams in Belgium that are this affordable and effective at the same time. It’s the kind of little guilty pleasure where you think: “Why didn’t I discover this sooner?”
Texture and Application: Buttermilk & Lemon vs Urea
Both creams really convinced me: they absorb quickly and don’t leave any greasy film. For me, this is essential because I hate having greasy hands after applying cream. (If it were a body cream, I could tolerate a little greasiness, but for hands, it’s crucial that it absorbs fast.)
The Urea cream takes a little longer to absorb, with its thicker texture and urea for deep hydration. It’s perfect for very dry skin in winter and ideal for a nighttime application.
The Buttermilk & Lemon cream, lighter in texture, absorbs quickly and spreads easily, perfect if you don’t like the feeling of cream sitting on your hands!
But overall, with both creams, in just about five minutes, I can type on my keyboard without worrying about greasy marks. The texture feels pleasant, and you don’t need to use much to see the effects. I really love it!
Scents: Buttermilk Lemon and Urea Almond
- Buttermilk & Lemon: a real lemon cake scent, sweet and very sugary. I can tolerate it (and I usually don’t like sweet smells), but I can’t use too much at once. I can imagine it being overwhelming for people who are even more sensitive to sweet fragrances.
- Urea: a softer, subtle scent that lightly reminds you of almond butter. More neutral and discreet, perfect for those who don’t like strong fragrances.
Ingredients and INCI Beauty rating
If you like checking ingredients before buying, you’ll be happy to know both creams do quite well. On INCI Beauty, Buttermilk & Lemon Handcreme gets a score of 14.4/20, and Urea Handcreme (5%) scores 14.7/20. Not bad at all for creams under €2!
Key ingredients include glycerin (moisturizing), shea butter (nourishing), panthenol, and urea in the Urea version, which helps lock in moisture and soothe feelings of tightness. The Buttermilk & Lemon version, on the other hand, includes buttermilk and lemon extract, specifically targeting dry hands.
On the “clean” side, both formulas are free from water-soluble synthetic microplastics. And good news: the Urea version is also vegan. There is some fragrance, but nothing overwhelming (at least for me), and most importantly, no endocrine disruptors listed.
Honestly, for the price, quality, effectiveness, and ingredients, these creams are totally worth it. If you’re traveling to a country with DM, grab a little stock for yourself!
Packaging 100 ml: Practical or bulky?
The tube contains 100 ml, which makes it a bit bulky and not very practical to carry in a handbag. But it’s perfect for making the cream last longer, ideal for home use.
The packaging is simple but colorful, typical of Balea, and easy to spot in DM aisles. Another plus: the tubes are made with recycled plastic (50% for the Urea, 60% for the Buttermilk & Lemon), which is always a nice bonus.
My daily application routine
I apply this cream every evening and reapply throughout the day whenever my hands need it, especially after doing the dishes.
I always apply the cream up to my wrists, and in the evening, I also focus on my nails and cuticles, which become soft and well-hydrated.
What I love is that the cream absorbs super quickly, so there’s no need to wear gloves or wait before continuing my activities. Perfect for someone like me, who washes her hands way too often but wants to keep them nourished and comfortable all the time!
Results: Balea hand creams on my hands
With both creams, my hands become soft and well-nourished very quickly. Honestly, neither disappointed me , both are top-notch! The difference on dry spots is obvious: by the next morning, my hands are visibly softer. Of course, they already feel nice right after applying, but the long-term effect is really noticeable.
Final Review: Should you buy Balea Buttermilk & Lemon and Urea hand creams?
Pros ✅
- Unbeatable price (less than €2 for 100 ml)
- Nice texture, easy to spread
- Fast absorption, no greasy film (especially Buttermilk & Lemon)
- Hydration visible after first uses
- Good ingredients (no known endocrine disruptors)
- Different scents to suit different tastes
Cons ❌
- 100 ml tube a bit bulky for a handbag
- Buttermilk & Lemon scent very sweet, can be overwhelming if you dislike sweet smells
- Urea cream takes slightly longer to absorb than Buttermilk & Lemon
Overall, I’m really impressed: for the price, quality, and effectiveness, these are real gems.
Note: My review is based only on these two creams (Buttermilk & Lemon and Urea). I haven’t tested the rest of the Balea range, so I can’t say if they’re equally effective. But if you spot these at DM, go for it!
Have you tried other Balea hand creams? Share your opinion in the comments, it might help me (and others) with future purchases!
See you soon,
Beautifully Moi!
Beautifully Moi 
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[…] Since then, I finally got to try these Balea hand creams, and they truly surprised me! I’ve written a full review with all the details, which you can read here. […]
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