Can't say how much I love this handcream. I purchased this for the first time in Florence a few years ago and completely fell in love. The last time I was there, I bought 12 so that I wouldn't run out for a long time. Excellent texture...just can't be duplicated. Absolutely no greasiness.
Lovely, lovely.

SMN is a Florentine monastery pharmacy that continues to apply time tested recipes and techniques to prepare its incredibley luxurious creams, soaps, floral waters, and scents.
This centuries old hand cream developed by Dominican monks has a cult following that testifies to its miraculous qualities. Grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, and other natural ingredients nourish and moisturize even the most damaged skin. It also includes a special whitening property to diminish age spots.
I purchased this on a whim and expected it to be just another good but high priced hand cream. Little did I know that it would become one of the few products I could not live without. I used this for 2 weeks and my hands were as smooth as silk, BUT the huge surprise was my fingernails. By the third week, my fingernails were growing at an alarming rate and they looked so beautiful! They were shiny, stronger abd the entire area around them looked like the hands of a baby. I was hooked. I ran out of my first jar last week and within a few days I could already tell a difference. I know this is a bit pricey for the amount you get, but if you buy it just for the finger tip area it is not expensive at all compared to the price of some cuticle creams and their small containers. The jar lasted me 2 1/2 months and I used it every night on both hands. I would think if you only used it on your nails, you probably would get 6 months out of it. I hope they never stop making this because I have never tried any pail product that did what this did for my nails. Plus my hands looked beautiful as well. I purchased mine from lusciouscargo.com and it was 38.00 with 5 free samples of your choice, any of the wonderful fragrances carried there. A package from luscious is a treat in itself!

Yes! You will have velvet hands! This cream (one of SMN's antique recipes) is absolutely amazing!!!

I visited the Santa Maria Novella official perfumery in Florence, Italy during a recent trip, and purchased a tub of the almond hand paste. I am VERY impressed with this product, it absorbs easily into my hands withOUT being greasy, and with a pleasant (but not overpowering) almond scent. It's extremely moisturizing, and leaves my hands smooth (so i can work on my compter). In Florence, it was 20 euros (a BARGAIN compared to prices in the USA). I plan to bribe a friend to pick up a few tubs for me when she goes to Italy this summer, because I cannot live without this!

In a word--remarkable. This is without question the best hand cream that I've ever used. This luxurious pale brown paste absorbs instantly, leaving my hands so silky-smooth that I can't stop touching them. It also leaves behind no greasy residue, just the barest hint of a delicious almond fragrance. To my mind, this cream is far superior to the L'Occitane Shea Butter hand cream, which I have been using until now. It's very expensive--retails for $35 on eLuxury--but this would make a chic and indulgent gift for someone near and dear to you. The next time I go back to Italy, I intend to buy a case.