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What does it take for a beauty product to stay relevant for 90-plus years? Consider Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream a case study in the ‘It’ factor a beauty product needs to achieve that icon status. The apricot-hued salve has remained in the spotlight since its 1930 debut, buoyed by celebrity fans and adored by industry insiders for its limitless uses. A dab of Eight Hour Cream turns dry and ashy skin supple, smooths out split ends, and, according to one royal family member, can even cure frostbite.
Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Skin Cream earned its name when one of Arden’s clients claimed the cream made a noticeable improvement on her son’s grazed knee in — you guessed it — eight hours. The universal salve quickly took off for its skin-healing properties and its laundry list of uses, lauded by names fans along the way.
WWD Shop editors test and review Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream. Captured with the Leica Q3 Camera.
WWD/ Adam Mansuroglu
Queen Elizabeth II was one of the iconic beauty product’s most ardent fans: So much so, that the brand was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment, noting that the company is one of few to regularly supply goods to the royal family. As a medicine cabinet mainstay for the Windsors, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream was also used by Princess Diana and Prince Harry. Eight Hour Cream was mentioned in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir “Spare,” where he describes using the product to heal frostbite, nothing that the smell “transported him in time” as if his mother was in the room.
While Elizabeth Arden has since expanded its Eight Hour line to include a lip balm, body oil, and body lotion, the original Eight Hour Cream remains the brand’s crown jewel, ranking with Chanel No. 5 perfume, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, and Clinique Black Honey as one of the most iconic beauty products of all time. Our editors tested Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Skin Cream for a full year, applying it on everything from our hands to our hair. During Amazon Prime Day’s beauty deals, you can save on the cult-classic formula — read on for our full review and place your order before it’s back to full price.
How We Tested Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Skin Cream
- Product tested: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
- Testing time period: One year
- Number of testers: Two
- Key ingredients: Petrolatum, lanolin, and vitamin E
- Notable fans: Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth, Zendaya, Reese Witherspoon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jenna Ortega, Victoria Beckham, and Cara Delevingne
- Pros:
- Extremely versatile for use on face, hands, limbs, and as a hair styling product
- Delivers long-lasting moisture wherever it’s applied
- Great for treating ashy elbows and irritated skin
- Cons:
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
Price upon publish date of this article: $27
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Cream Ingredient Breakdown
Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream has a small-but-mighty ingredient list that includes proven skin softeners, hydrating ingredients, and surprisingly, salicylic acid. More on Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream ingredients and their benefits, below:
- Petrolatum and lanolin: These occlusive ingredients are what make Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream excellent at moisture retention. They create a seal on the skin that prevents trans-epidermal water loss, also delivering emollient benefits to soften skin.
- Castor seed oil: This plant-based oil is full of fatty acids and antioxidants. It’s known for its ability to help reduce inflammation and even fade dark spots with consistent use.
- Vitamin E: A powerhouse ingredient for many skin concerns, vitamin E is excellent for hydrating the skin, preventing and treating stretch marks, and tamping down discoloration.
- Salicylic acid: Found in many acne serums and acne spot treatments, salicylic acid is a top exfoliant that purges pores and detaches dull, dead skin cells.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Review — Editor Testing Notes
Petrolatum-based products like Vaseline and Aquaphor are essentials in my skin care routine; I’ll use them for post-sun care during the summer and windburned lips come winter. The beauty editor in me knows that the magic of these jellies is their ability to create an occlusive layer on the skin, sealing in existing moisture and calming irritation from dry, flaky skin. However these salves always feel more clinical than luxurious to use. Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Skin Cream, on the other hand, smells like roses, marries the benefits of petroleum jelly with more skin-softening ingredients, and delivers a soft, peachy tint to my lips and skin.
One of my favorite ways to use Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is as an affordable alternative to an overnight cream face mask. When my skin is overly dry, I smooth on a hydrating face serum then apply a thick coat of Eight Hour Cream on top for a beauty sleep facial — trust me, your skin will look positively plumped and supple in the morning. For everyday use year-round, this salve is my go-to for my lips and cuticles. A tiny amount is all you need to revive dry, flaky lips, and it offers a velvety-soft texture and hydration that doesn’t quit for hours. I find that the peachy tint warms up my smile, too, making tinted lip gloss optional.
Yes, Eight Hour Cream is an essential skin care product, but I’m here to let you in on a little secret — it’s pure magic for hair, too. I have curly hair that errs on the dry, frizzy side, and I’m always looking for leave-in conditioners and masks that will smooth out my strands. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a great stand in for these pricey products; I’ll warm up a small dab in my hands and rake it through my mid-lengths to ends for added shine and moisture. When I slick my hair back or use a hair dryer brush or straightener, a tiny amount tames flyaways for good, too. Pro tip: Apply a bit of Eight Hour Cream to a small spoolie (they’re affordable to buy on Amazon), then use the wand to control any rogue hairs near your hairline and roots. You can do the same to tame eyebrows, too.
Considering the $29 price point and the fact that a pea-size amount is more than enough to coat lips with excess to pat on dry patches of skin elsewhere, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is absolutely worth it.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
Price upon publish date of this article: $27
More Editor-Loved Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Products to Shop
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Balm
This top lip balm boasts all of the benefits of Eight Hour Cream in a tube, with the added benefit of SPF 15.
Price upon publish date of this article: $25
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Intensive Moisturizing Body Treatment
Say goodbye to dry skin with Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour body lotion — the rich body butter has the same scent you know and love from the original cream.
Price upon publish date of this article: $32
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment
Keep this hand cream in your shoulder bag for non-greasy moisture when you need it.
Price upon publish date of this article: $25
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan has tested Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream for over a year.
