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Papaya-based products like this one are a favorite among stars like Alison Brie.

Every so often, I have this recurring thought: I need a good, super rich hand lotion.

I chalk this up to a few different factors. First of all, I’ve endured some brutal midwestern winters—the kind that leave your hands so dry that they end up red and cracked. Second, I’ve always been a frequent hand washer. And, finally, I have a terrible habit of messing with my nails and hangnails when I get stressed.

So, when my editor gave me the opportunity to try out a product called Dr. Pawpaw Original Balm, I was obviously intrigued. (Alison Brie swears by a similar papaya-based product to take off her makeup and heal dry skin and lips, according to Today.)

Dr. Pawpaw Original Balm is a multipurpose product, made with papaya, for lips, skin, hair, cuticles, and beauty finishing. I set out to find out if it could be the salve for my suffering hands—and put the “multipurpose” claim to the test along the way. Below, all the details of my two-week trial.

Aside from papaya, the balm’s ingredients include olive oil and aloe vera. According to the packaging, olive oil is meant to absorb deep into the skin to make it softer, and the papaya is also intended to help hydrate and nourish. Meanwhile, the aloe vera may soothe and calm.

The balm does indeed serve multiple purposes. For example, you can use it to shape your eyebrows, moisturize your lips and skin, or protect your nails between manicures.

To begin, let’s journey back to the last day of February, when I took my stress out on an aging gel manicure and peeled off alllll my polish. Ultimately, I wound up with rough, brittle nails that felt about as bad as they looked.

When I received my tube of Dr. Pawpaw balm in the latter half of March, they were still in pretty bad shape. So, I decided to focus this experiment on my nails and the skin around them, which also needed some serious TLC. I settled on a regimen of rubbing the balm into my nails every night before going to bed. (A week into my test run, I also began slathering it on as needed throughout the day.)

The first time I used the balm, I noticed that a little bit goes a long way. Using a dollop about the size of a pea, I was able to drench all 10 of my nails. It seemed to seal up all the rough spots from my gel mani mishap, and after that first use my nails felt healthier and smoother.

A few days into April (just over two weeks after I started using the balm), my nails felt and looked *way* better. They had some of their shine back, most of the rough patches had gone away, and they didn’t feel so thin and breakable. As for the skin around them, I still had some hangnails during those two weeks, so I can’t say that the balm worked any miracles. But I do think that the extra nourishment it provided helped them to heal.

I think this $8 product is a great value. Again, a little bit goes a long way, so I expect it’ll take me some time to work through it. I was also thrilled to realize that Dr. Pawpaw Original Balm is vegan and cruelty-free.

There is one thing about this product that’s less than ideal—it’s a bit oily. The grease factor prevented me from using the balm as much as I might have throughout the day, since I didn't want it all over my keyboard.

Since the balm is labeled “multipurpose,” I also tried it on my lips and eyebrows. Here’s what I learned: It feels protective for dry, chapped lips and provides a nice bit of shine. And, applied as part of my makeup routine, it helped to tame my brows throughout the day.

The bottom line: I can see myself becoming a loyal user of this balm (and perhaps some of the other Dr. Pawpaw products I’ve yet to try!). I’ll definitely give it a spot on my beauty shelf—and I’ve already begun packing it in my purse for on-the-go use.

Erin Warwood is a San Francisco-based writer, runner, and sparkling water enthusiast. She holds a B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University. In her free time, you can find her watching Survivor, trying new Peloton workouts, and reading Emily Giffin novels. Her ultimate goal: become a morning person. 

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