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The Best Hand Cream
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE BEST HAND CREAMS TO SAVE YOUR DRY SKIN
Frequent handwashing has become an essential practice in our daily lives, especially amid global health concerns. However, the downside of this necessary habit is its toll on our skin, leaving our hands feeling dry, rough, and sometimes even cracked.
Luckily, the solution lies in the plethora of hand creams available today. The best hand creams promise to rescue your dry skin and leave your hands feeling softer and smoother than ever before. Whether you’re searching for a deeply nourishing formula, a fragrance-free option, or a luxurious treat for your skin, there’s a hand cream out there to meet your needs.
From shea butter-infused creams to those enriched with natural botanicals, we’ll help you find the perfect match for your skin type and preferences.
Say goodbye to dry, chapped hands and hello to velvety softness with these hand creams that are sure to become your new skincare heroes.
WHAT ARE THE BEST HAND CREAMS?
Editor's Choice  Best Overall |  Best for Sensitive Skin |  Best Hand Cream for Travel |
Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand CreamThis all-in-one hand cream moisturizes your hands, repairs dry and chapped skin, and can be used by all skin types. | Aveeno Intense Relief Hand CreamIf you have sensitive skin, then Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream is the one for you. It relieves dryness and irritation in seconds and it has a thick but hydrating consistency | L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand CreamThis is the hand cream if you love traveling as it comes in a travel-friendly compartment, making it easy to bring wherever you want to go. |
Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: |
LET’S GO OVER EACH HAND CREAM
#1: EUCERIN ADVANCED REPAIR HAND CREAM
Topping off our list is the Eucerin Advanced RepXair Hand Cream, which features two powerful key ingredients: urea and lactic acid. Urea is a natural moisturizing factor that can help the skin hold onto water, keeping it looking plump and ultra-healthy. It’s also a mild keratolytic agent, which can help remove scaliness and help smooth out dehydrated skin.
High amounts of urea have been linked to effective treatments for skin disorders related to dryness, so if you’ve got a rough case of ichthyosis or eczema-prone skin, try to look for urea in your skincare products.
The rich cream also features another cool ingredient: lactic acid. A favorite among those who have dry and sensitive skin, lactic acid is a mild exfoliant (alpha hydroxy acids or AHA) that speeds up skin cell turnover without irritating the skin. Did we mention it’s free of fragrance and non-greasy, too?
PROS AND CONS OF THE EUCERIN ADVANCED REPAIR HAND CREAM
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Great for repairing cracked hands ✔️ Provides volume ✔️ Gently exfoliates to reveal brighter skin ✔️ Doesn’t leave the hands feeling greasy ✔️ Fragrance-free formula | ✖️ A little costly |
#2: AVEENO INTENSE RELIEF HAND CREAM
The Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream was created specifically for sensitive skin. It’s free of fragrance and non-greasy, and although it doesn’t absorb quite as quickly, it leaves the hands feeling silky smooth. If your concern is irritated skin, this product is perfect as it contains no fragrances and generally has a mild and nourishing formula.
You’ll find a similar variation sold under another name in the US, the Aveeno Skin Relief Intense Moisture Cream. The formulation is similar; both are free of fragrance and rich in nourishing and potent ingredients, and both contain soothing colloidal oatmeal to keep the skin moisturized in between hand washings.
PROS AND CONS OF THE AVEENO INTENSE RELIEF HAND CREAM
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ A soothing hand cream ✔️ Ideal for sensitive skin ✔️ Intense hydration and relief | ✖️ Thick formula |
#3: L’OCCITANE SHEA BUTTER HAND CREAM
They say the best things come in small packages. That’s certainly true when it comes to the crowd’s favorite and our best luxury hand cream, L’Occitane Shea Butter cream.
The nourishing shea butter formula with natural active ingredients like plant oils coconut oil and honey leaves your hands moisturized and smelling more scrumptious than ever. This buttery product is Glamour beauty editor Lindsay Schallon’s personal favorite.
It’s great for cracked skin and leaves behind no greasy feeling. It’s also our pick for traveling because it is compact and protective enough to save your hands from outdoor elements like extremely cold or harsh weather conditions or any potential irritants. Plus, it never hurts to smell great when you’re out and about.
PROS AND CONS OF THE L’OCCITANE SHEA BUTTER HAND CREAM
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Contains 20% organic shea butter ✔️ Can soothe dry, chapped hands ✔️ Hydrating formula with natural ingredients | ✖️ Expensive |
#4: BURT’S BEES ALMOND & MILK HAND CREAM
Our pick for the best moisturizing hand cream is this Burt’s Bees gem. Sealed and approved by the National Eczema Association, this is one of the best hand creams for dry skin, made with sweet almond oil, vitamin E, and 99% natural-origin key ingredients.
This is a great go-to if you wash your hands frequently and find that your skin dries quickly. The cream has a soft, silky consistency that makes even just putting it on an act of self-care.
The almond oil provides nutrients to dry, flaked skin in seconds without leaving behind any residue or a sticky sensation that often plagues many thicker creams. That way you can keep working with your hands as usual.
PROS AND CONS OF THE BURT’S BEES ALMOND & MILK HAND CREAM
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Moisturizing for all skin types ✔️ Must-have for dryness and chapped skin ✔️ Feels lightweight ✔️ Rich in almond oil and vitamin E | ✖️ Doesn’t contain SPF |
#5: KIEHL’S ULTIMATE STRENGTH HAND SALVE
Often, we underestimate the importance of hydration and skin repair in aging skin. That’s why we named this Kiehl’s nourishing hand cream the best hand cream for aging hands.
As we age, it’s normal for our skin to lose moisture and be more susceptible to sun damage, which is why it’s even more important to make the very best hand creams a part of our routine.
This product contains key ingredients glycerin, allantoin, avocado oils, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice, all of which combine triple-time to retain moisture in the skin without making the hands feel greasy.
Besides constant hand washing, those requiring gloves at work may love this formula’s hydrating feel and protective film.
PROS AND CONS OF THE KIEHL’S HAND SALVE
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Offers intense repair ✔️ Doesn’t leave hands feeling greasy ✔️ Great for plumping aged skin ✔️ Contains avocado oil and natural oils | ✖️ No exfoliating ingredients |
#6: AESOP RESURRECTION AROMATIQUE HAND BALM
If you’ve been looking for a hand cream that moisturizes well but doesn’t leave your hands feeling oily, try the Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm.
You’ll love how moisturizing it is. It’s made with natural extracts like Mandarin Rind, Rosemary Leaf, and Cedar Atlas—key ingredients that make your hands smooth and feel hydrated without feeling heavy or oily. When you put it on, your hands feel softer and smoother.
Plus, it goes on smoothly without leaving any residue. Even though it’s thick, it absorbs quickly into the skin, so you can use it anytime without worrying about your hands feeling sticky or greasy.
It has aromatic hints of citrus, wood, and herbs, which makes it refreshing and relaxing at the same time.
PROS AND CONS OF THE RESURRECTION AROMATIQUE HAND BALM
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Made of natural active ingredients ✔️ Mess-free application ✔️ Lightweight texture ✔️ Long-Lasting hydration | ✖️ Not intensive repair |
WHAT IS THE BEST HAND CREAM ON THE MARKET?
We’ve given you our top five best hand cream brands, but a few unmentioned ones equally deserve the limelight. Here are four more hand lotions to watch for:
- The Body Shop Argan Oil Hand Cream — Argan oil is dubbed “liquid gold” for a reason. This Body Shop natural hand cream is pretty magical at keeping the skin so soft you’ll want to rub it all over your body.
- Love Beauty and Planet Rose Hand Cream — It contains murumuru butter, an emollient with awesome anti-inflammatory properties, and a fresh scent of rose that will leave you fresh all day.
- Ouai Hand Lotion — Rosehip, avocado, and jojoba oils come together in an ultra-moisturizing hand cream from Ouai. If you’re okay with subtle scents or fragrances in your products, this will leave your hand smelling sweet and citrusy.
- Olive and June Hand Serum — Constantly going for a mani-pedi, but find that your nail beds get a little thin and peel off. This hand cream-nail cream combo is a must-have.
WHAT IS THE BEST CREAM FOR WORKING HANDS?
Working hands often require a heavy-duty cream that can provide deep hydration and protection against environmental stressors. The best cream for working hands should be highly moisturizing, non-greasy, and withstand frequent washing and exposure to harsh conditions. Some key factors to consider when choosing a hand cream for working hands include:
- Heavy-Duty Moisture: A heavy-duty moisturizing cream is essential for individuals with extremely dry flaky skin or cracked hands due to frequent washing or exposure to harsh conditions. Look for creams with rich emollients such as shea butter, beeswax, or lanolin, which provide intense hydration and help repair the skin’s barrier.
- Long-Lasting Protection: Working hands often require long-lasting protection against environmental stressors. Creams with occlusive ingredients like petrolatum or dimethicone create a protective layer on the skin, preventing moisture loss and shielding against irritants.
- Fast Absorption: Despite being rich and nourishing, the best cream for working hands absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy or sticky residue. This ensures that hands can return to work without interruption.
- Healing Properties: Look for creams containing key ingredients like allantoin, panthenol, salicylic acid, or vitamin E, which have soothing and healing properties to help repair parched skin and promote faster healing of minor cuts or abrasions.
Based on these criteria, some of the best creams for working hands include O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream, Bag Balm, Burt’s Bees Hand Salve, Gloves In A Bottle Shielding Lotion, Gold Bond Ultimate Intensive Healing Hand Cream, Bath & Body Works Restorative Hand Cream, and Bepanthen SensiDaily Repair Hand Cream.
WHAT CREAM IS GOOD FOR AGING HANDS?
As we age, our hands can become dry, and rough, and will show signs of aging such as dark spots and wrinkles. To address these concerns, it’s important to use a hand cream that provides deep hydration and contains ingredients that can help improve aging hands’ appearance. Here are some key ingredients to look for in hand cream:
- Retinol: This vitamin A derivative can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots on the hands.
- Vitamin C: This antioxidant can help brighten and even out skin tone, reducing the appearance of age spots and discoloration.
- Hyaluronic acid: This ingredient can help to hydrate and plump the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Shea butter: This natural ingredient can help moisturize and nourish the skin deeply, improving its texture and appearance.
- Niacinamide: This form of vitamin B3 can help to improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Here are some hand creams that contain these ingredients:
- L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey All Over Balm – formulated with manuka honey and calcium to nourish and restore aging hands deeply.
- Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme Hand Cream – this luxurious hand cream contains retinol and hyaluronic acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, while also hydrating the skin.
- Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream – this hand cream contains vitamin C and niacinamide to brighten and even out skin tone, reducing the appearance of age spots and discoloration.
- Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn SPF 40 – this hand cream contains sea buckthorn and antioxidants to protect skin against sun damage, which can contribute to aging hands.ff
Always apply hand cream throughout the day to keep your hands hydrated and nourished.
WHAT HAND CREAM DO DERMATOLOGISTS RECOMMEND?
Dermatologists often recommend hand creams formulated to effectively moisturize and protect the skin without causing irritation or adverse reactions. Here are some key features and ingredients that a board-certified dermatologist typically looks for in a recommended hand cream:
- Hydrating Ingredients: Look for hand creams containing hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, marula butter, or ceramides. These ingredients help to replenish and lock in moisture, keeping the skin hydrated throughout the day.
- Barrier Repair: Hand creams with ingredients like niacinamide, petrolatum, or dimethicone can help repair and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, essential for retaining moisture and protecting against environmental irritants.
- Fragrance-Free: Fragrances can irritate sensitive skin, so dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman often recommends fragrance-free hand creams, especially for individuals with eczema-prone skin or other skin conditions.
- SPF Protection: For daytime use, dermatologists recommend hand creams with added SPF to protect the skin from harmful UV rays, which can contribute to premature aging and skin damage.
- Non-Greasy Formula: Hand creams that absorb quickly without leaving a greasy residue are preferred, especially for those who need to use their hands frequently throughout the day.
Some specific hand cream brands that dermatologists often recommend include CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream, Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, Aveeno Skin Relief Hand Cream, and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Mains Hand Cream. Some of which are sealed and approved by the National Eczema Association.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE BEST HAND CREAM?
If you’ve yet to add a hand cream to your daily routine, you might be intimidated by the many options available. There are great products at almost every price point suited for different kinds of skin. So, where do you begin?
First, it’s best to determine how sensitive your skin is. Are you allergic to floral scents or any fragrances? Essential oils? Mineral oil? If so, then there are plenty of fragrance-free hand creams to moisturize dry hands and keep your skin smooth all day long.
Another factor to consider is texture. Do you prefer a thick cream or a light gel? A fast-absorbing product might be useful if you have active hands as they won’t leave them greasy for too long. We recommend buying sample sizes of hand creams or testing them in person if you’re picky with consistency and formula.
THE SECRET INGREDIENT FOR EXTREMELY DRY SKIN
It’s also worth noting how often you use your hands throughout the day. Those who do manual labor may be more prone to sun exposure and chapped, cracked, dry hands. This may require an intensive moisturizing hand cream with ingredients that can both hydrate and exfoliate. Look for humectants that draw water into the skin like aloe vera, glycerin, collagen, colloidal oatmeal, honey, and more.
CONCLUSION
There’s no reason to suffer through dry, chapped, and cracked skin when you have incredible hand cream options at almost every price point.
Remember, hydrated hands feel better and look healthier and more youthful. So, don’t hesitate to invest in a quality hand cream that nourishes and pampers your skin, providing the relief and comfort your hands deserve.
Have you found your favorite hand cream among our suggestions? We’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations in the comments below!
Editor’s Choice
EUCERIN ADVANCED REPAIR HAND CREAM
Do you have cracked hands from working all day? Worry not. The Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream contains urea, an incredible humectant that can help with cracks, fissures, and scaliness.
Along with urea, other good-for-you ingredients in this cream help calm irritation and speed up the healing process. So, your hands will feel better in no time.
Dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer loves Eucerin because it’s gentle and it works. So you can trust that this hand cream is safe for sensitive skin.
So you can guess that even extremely dry skin and rough hands are no problem with this heavy-duty hand cream, and that’s why it’s at the top of our list.
Joey is an AB Psychology graduate of the University of St. La Salle – Bacolod. Her life’s passions include writing, film, and spending hours on end binge-watching fashion vloggers on Youtube.