15 Hand Creams That You Need When You’re Washing Your Hands All the Time
If you’re one of the many people who’s added hand-washing to the “skills” section of your resume because you’re doing it, oh, about every 30 minutes, you might be battling some pretty dry skin. Just a guess, but I know it’s accurate because I’m right there with you. My hands are so dry that all I have to do to make my knuckles bleed is accidentally brush them against my plush, fuzzy socks.
If you find yourself even a little bit in the same boat, you’re probably on the hunt for a solid hand cream to soothe your scaly skin. Good news: There are several standout creams you can get online to keep your hands soft through this era of nonstop hand washing. Put one of our favorite hand creams in your shopping cart now, and thank us later.
1. ohii Daydream Handcream
Recommended by Senior Associate News & Culture Editor Nicoletta Richardson, this cream is made with a vegan formula and comes in three lovely scents. It has that all-important non-greasy finish, comes in a TSA-approved size, and just has a very cute container.
Buy: ohii Daydream Handcream, $10 from Urban Outfitters
2. Eucerin Daily Hydration Hand Cream
The trusty moisturizing brand makes a hand-specific cream that not only hydrates hands, but also defends them from sun damage with broad spectrum protection. At just over $6, this unscented, non-greasy cream is a steal for your skin.
Buy: Eucerin Daily Hydration Hand Cream, $6.09 from Amazon
3. Aveda Hand Relief Hand Cream
Keep things clean with this cream that’s 95 percent naturally derived from plants, minerals, and water. The pure ingredients provide serious moisture for dry hands while a mixture of orange, lavandin, and eucalyptus keep them smelling nice and fresh.
Buy: Aveda Hand Relief Hand Cream, starts at $9 from Nordstrom
4. Bliss Lemon & Sage Hand Cream
Give your hands a little extra TLC with this bright, citrusy cream from Ulta. The fast-absorbing moisturizer instantly soothes tender skin, but the lemon-sage scent—one of Bliss’ best-loved—lingers long after, giving you whiffs of, well, bliss, all day long.
Buy: Bliss Lemon & Sage Hand Cream, $10 from Ulta
5. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Intensive Relief Hand Cream
High in fatty acids, cocoa butter is a natural nourisher. This intensive relief cream combines cocoa butter’s supreme soothing with healing vitamin E to give itchy, irritated, super-dry skin a fresh start. It also comes highly recommended by House Tour Editor Adrienne Breaux, who claims she has “the driest hands ever”.
Buy: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Intensive Relief Hand Cream, $7.94 from Amazon
6. Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream
Take a few years off your hands with this botanical- and antioxidant-filled cream that both softens and strengthens skin. The sea buckthorn decreases color patches and increases elasticity while argan oil improves firmness, making your hands look (and feel) younger.
Buy: Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream, $14 from Dermstore
7. Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
Senior SEO Manager Brenda Schmerl loves this cream, which she describes as being “very rich with a nice smell”. It’s not made exclusively for hands, and can be used anywhere you have dryness—and has over 2,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Buy: Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream, $12.49 from Amazon
8. L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
If you want butter-smooth skin, you gotta go with the shea butter cream. This one by L’Occitane is made up of 20 percent shea butter (the super-soft fat extracted from African shea tree nuts), plus antioxidant-rich honey and skin-strengthening almond extract to give your hands all the help they need.
Buy: L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, starts at $12 from Nordstrom
9. O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
It may not be very stylish, but O’Keeffe’s hand cream is made for the driest of hands. Inexpensive but heavy duty, it’s an unscented, non-greasy formula that’ll work wonders on anyone. It also comes highly recommended by both Lifestyle Director Taryn Williford and Home Projects Editor Megan Baker, whose dermatologist first told her about it.
Buy: O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream, $5.99 from Target
10. Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
There’s a reason Kiehl’s proudly states it’s been around since 1851—because for well over a century, the brand’s been saving our skin from head to toe. This hand salve sticks to tradition: A mix of avocado, eucalyptus, sesame seed, and wax from olive oil give the driest of hands sweet, soft relief.
Buy: Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, $23 from Nordstrom
11. Lano Intense Hand Cream
This unique hand cream is made from lanolin, the natural fatty substance found on sheep’s wool. It also happens to be ultra nourishing, making it an ideal ingredient to repair and restore your rough skin—in your choice of lemon or rose scent!
Buy: Lano Intense Hand Cream, $15 from Anthropologie
12. Oars + Alps Dry Hand Repair Cream
Newly launched by skin care brand Oars + Alps, this hand cream harnesses the power of shea butter and coconut and sunflower oils to give your hands a luxe treatment. You can also subscribe and have it shipped it to you on a regular schedule to ensure you’re never without it.
Buy: Oars + Alps Dry Hand Repair Cream, $12 from Oars + Alps
13. The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Hand Cream
Almond milk from Spain and Community Trade honey from Ethiopia combine in this silky smooth cream to keep your hands soft and supple. And at less than $10 a tube, it’s well worth it.
Buy: The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Hand Cream, $8 from Ulta
14. Lollia Hand Cream
If you’ve ever been in an Anthropologie store, you’ve probably seen this hand cream. An Anthro classic, it’s a sweet-smelling and effective cream that’s pretty enough to give as a gift. It’s a favorite of Senior Product Manager Jane Wood, who says: “It’s expensive, but this is my ride or die and a little goes a looooong way.”
Buy: Lollia Hand Cream, $24 from Anthropologie
15. Apotheke Sea Salt Grapefruit Hand & Body Lotion
If you’re looking for something multifunctional, this plant-based lotion can be lathered all over for immediate dry skin relief. It combines good-for-your-skin grapefruit, mint, and tarragon with magnesium-filled sea salt (magnesium helps reduce dry skin) to give you naturally soft and fruity-smelling skin. It doesn’t come in a tube, but Commerce Editor Nicole Lund keeps it at her desk and applies to her hands throughout the day.
Buy: Apotheke Sea Salt Grapefruit Hand & Body Lotion, $22 from Amazon