With increased hand-washing and use of potentially drying hand sanitizers, our skin is in need of a little extra help retaining moisture.
Our hands work hard. From daily tasks we don’t even notice to waving hello, heavy lifting or ever so gently applying eye cream. Our hands are arguably the unsung heroes of our daily lives. Here are some of our favorite hand hydrators to combat dryness, chapped and cracked skin, and irritation. Our top picks include creams, lotions, balms, salves and even a hand serum.
1Grown Alchemist Age-Repair Hand Cream
Why We Love It
A smoothing, toning and firming formulation that helps re-densify thinning skin and targets skin texture by increasing collagen.
Key Ingredients
Plant Peptides, Sweet Almond Oil, Sage and Aloe
Free From
Gluten, Sulfates, Parabens | Cruelty-Free and Toxic-Free
2Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
Why We Love It
A medium-weight cream for hands and cuticles that leaves skin feeling nourished and softened without a greasy finish.
Key Ingredients
Mandarin Rind, Rosemary Leaf, Cedar Atlas
Free From
Parabens, Animal Ingredients, Color Additives | Vegan, Not Tested On Animals
3Aesop Reverence Aromatique Hand Balm
Why We Love It
A concentrated cream that delivers extra emollient ingredients including potassium lactate for a super soft skin feel, and greaseless finish just as Aesop Resurrection does.
Key Ingredients
Bergamot Rind, Vetiver Root, Pettigrain
Free From
Parabens, Animal Ingredients, Color Additives | Vegan, Not Tested On Animals
4Saje Healing Hands Soothing Hand Lotion
Why We Love It
A hydrating lightweight lotion with a relaxing scent that absorbs quickly and can be applied repeatedly without any feelings of build-up.
Key Ingredients
Lavender, Grapeseed, Aloe Vera
Free From
Synthetics | Not Tested On Animals
5Henné Luxury Organic Hand Cream
Why We Love Them
A smooth, rich formula in two scents that still feels light and absorbs fully to restore hands to a healthy skin feel. Both are formulated with aloe, shea butter, argan oil, avocado and jojoba oil.
Key Ingredients
Blomma: Rose, Geranium, Twinflower, Citrus: Grapefruit, Bergamot, Sweet Orange
Free From
GMOs | Not Tested On Animals
6Rodin Olio Lusso Lavender Crema
Why We Love Them
A range of silky creams in three therapeutic scents that deliver hydration and nourishment with a blend of shea butter, argan and macadamia oils, aloe and jojoba.
Key Ingredients
Egyptian Jasmine and Moroccan Neroli, Egyptian Geranium and Moroccan Orange Blossom, French Lavender and Bulgarian Lavender
Free From
Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates, Silicones
7Smith’s Rosebud Salve
Why We Love It
A heritage favorite used to ease irritated, cracked, dry skin and minor burns with a subtle rose scent, for those spots that are in extra need of nourishment and protection. This salve can be used to treat diaper rash if you have little ones.
Key Ingredients
Surgical-grade Petrolatum, Cottonseed Oil, Essential Oils.
Free From
Sulfates, Phthalates, Parabens, Mineral Oil, and more in accordance with the Clean at Sephora promise that bans over 50 questionable ingredients.
8Neil’s Yard Intense Hand Serum
Why We Love It
Think of this the same way you would a facial serum, which is applied under a moisturizer. We often forget that our hands age just like the rest of our skin. This serum targets aging and is best used in the morning and at night as an extra step in hand hydration. Frankincense has a woody spicy scent and is anti-inflammatory.
Key Ingredients
Frankincense, Rosehip Oil, Narcissus Extract
Free From
Ingredients on The Dirty List with over 2,700 ingredients | Cruelty-free
9Origins Make a Difference Rejuvenating Hand Cream
Why We Love It
A gentle citrus scent carried in a light-weight, super absorbent and hydrating formula that is good for continual application yet still makes a difference for chapped, dry or cracked hands.
Key Ingredients
Rose of Jericho, Sea Haricots, Trehalose, Bergamot Oil
Free From
Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, DEA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, Polyethylene Beads, Formaldehyde & animal ingredients* (except cruelty-free honey & beeswax)
10Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream
Why We Love It
This luxurious moisturizing cream is made with jojoba and shea butters, Vitamin C, and peptides to achieve brighter, more hydrated and youthful-looking hands. Designed for all skin types, this cream is especially beneficial for skin with dark spots, discoloration, uneven skin tone and texture.
Key Ingredients
Organic Apple Juice & Malic Acid, Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Organic Sustainably Sourced Shea Butter
Free From
Parabens, Petroleum, Pesticides, Propylene or Butylene Glycols, Phthalates, Sulfates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, GMO, Silicones, Gluten, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances | Cruelty-free
1154 Thrones African Beauty Butter Mini Gift Set
Why We Love It
Give hardworking, dry, over-washed hands some relief with this 5-piece mini Beauty Butter set made with two types of Shea Butter and nourishing plant botanicals for extra hydration. Thick, creamy, ultra-moisturizing, and the perfect gift set for any and everyone.
Comes with Egyptian Lavender + Moroccan Mint, Kenyan Hibiscus + Moroccan Rose, Nigerian Lemongrass + South African Palmarosa, Moroccan Blue Tansy + Egyptian Blue Chamomile, Ugandan Vanilla + Ethiopian Honey.
Key Ingredients
Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Baobab Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Lavender Flower Oil, Peppermint Oil, Vitamin E Oil
Free From
Sulfates, Phthalates, Parabens, Petrochemicals, Mineral Oil, Silicone, Talc, Gluten, synthetic fragrances | Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Hand Cream
Why We Love It
A potent formulation packed with intensive anti-aging compounds to repair the hardest working skin on the body. Our hands have constant exposure to environmental factors like sun, wind, and water which prematurely age and dehydrate them. They are also regularly exposed to chemical solvents, surfactants and frequent hand washing. As a result, our pH becomes imbalanced and the hands’ natural protection and repair systems are overworked, damaging the skin’s natural barrier function. Dr.Sturm’s Super Anti-aging Hand Cream absorbs quickly to improve elasticity and leaves hands soft, supple and intensely hydrated, with no greasy after-feel.
Key Ingredients
Daisy Flower Extractreduces the appearance of dark spots and evens out skin tone, while Hyaluronic Acid, Mangosteenand Quince have a plumping effect. Aloe Vera and Prickly Pear provide fundamental hydration and aspecial, anti-oxidant complex supports the natural process of lipid retention in the skin,
Free From
Parabens, GMO free, PEGs, Fragrance, Cruelty free
