Dry hands can be especially irritating, and sometimes no matter what hand cream or lotion you try, your hands will still feel flaky and itchy.
To find the best treatment, we consulted with experts and talked to dermatologists about the best hand creams to soothe and moisturize your hands. Whether you’re already a hand cream junkie or this whole conventional moisturizer is a whole new territory, our experts can help.
Best hand cream for dry skin
Hand moisturizers, like moisturizers for other areas, should ideally contain three ingredients: humectants, emollients, and emollients, explains Dr. Hadley Kinga dermatologist in New York City.
“Ceramides and filaggrin are the building block proteins for locking in moisture and keeping the external environment out,” says Dr. Caren Campbella dermatologist in San Francisco.
EltaMD So Silky Hand Crème
This lotion is a favorite of King, who says: “The formula combines ceramides, emollients, and vitamin E to nourish dry skin, and sclareolide, a plant-based ingredient that helps with matting. bruises.”
Eau Thermale Avène Cold Cream Concentrated Hand Cream
King says she’s a big fan of the product because it’s “fast-absorbing and paraben-free.” She adds, “Their studies show it lasts through 5 hand washes,” which is the energy we need from a hand cream right now.
As one of our favoritesThis cream from Weleda has been a savior for dry winter skin, plus it has a light and refreshing scent that feels expensive without really costing your arms and legs.
Best hand cream for aging hands
Another tip: You’re more likely to use a lotion than a lotion. “Moisturizers are always best for people with drier skin than moisturizers, because they contain more moisturizing ingredients and less water,” says Campbell. “The lotion contains more water than the cream.” And remember, she says, “You can also wear white cotton gloves at night to keep your hand lotion in place and prevent them from rubbing off.”
Supergoop! Sunscreen for hands SPF 40
This anti-aging cream is one of King’s favorites. “It combines sea buckthorn fruit to lighten blemishes and argan and meadowfoam seed oils to hydrate and moisturize without a greasy feel,” she says. “And SPF 40 protects your exposed skin from UV damage.”
Glory Soap & Hand Food
This Target fave bestseller helps soothe dry hands using shea butter and macadamia oil. (And while it’s packaged in a tube, it feels like scooped from a tub of butter.)
L’Occitane Shea Butter Intensive Hand Cream
This luxurious balm melts into hands and nails when massaged, and it’s packed with a shea butter formula that promises to nourish and protect dry, damaged skin.
“Many people with dry skin don’t realize they also have a problem with sloughing off the top layer of dead skin,” says Dr. Clarissa Yang, a dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center. “So one secret ingredient that I always look for is an exfoliator like salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid.”
AmLactin Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion
This classic product still impresses and is loved by dermatologists. “I recommend this to my patients who need a gentle exfoliation and moisturizer,” says Campbell.
CeraVe . Moisturizing Cream
This daily cream “contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid and is perfect for patients with very dry skin,” says Campbell.
Best hand cream for eczema
If you have eczema, then you’ll want to find a cream that’s sensitive enough for your skin but still provides you with top-notch moisturizers.
“This is a great lotion for many patients, especially those with normal to dry skin,” says Campbell.
Vaseline Advanced Repair Fragrance-Free Hand And Body Lotion
This lotion treats dry skin with tiny beads of Vaseline jelly that help lock in moisture. It was given National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance“helps individuals identify the right products to care for eczema or sensitive skin.”
Best hand cream for working hands
Whether at home or at work, hands that are doing housework, cooking – or just getting dirty – will need something extra, such as “barrier ingredients like paraffin to keep moisture in.” Campbell said. Yang also likes to see humectants, or specific humectants, in the ingredient list.
“Fish oil has more oil. They help by holding the water that the humectant draws up and preventing it from evaporating,” Yang says. “Lanolin, petrolatum and beeswax are common substances.”
O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream, 2 Packs
Again one of our favorite employees, this is a moisture barrier builder for working hands for many years. Campbell recommends it because “it contains barrier ingredients like paraffin to keep moisture in.”
Burt’s Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream
The sweet almond oil and vitamin E in this cream restore moisture to dry hands, while the beeswax locks in moisture.
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream
This healing cream works wonders for your skin, using petroleum jelly to help restore smooth, soft, healthy skin.
Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
This salt water is designed for hardworking hands and has waxy properties that form a protective barrier on the skin, leaving the hands feeling soft.
