The Best Hand Creams and Top Ingredients to Look Out For
I’m the go-to guide gal and routine queen here at Adore Beauty. I have a background in media and communications, and over 3 years experience in the beauty industry.
When I’m not answering all of your burning questions, you can find me spruiking underrated products to my co-workers and trying to figure out what our best bloody mascara is.
Our skin care routines are so often focused on our faces and bodies, we often forget the struggle our hands go through until they begin to show age and damage.
This is because our hands are easily dried out and compromised from all of our work, travel and using stripping ingredients when we wash our hands.
Giving a bit more protection and care to your hands, nails and cuticles can be a fun and luxurious moment in your everyday skincare routine.
Here are a few key ingredients you'll want to search for when you’re shopping.
Vitamin E
One of the most beloved natural moisturisers on the planet, Vitamin E is the gold standard of skincare ingredients. Proven to improve your skin’s natural UV defence, Vitamin E is present in a wide range of sunscreens, after-sun creams, anti-ageing products, and, of course, moisturisers.
Many of our favourite hand creams contain Vitamin E because it heals and protects by fighting off free radicals and works (very hard) to soften and moisturise the skin.
This can be a great ingredient to use for those with sensitive skin, as it also helps to protect the outer layer of the skin from irritation.
Top hand cream picks with Vitamin E:
- Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm - Coconutter has an incredible scent and is packed with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil and Coconut milk for intense hydration that lasts all day.
- L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream 30ml is loaded with Shea butter and Vitamin E. This is the perfect non-greasy hand cream for daily use. The light Cherry Blossom scent is easy to love too.
SPF
SPF is the number one anti-ageing ingredient for any area of the body. Since our hands generally don't get quite as much sunscreen attention as the rest of our skin, they tend to show age first. Remember, SPF is only one part of sun protection! Always seek shade, and wear sunnies, a hat and protective clothing. Use sufficient sunscreen for all unprotected areas and reapply sunscreen as directed. Frequent re-application or use in accordance with directions is required for effective sun protection. Always read the label. Prolonged high-risk sun exposure should be avoided.
The skin on your hands is extra-thin, which means UVA rays can easily penetrate to the dermis. The result? An eventual breakdown of collagen and elastin, dark spots, and other signs of ageing.
If you haven't started protecting the skin on your face with SPF, here are some of our top picks. However, we strongly recommend giving all round protection a go.
Top hand cream picks with SPF:
- Ultra Violette Extreme Screen Body & Hand Sunscreen SPF50+ 150ml provides ultra-lightweight protection with a hint of shimmer.
- Eco Tan Natural Sunscreen - Untinted offers natural zinc-based sun protection while nourishing the skin with Vitamin E, Rose Hip and Green Tea.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is one of the oldest remedies for dry skin. This stuff is rich in vitamins A, E, and essential fatty acids. Shea improves skin's barrier function and naturally offers a small amount of UV protection.
Using a hand cream with Shea butter in it at night can be like a sleeping mask for your hands, as it is extremely nourishing and reparative.
Shea butter also helps to re-texturise skin and improve circulation, helping you to revive sore hands if they are feeling tired and over worked.
Top hand cream picks with Shea Butter:
- Weleda Pomegranate Hand Cream is packed with reparative Sesame oil, Antioxidants, and Organic Shea butter to soothe your skin in an instant.
- L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion 250ml adds Oat to reduce inflammation and Honey for natural antibacterial benefits. This is a perfect hand cream for any skin type or issue.
Glycerine
Glycerine is an important ingredient found naturally in the skin. When combined with other ingredients, this powerful humectant seals in moisture and helps keep your skin's natural barrier strong and healthy.
This ingredient can also help to heal and restore hands that have been stripped due to excessive hand washing, by drawing moisture back to the skin's surface.
Glycerine is also a natural anti-ageing ingredient that helps smooth out lines and improves elasticity.
Top hand cream picks with Glycerine:
- Jurlique Rose Hand Cream - 125ml is made with Safflower oil, Almond oil, Glycerine, and Vitamin E to calm and protect skin. Rose flower extract also helps to soothe and soften while providing a light, lovely scent.
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Hand Cream 50ml is a potent treatment that helps repair environmental damage with Niacinamide. Glycerine, as mentioned, helps keep the skin barrier intact.
The Best Hand Cream for Frequent Washing
Hand washing is absolutely one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. We also know that over-washing our hands can unfortunately leave our hands dry, tight and flaky.
However, that does not mean we should be ditching the hand soap and antibacterial wash at any point, it just means we have to be taking extra steps to restore the skin's barrier.
When looking for a hand cream to help soothe hands stripped by over washing, look out for ingredients like Vitamin E and Glycerine.
These ingredients not only draw moisture to the skin's surface, they also help lock it in and protect the skin from irritation caused by harsh detergents.
"For the price, no complaints. It absorbs quick and doesn't leave your hands feeling sticky while you're waiting for it to absorb." - Aaron ★★★★★
CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream 100ml is a Ceramide rich hand cream from a well loved French pharmacy brand.
This elegant formula contains a patented MVE technology that works by slowly releasing hydration and moisturising ingredients for up to 24 hours, aiding with maintaining moisture for longer.
This hand cream is designed to protect your hands by using Glycerine, Hyaluronic acid and Ceramides to increase the moisture barrier and lock it in. Not to mention it's fairly cheap and super re-purchasable!
The Best Hand Lotion for Dry, Cracked Hands
As I've touched on, frequent hand washing can diminish our moisture barrier and cause our hands to become drier.
As we move into the winter months environmental factors also play a role, as our hands become exposed to cold winds and excessive heating.
For dry, cracked hands we recommend using a cream, lotion or balm with a simple formula that uses ingredients that are going to target this sort of damage.
Look out for highly emollient ingredients including Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax and Squalene.
Not only do these ingredients seal in moisture, they also create an occlusive, protective barrier on the surface. That means the skin is allowed to heal, while being protected from further damage.
Best Emollient for Dry, Cracked Hands
"All-rounder! Have so far used as a body moisturizer, on my heels and elbows, as a lip balm, eyebrow tamer, hand cream, on my little boys cheeks that get cracked and dry, cuticles and itchy bites! It's really good for traveling as it replaces heaps of products and saves space!" - Stacey ★★★★★
Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream - 118mL is a multipurpose product that has a solution for almost every problem under the sun.
This hand cream contains highly effective and emollient ingredients including Olive Oil, Honey, Beeswax, Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen and Bee Propolis.
Sufferers of Eczema and Psoriasis have sworn by this balm, which is known to help the healing of blisters, burns, rashes, as well as dry, chapped skin.
The Best Lotion for Frequently Washed Hands
Some people may want to opt for a nourishing, yet lightweight lotion instead of using a thick cream or balm on a regular basis.
Using a lightweight lotion immediately after hand washing is actually one of the best ways to support the moisture barrier, and keep your hands happy and hydrated.
If you're using a lotion regularly you not only want it to contain moisture boosting ingredients like Vitamin E and Glycerine, but also UV protection in the form of SPF or antioxidant protection.
Not only does this keep hands hydrated, but it also keeps them protected from environmental aggressors that can cause significant damage over time.
"The smell and texture is everything. I was religious and exclusively an Aesop user but I absolutely love Hunter lab. Really reasonable price, these scents are fantastic and the products are extremely high quality product with amazing ingredients. Added bonus - they look amazing in your bathroom." - Maddison ★★★★★
Hunter Lab Hydrating Hand & Body Lotion 550ml comes from an Australian brand focused on high quality natural ingredients (all encased in sleek, matte black packaging)!
We love this hand lotion for its lightweight texture, quick absorption and gorgeous scent.
We also love its effective blend of Almond Oil, Vitamin E and high levels of antioxidants to form UV protection and promote collage and elastin production.
This hydrating hand lotion is an extremely attractive bathroom staple for anyone struggling with dry hands due to excessive washing.
The Best Heavy Duty Hand Cream
While some of us are fine with the regular use of a lotion or even a nourishing cream, others really need the serious stuff.
I would suggest that balms, or creams with balm like textures are going to be your best shot at locking moisture in because they help your skin retain that moisture by reducing evaporation.
Thicker creams with skin loving ingredients like Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Glycerine, or anything else that is going to boost moisture and provide a layer of protection are going to be your best bet.
You can really slather these products on and even use them like an overnight treatment to let them take full effect.
Skin Food can be used all over the body as well as on the face, making it the ultimate multitasker and a must-have in your beauty cabinet. Whether you have sun-damaged skin or windburn, this deeply moisturising cream will intensely nourish skin, replenishing hydration and leaving your complexion feeling soft and smooth.
This natural face and body cream includes Chamomile, Rosemary, Lanolin, and Sweet Almond Oil. These ingredients work together to soothe, hydrate, and protect skin from morning to evening. Simply massage into the skin and allow to absorb.
Weleda Skin Food - 75ml is a cult product, with well-loved ingredients that have remained unchanged since 1926. it's one of the best lanolin creams in Australia and New Zealand.(imo anyway)
This highly nourishing multipurpose hand cream is packed with 100% natural ingredients including Chamomile, Rosemary, Lanolin and Sweet Almond Oil.
Known for it's healing properties, this hand cream helps repair and soothe truly dry and damaged skin by sealing in moisture with it's thick, balmy texture.
- An organic body moisturiser is one of the best ways to look after the skin on your body. Find out more - The Best Organic Body Creams
*SPF is only one part of sun protection! Always seek shade, and wear sunnies, a hat and protective clothing. Use sufficient sunscreen for all unprotected areas and reapply sunscreen as directed. Always read the label.
Brand and product inclusions are at the sole discretion of Adore Beauty. We do not seek or accept payment from brands or individuals listed in our guides.
