“This is the only hand cream that doesn’t break my skin out into hives,” SELF’s senior commerce writer Sara Coughlin says, adding that she buys it in the fragrance-free version. “It immediately sinks in and doesn’t feel greasy or distracting at all.” (Read: It won’t turn your steering wheel or keyboard into a Slip ‘N Slide.) It’s made with moisturizing shea butter and glycerin, but its star ingredient is goat milk, which contains lactic acid that exfoliates and smooths the skin.
Size: 3.4 fl oz
Ingredients to consider: Glycerin with moisturizing jojoba oil, isopropyl palitate and cetearyl alchohol (emollients).
Read Coughlin’s full review here.
Eucerin Daily Hybrid Hand Cream SPF30 is best for sun protection.
Pros
- Protect yourself from sun damage
- Fragrance-free
The Cons of Using
- Amazon reviews say that it is a pill
If you want to avoid skin damage, you may not have thought to put sunscreen on the back of your hands. “You can get a lot of what we call ‘cumulative UV exposure’ just from day-to-day activities, like driving,” Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology and clinical assistant professor at Cornell University in New York City, previously told SELF.
This cream will moisturize your hands and protect them from UV radiation with an SPF of 30. Its anti-inflammatory qualities come from licorice roots extract. Cetearyl alcohol, glycerin and glycerin also help hydrate.
Size: 2.7 fl oz
Ingredients to consider: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene (sunscreen)
Hand creams with SPF – Find out more! here.
Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream is best for very dry skin
Pros
- Super moisturizing
- Eczema can be treated safely
- Fragrance-free
The Cons of Using
- It leaves a film on the hands
Neutrogena’s Hand Cream has a thick texture that’ll coat your hands to repair cracks and soften calluses. “It has a high concentration of glycerin, which is an excellent humectant that draws moisture into the skin and keeps it hydrated,” Dr. Turegano says, adding that it’s great for anyone whose hands have been exposed to harsh environmental conditions.
This treatment is also a go-to for Gabriella Vasile, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and owner of Réforme Dermatology and Aesthetics in Charleston, South Carolina: “I am constantly recommending this thicker ointment for my patients with extra dry skin or eczema.”
Size: 2 fl oz
Ingredients to consider: Cetearyl alcohol
Best for Healing Cracks: O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Softens skin
- Protective
The Cons of Using
- Some reviewers say it’s too oily
“This cream is specifically designed for severely dry, cracked hands,” Dr. Turegano says, adding that it’s great for anyone who puts their hands through a lot, like construction workers, gardeners, or health care workers. “It creates a protective layer on the skin’s surface, locking in moisture and preventing further dryness.” It hydrates with glycerin, soothes with allantoin, and supports the skin barrier with urea and mineral oil.