Stop winter from sucking the life from your hands as well as your soul…
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Each product featured is independently selected for review. A small commission may be earned from purchases made through links in this article. For more information please visit Disclosure.
The best hand creams in this article:
It’s that time of year again. The trees are bare and the air is cold. Frequent hand washing even with the mildest of cleansers can leave hands feeling tight and dry. I’m forever washing my hands and using hand sanitizer in my down time and on the job. Activities like cooking, dish washing, and yard work only aggravate sensitive skin more. But fret not. There is no shortage of hand creams to address your every concern. You can choose from anti-aging, brightening, protecting, nourishing and more. But which are the best?
I myself am a bit obsessed because my hands are prone to chapping especially during the low dew points of winter. A good hand cream is essential for me. There are a few attributes for which I look. I’m sensitive to fragrances so how something smells can be a deal breaker. I like fast absorbing formulas because who wants to leave greasy hand prints behind? Lately I’m appreciating the small format sizes now offered by many brands. They’re perfect to toss in a bag and the petite sizes make it easy to keep a few different options around in case you’re like me and can’t pick a favorite or get bored easily. I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest and thought I’d share what I think are the best hand creams available now.
Each of these formulas were evaluated using for a minimum of three weeks as needed throughout the day. Factors such as level and duration of hydration, price, availability and brand reputation were noted. It’s very important to me to use products that are produced sustainably and are free of fossil fuel based ingredients so the products that made the list are in most cases vegan, free of petroleum or mineral oil and produced using methods that have low impact on the environment.
Best Mass Market
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is a classic inspired by Norwegian fishermen who protected their hands from the unforgiving elements at sea with emollient skincare preparations they made using ancient traditional recipes. Neutrogena worked with dermatologists to formulate what would ultimately become an iconic product for the brand based on those formulas.
Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is widely available at drugstores and large retailers. It comes in both lightly fragranced and fragrance free versions. It’s perfect for dry chapped hands. The cream is thick without being greasy and forms a protective barrier over the skin. Its moisturizing effects last through multiple hand washings. It contains 40% glycerin and is extremely hydrating however the formula can feel sticky if over applied.
Best Lightweight
Dear, Klair’s Daily Comfort Hand Cream
Dear, Klairs Daily Comfort Hand Cream is lightweight and fast absorbing. It isn’t sticky and leaves no residual tackiness behind. Since 2010 Dear, Klairs, based in Seoul, has produced skincare for sensitive skin that’s eco friendly and cruelty free. The brand uses minimal essential oils. Many products in the range including this hand cream are completely fragrance free.
It the lightest of all the hand creams on the list and practically absorbs upon contact. I find it helps smooth cuticles and hands equally. Due to it’s lightweight texture it may not be hydrating enough for super hard working hands.
Best Fair Trade
Natura Ekos Castanha
Natura Brasil is a vegan, cruelty free, eco friendly skincare brand based in Sao Paulo with over five decades of experience working to support indigenous cultures and preserve Amazonian resources. They’re a founding member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade which is a non profit dedicated to ensuring its members’ sourcing practices conserve biodiversity, respect traditional knowledge and share benefits equitably throughout supply chains.
The company is an industry leader in innovating sustainable packaging. The brand uses 50% recycled PET as well as 100% bio plastic derived from sugar cane for its bottles. Their refill packaging uses about 54% less material and emits 97% less residue than traditional packaging.1Mapu,(2015). Natura: the cosmetics company from the Amazon rainforest that sets the example-Technology and Operations Management The resulting refill packaging is cheaper to produce which allows the brand to pass savings along to consumers.
There is a reason why one of these castanha nut oil based (otherwise known as Brazil nut oil) hand creams is sold globally every six seconds. The scent is soft, powdery and nutty. The vegan formula isn’t greasy. I can’t find a single reason that would prevent me from keeping a tube around.
Best Sustainably Made
Karité Shea Butter Crème Mains
Karité is a brand from dermatologist Naana Boakye, M.D. who produces the line with her two sisters, a lawyer and marketing executive respectively. They purchase ethically sourced shea nuts from women run cooperatives in northern Ghana. The factory where the brand’s palm oil is produced is on the family’s farm and is fueled from by-products of the palm oil’s manufacturing. The electricity powering the plant at the farm is therefore 100% renewable and allows the factory to operate without reliance on public utilities.
While some ingredients are sourced globally the products are made in the USA near the brand’s headquarters in NJ. The cream feels soothing and rich. It has an initial aroma of tropical fruits but dries down to a slightly earthy finish. This cream is only available in 3.4 oz size while great to reside bedside or at kitchen and bathroom counters, it may be a little large for travel.
Best for Sensitive Skin
Pai Heavy Meddle Rescue Hand Cream
Pai is the brainchild of Sarah Brown who struggled to find products to address her newly developed skin condition, Urticaria. So she made her own. Each formulation is produced in the brand’s COSMOS-standard, Cruelty Free International, The Vegan Society and The Soil Association certified lab at its London headquarters using organic, cruelty free, 100% natural ingredients.
Pai’s hand cream is creamy yet lightweight in texture. It can take slightly longer to absorb but the minuscule wait is worth it. The scent is fresh and energizing with herbaceous notes from the fragonia oil. The CO2 supercritical extraction process used to obtain the brand’s Sea Buckthorn oil maximizes Omega 3, Omega 7 and Carotenoid antioxidant retention contributing a soft golden hue to the formula.
This cream left my hands feeling rescued just as promised. The scent from the natural essential oils, even though light, may be too strong for those with fragrance sensitivities. Some online reviewers didn’t feel the cream is as nourishing to cuticles as it could be.
Best Repairing
Yon-ka Repairing Comforting Hand Cream
Since 1954 Parisian skincare brand Yon-ka has worked with teams of experts including doctors, pharmacists, chemical engineers, biologists and bacteriologists to formulate products known for their efficacy and safety. The foundation of the brand’s products are plant extracts and essential oils. Their gluten free and mostly vegan formulas are found in the finest spas around the world.
This hand cream smells of freshly peeled mandarins which is delightful even if ever so fleeting. The formula is lightweight but also rich. It repairs with a blend of shea butter, vitamins and plant based oils. The smallest amount, about the size of a grain of rice, smoothed into the backs of hands and around dry cuticles is all I need. The recyclable plastic tube is sturdy which is great because there are no worries of leakage but consequently it’s a bit challenging to squeeze the product out.
Best Nourishing
Oribe Cote d’Azur Nourishing Hand Cream
Legendary hairstylist Oribe started his eponymous hair care brand in 2008. It has grown to include body care, fragrances and home products. Sadly Oribe passed away in 2018 but his luxurious brand of high quality products lives on.
All of the brands paper packaging is made from Forest Stewardship Council certified materials. FSC works globally to reduce impact to the environment, promote the long term health of forests and to enforce workers rights as well the rights of indigenous communities.
Using Oribe Cote d’Azur hand cream is a sensuous experience. It envelops the hands leaving skin soft and lightly fragranced with Oribe’s signature scent which includes notes of sandalwood, jasmine and Calabrian bergamot. The cream is available in a 1oz and 3.3 oz size.
This cream nourishes the skin with ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter and a blend of fractionated coconut, meadowfoam seed and sweet almond oils. It’s dermatologist tested, vegan and gluten-free. The metal tube may be subjected to dings and dents especially if jostled around loose in a bag. Occasionally upon opening a fresh tube it may release too much product with little to no pressure applied.
Each product featured is independently selected for review. A small commission may be earned from purchases made through links in this article. For more information please visit Disclosure.
