Proper skin care extends beyond your face.
Skincare below the neck is often overlooked, but when it comes to the hands, taking the extra moment to care for them can make a massive difference in how they look and feel. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Diane Madfes, MD, FAAD, a break in the skin barrier on the hands can contribute to dryness and discomfort. “This can be caused by trauma, repetitive hand washing, allergic reactions, and underlying genetics, i.e., eczema,” she explains. “When the barrier is compromised, the skin no longer effectively retains hydration, and its ability to protect itself is also weakened.”
The solution? Consistently applying a hydrating hand cream. While hand creams may not always steal the spotlight in the realm of skincare, they offer surprising benefits, and finding an exceptional, nourishing hand cream can be a challenge. Let’s be real; some are watery and not nearly moisturizing enough, while others are overly thick and greasy.
So, we made it our mission to find the best hand creams on the market by testing out more than 30 different options. Our testers each took one home for two weeks and used it multiple times daily in order to evaluate it on several factors: how quickly it absorbed, how moisturizing it was, how smooth it left their hands looking, and how it smelled. We ranked each product in each category, and those that earned the highest scores appear on this list.
Best Overall: Grown Alchemist Hand Cream Vanilla Orange Peel
Hand creams seem like relatively basic products, but those who have tried tons of different options know that many of them are either too slippery (and not actually moisturizing) or so thick and greasy that they leave a residue on everything you touch. This hand cream strikes the perfect balance, earning it our best overall pick. In addition to having a pleasant consistency that’s lightweight and easy to work into the skin, it fully absorbs in about 30 seconds before drying down and leaving the hands moisturized and residue-free—so you can go about your day without worrying about getting every surface you touch greasy.
It’s formulated with a blend of nourishing ingredients—glycerin, camellia seed oil, grapeseed oil, and aloe plant extract—to moisturize and soothe dry skin. We also love that while it doesn’t contain synthetic fragrance (which can be irritating to some), it does have a natural citrusy scent that smells fresh without being overpowering.
Who It’s For
This is excellent for those seeking a lightweight, moisturizing hand cream for daily use. It’s worth noting that if you have extremely dry or cracked skin or you’re dealing with freezing weather conditions, this one likely won’t be rich enough for you.
Best Budget: Benton Shea Butter and Olive Hand Cream
If you use it consistently, hand cream is a product you’ll go through quickly—so having a solid budget option is an absolute must. This one is fantastic, regardless of the price. It’s formulated with shea butter and olive oil to nourish dry, cracked skin, though, despite its really moisturizing formula, it’s not at all sticky or thick. Cracks and extreme dryness are no match for this cream; as a matter of fact, we found that it revived our super-dry skin and brought it back to life. Though the herbal scent derived from essential oils is a bit heavy, we appreciate that this formula doesn’t contain synthetic fragrance, which can be an irritant to the skin. Considering how moisturizing, easy to rub in, and budget-friendly this hand cream is, we can’t recommend it enough.
Who It’s For
If you’re cost-conscious and looking for a hand cream you can slather on repeatedly without skimping, this is a great choice. A little bit goes a long way, and it doesn’t cost a ton of money, so you’ll feel less guilty for rubbing it on multiple times a day.
Best Luxury: Chanel La Crème Main
In addition to the chic packaging that looks aesthetically pleasing on any bedside table (Chanel hand cream just screams boujee), this formula is absolutely fantastic. Right out of the tube, you’re met with a rich cream that absorbs surprisingly fast into a super soft, almost powdery finish. After just a few uses, we found it to deeply hydrate our hands and smooth, dry patches on the knuckles. The best part: Despite being rich and deeply nourishing, it doesn’t leave behind any residue, making it totally possible to go about your daily routine without worrying about greasy hands.
If we could change one thing about this product, it would be the size. It fits in the palm of the hand, and while it’s absolutely a nice luxury to have, we wish it came in a bigger size, given the steep price tag.
Who It’s For
If little luxuries bring you joy, we recommend getting your hands (quite literally) on this Chanel hand cream. Whether you treat yourself to a little self-care moment or gift it to a friend, this relatively affordable luxury is sure to please.
Best Fast-Absorbing: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Touch Hand Cream
While hand creams aren’t limited to use during dry, cold winter months, people often neglect to use them year-round thanks to their reputation for being thick and greasy. Allow us to introduce you to Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Touch Hand Cream, a fast-absorbing formula that works regardless of the temperature. We love that it’s lightweight and dries within seconds sans a greasy finish. Plus, a little bit goes a long way so that you can get a lot of life out of your bottle. It’s a must-have option for post-hand washing, keeping in your bag, or applying before bed, and we love that it features the brand’s iconic fragrances without being too strong and headache-inducing.
Who It’s For
Though it does a really nice job of smoothing and hydrating the skin on the hands, it’s not super rich, and therefore, it’s best for use in more moderate climates or during warmer months like spring and summer.
Best Consistency: L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
This hand cream has been around for ages, and it’s no wonder why so many people have raved about it for so long. It has a rich texture (thanks to shea butter, coconut oil, and glycerin) that deeply hydrates the skin while remaining lightweight and non-greasy. We were really impressed by how quickly it absorbs into the skin—given how rich it is—and although you can’t feel any sort of residue once it’s rubbed in, it provides some seriously long-lasting hydration. Also nice: It comes in a mini size in several different fragrances, so you can choose one that appeals most to you and pop it in your bag.
Who It’s For
If you’re searching for a hand cream that’s deep hydrating and has a silky smooth finish, this cream from L’Occitane is one of the best we tested. It’s rich formula softens dry, cracked hands and leaves ‘em feeling as soft as a baby’s butt.
Best Fragrance-Free: EltaMD So Silky Hand Creme
This nourishing hand cream, which was a favorite of ours in the lab, leans on ceramides, vitamin E, and jojoba esters to coat the skin in rich, buttery moisture. Seriously, just a dime-size amount is all you need to completely cover your hands, and we appreciate that it effectively nourishes and smooths the skin without leaving an oily residue behind. Note that it does take one to two minutes to fully absorb, but once it does, it’s virtually undetectable, especially since it doesn’t impart a fragrance. An added bonus: It really works to smooth and hydrate dry cuticles, making it a great product to use in between manicures.
Who It’s For
If you generally prefer unscented products or you like to opt for fragrance-free hand creams that won’t compete with your perfume, this is a great option for you.
Best for Nighttime: Fenty Skin Hydra’Reset Intensive Recovery Glycerin Hand Mask
Nighttime hand masks are often extremely thick and oily; while this one does have a rich texture, it’s far from greasy or slimy. Designed for pre-bedtime application, this hand treatment from Rihanna’s skincare line is packed with hydrating ingredients (like glycerin and a blend of nourishing butters), and it works beautifully to remedy dry patches, smooth skin texture, and significantly boost hand hydration. We were impressed by its smooth, gel-like consistency and lavender squeeze bottle that’s easy to use even if your hands are covered in product.
Who It’s For
If you deal with really dry hands and you like pampering them at night, we highly recommend checking this out.
Best for Eczema: Skinfix Eczema Hand Repair Cream
If you deal with eczema, then you know how hard it can be to find a hand lotion for eczema that adequately moisturizes the skin and helps to relieve the itching and burning sensations that come with flare-ups. This formula from Skinfix checks all those boxes and more due to the fact that it contains colloidal oatmeal, which is known to provide relief from eczema symptoms, as well as allantoin (a hydrating ingredient) and sweet almond oil (a nourishing oil that works to moisturize and smooth the skin). During testing, we found that the texture is quite rich but nevertheless remains easy to work into the skin. It does feel a bit heavier on the hands (compared to the other creams on this list), but given how effective it is and that it doesn’t leave an oily residue behind, we still highly recommend it.
Who It’s For
This cream is excellent for anyone with dry hands, but especially those with eczema, thanks to the inclusion of colloidal oatmeal in the formula.
Where We Stand
The Grown Alchemist Hand Cream is our favorite hand cream. It’s smooth, fast-absorbing, non-greasy, and highly effective at smoothing and moisturizing the hands. But if you’re dealing with extreme dryness or eczema, we recommend the Skinfix Eczema+ Hand Repair Cream.
How We Tested
In order to determine which hand creams are the best, we put more than 30 options to the test in the real world over the course of two weeks. Each member of the team tried one hand cream consistently over the course of two weeks before carefully considering a slew of attributes (more on that below). Then, we scored each product in every category, and those that scored the highest across the categories appear on this list.
Attributes we evaluated each hand cream on:
- How well it absorbs into the skin
- How moisturized it left hands feeling
- How smooth it left hands looking
- How it smelled
- How hand felt post-application and residue
Other Options We Tested
Unsun Cosmetics Hand Cream SPF 15
We love that this SPF hand cream protects the skin from sun damage, but we noticed that it left a strange-feeling, powdery residue on the hands, which made it uncomfortable to wear throughout the day.
CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream
We appreciate the lightweight consistency of this affordable hand cream, but we didn’t feel like it provided long-lasting hydration.
Augustinus Bader The Hand Treatment
There’s no doubt that this luxury formula softens and moisturizes the hands, but it takes a while to absorb, and it does create a residue on the skin.
What to Look for When Buying a Hand Cream
- Ingredients: In order to ensure you’re selecting a hand cream that will be truly effective for improving your dry skin, Madfes says it’s important to look for formulas that contain humectants (like hyaluronic acid and glycerin) as well as ceramides and lipids. Her favorite ingredients in hand creams are shea butter, coconut oil, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. The Fenty Skin Hydra’Reset Intensive Recovery Glycerin Hand Mask is packed with glycerin, which is one of the reasons we love it so much.
- Texture: While the texture of your go-to hand cream is really a matter of preference, it’s still an important factor to consider. If you’re looking for a hand cream that you can use on the go, try something lightweight and non-greasy, like the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Touch Hand Cream. If you prefer something richer, the Skinfix Eczema+ Hand Repair Cream is a great choice.
- Size: We highly recommend buying a cream that’ll last through multiple applications (consistency is key to seeing a real difference here), so you’ll want to take a look at the size options before purchasing. The Grown Alchemist Hand Cream Vanilla Orange Peel offers a few sizes (one of which is 16.9 ounces), which can be helpful for lathering on copious amounts of lotion at once.
FAQ
How often should you use hand cream?
You should apply hand cream as often as you feel is necessary, but keep in mind that Madfes recommends using it at least twice daily and after every hand washing.
What ingredients should be avoided in hand cream?
Just like it’s important to seek out certain ingredients in hand creams, the opposite is also true. According to Madfes, it’s best to avoid synthetic fragrances—especially if you have sensitive or broken skin—because fragrance can be an irritant.
How often should you apply hand cream?
Regular hand washing can dry out your skin, but following with a hand cream can help keep hands feeling smoother and softer.1 If your hands are dry or feel rough, you should apply hand cream each time after you wash your hands.
