21 of the Best Hand Creams for Smooth, Soft Hands
These super-moisturizing hand creams are must-have skin savers.
There's no getting around it: Fighting chapped, sun-parched skin requires a beauty arsenal stocked with lotions, balms, and creams for every inch of your body. These ultra hydrating hand creams earned their spot in our medicine cabinets for doing their job while smelling like fresh flowers, figs, and tropical getaways.
A Mediterranean vacation may not be in the cards, but the rich fruit-floral scent of this hand cream can at least make your desk feel a little more scenic.
Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Hand Crème, $18, sephora.com.
Healthy nails require healthy skin around the nails. Here, hydrating shea butter, grape seed oil, and avocado oil steam up with antioxidants to put you on the path to better manis.
Caudalie Hand & Nail Cream, $15, sephora.com.
This cucumber-scented hand cream is practically perfect for tucking into your purse for those harsh winter months. And for less than you spend on your morning coffee, consider this your bargain of the season.
Eos Hand Lotion in Cucumber, $2, amazon.com.
Between all of the washing, exposure to the elements, and general abuse that comes with being your most-used appendages, your hands take a lot more punishment than the rest of your skin. Take care of it with the veritable laundry list of botanical hydrators (meadowfoam seed oil, rose of jericho extract, and scutellaria extract just to name a few) in this un-greasy moisturizers.
Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment, $24, sephora.com.
The key to keeping hands looking young is avoiding UV damage, but far too many of us forget to apply SPF to our hands every day. This moisturizing lotion takes the thought out of it by including an SPF 40 along with organ oil and antioxidants to fight off free radical damage.
Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn, $38, nordstrom.com.
Inject a little glamour into your day with this ultra-chic tube. The milky formula inside is redolent with the brand's signature rose scent that will keep the luxury going for hours.
Diptyque Eau Rose Hand Cream, $35, nordstrom.com.
Specially designed for sensitive, irritated skin, this hand cream creates a protective barrier between your skin and the elements that can stay put through multiple hand washings - perfect for anyone who can't avoid getting their hands wet.
Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate Restorative Hand Cream, $25, amazon.com.
Coconut oil is a go-to solution for dry skin, but slathering the pure stuff on your hands isn't really tenable for anyone who wants to go through life without smudging and staining every surface they touch. Instead, opt for this dense cream that mixes coconut oil with shea butter and glycerin to leave hands moisturized without dripping grease.
Yes to Coconut Protecting Hand & Cuticle Cream, $6, amazon.com.
For the less florally inclined, this fresh, spicy hand cream combines notes of pink pepper, ginger, and patchouli with a dash of white truffle to make hands feel and smell fantastic.
Molton Brown Replenishing Hand Cream in Pink Pepperpod, $15, nordstrom.com.
The price tag may seem a little steep for a hand cream, but this paraben-, silicone-, and mineral oil-free formula can seriously revitalize even seriously roughed-up hands within days.
Restorsea Repairing Hand Treatment, $85, restorsea.com.
If you've ever watched a home decorating show, you're probably familiar with the term "soothing blue." This hand cream takes the phrase literally, with irritation-calming Japanese indigo extract. The azure hue disappears as you rub it into skin, as does redness, flaking, and chapped skin.
Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream, $38, tatcha.com.
Notes of sandalwood, jasmine, and vanilla make this lush shea butter-based cream feel far more expensive than it actually is.
Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia Hand Creme, $5, target.com.
Not every tube of hand cream earns a place of honor on your perfectly curated vanity, but consider this one an exception. The pretty floral tube looks kitchy, not hokey, and the sweet floral notes of linden flower and clover honey will make you want to dab it on as perfume.
Library of Flowers Linden Handcreme, $24, neimanmarcus.com.
Forget what your mother told you - go play in the mud. At least if the mud is mineral-rich Dead Sea mud like the kind in this concentrated hand cream. (Don't worry, your hands will feel soft and smooth, not dirty.)
Ahava Dermud Intensive Hand Cream, $27, nordstrom.com.
Frederic Fekkai (yes, that one) recently acquired this 25 year old Provencal brand to create products celebrating his hometown of Aix-en-Provence. This dense cream, packed with shea butter, olive oil, and of course lavender will give your desk a touch of French girl cool.
Bastide Creme Intense Deep Repair Hand Cream, $24, nordstrom.com.
Because they spend most of the year exposed, hands are one of the first places that signs of aging show up. Fight back with a dose of retinol, which combined with brightening vitamin C and hydrating shea butter will leave hands looking years younger.
Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream, $78, nordstrom.com.
For seriously dry hands, turn to this hefty, multi-purpose balm filled with organic avocado oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.
Captain Blankenship Avocado & Peppermint Hand, Cuticle & Foot Balm, $24, sephora.com.
It's all about the scent with this luxe, highly-'grammable hand cream. Fragranced with the brand's best-selling Gypsy Water perfume with notes of citrus, juniper berries, incense, vanilla, and sandalwood, the blend leaves hands (or arms, or anywhere else you might dot some on) smelling addictively good.
Byredo Hand Cream in Gypsy Water, $36, net-a-porter.com.
You don't need to have a green thumb to appreciate the hydrating power of this cream. Silky and faster absorbing than some frosting-esque creams, this lotion feels light but has a staying power that working hands will appreciate.
Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy, $22, nordstrom.com.
If you can't stand the slick feel of some hand creams, this super-quick-absorbing serum will make your life easier. It also comes infused with anti-aging retinol and niacinimide: think of it like a facelift for your hands.
Verso Skincare Hand Serum, $55, sephora.com.
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.
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