14 Best Hand Creams for Dry Skin, Anti

Wellness > Personal Care

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By Kelly Mickle

When it comes to skincare, we sometimes forget the most obvious places—like the back of our hands. Our hands, after all, do daily battle with the elements plus physical labor, two key reasons they need a little extra attention.

“Even just washing our hands and using hand sanitizer regularly can compromise the skin because our hands don’t have oil glands that create a protective barrier like the rest of our skin,” says Michelle Henry, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. This makes our hands more susceptible to dryness, irritation and inflammation.

Beverly Hills, Calif.-based celebrity esthetician Angela Caglia tells clients to keep both a hand cream with SPF in their bag and an anti-aging formula by their nightstand. “The optimal time for tending to your hands is while sleeping,” she says.

To find out the ideal hand creams for different skin types and situations, skin doctors and other beauty experts share their favorites for giving hands the TLC they deserve.

$11 at Target

$11 at Amazon

This ultra-hydrating formula has a lot going for it. “It’s really good for preventing dry hands because it contains shea butter and glycerin, which have nourishing properties that help lock in moisture,” says Dr. Henry. She also appreciates that it’s free of fragrance, making it ideal for sensitive skin.

$38 at Sephora

$38 at Amazon

To keep sun spots and wrinkles away, it’s essential to apply a daily SPF like this non-greasy hand cream with broad-spectrum protection. “It’s a lighter formula that absorbs well into the hands without feeling sticky,” Caglia says. Plus, its blend of fatty acids and vitamins helps improve skin’s hydration and elasticity.

$17 at Ulta

$17 at Amazon

Joshua Zeichner, M.D., the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Department of Dermatology in New York City, swears by this ultra rich moisturizer, which contains purified lanolin to protect and repair the skin. “Lanolin is the same ingredient that gives sheep’s wool its waterproof quality and it does the same for the skin, keeping hydration in and protecting the hands from external aggressors,” says Dr. Zeichner.

$5 at Neutrogena

When it comes to healing skin that’s chapped from windburn or over-washing, Dr. Henry likes this concentrated repair formula. It’s made with 40% glycerin and it’s hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, she says, “making it an excellent choice for extremely dry hands that need extra care.”

$55 at Ulta

$55 at Saks Fifth Avenue

To treat her hands with luxury, Evelyn Lim, chief educator at Paintbox Nails, swears by this luxurious pick. “It absorbs quickly into skin, nourishes, protects and softens hands,” says Lim. Also nice: The scent is refreshing without being overpowering.

$29 at Amazon

$29 at Ulta

This clean vegan formula contains Caglia’s favorite oil: Meadowfoam Seed Oil. “It’s almost the same molecular structure as our own natural oil (sebum),” she says, so it delivers the essential fatty acids our skin needs. It also contains zinc oxide for reef-safe broad-spectrum SPF 15 sun protection.

$7 at Amazon

$11 at Walmart

When she wants a lightweight remedy that doesn’t leave a greasy film on her hands, New York City-based celebrity esthetician Sofie Pavitt turns to a glycerin-based product invented in 1919 for corn huskers working with brittle corn husks. “It’s so old school it looks like it could be a prop in a childrens play kitchen, but trust me—you will not be disappointed,” Pavitt says.

$60 at Beauty Pie

Layer this lotion on before bed every night to wake up with softer skin. “It’s silky and lightweight and contains micro encapsulated retinol and shea butter, which is great for hand wrinkles while providing deep moisture at the same time,” says Caglia. She suggests applying retinols only at bedtime, since they can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. (Or at least make sure to avoid the sun and wear sunscreen if using other times.) The cream goes for $60, but if you pay a $59 annual fee for a Beauty Pie membership, you can buy it for $15.

$7 at Amazon

As a New York City-based plastic surgeon, David Shafer, M.D., is constantly scrubbing his hands to go in and out of the sterile operating room, so to hydrate and prevent cracks in the skin, he opts for this drugstore cream with thick emollients. “It has a non-greasy formula which is very important to me,” he says. “I put a huge dollop on my hand and rub the rest on my arms, as during surgery we also scrub past our elbows.”

$15 at Amazon

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$20 at Walmart

Since eczema can leave skin dry, bumpy and itchy, Dr. Henry recommends this reliable formula made with 2% colloidal oatmeal, a natural skin protectant. “It works fast and is gentle for sensitive skin,” she says.

$60 at Sephora

$60 at Neiman Marcus

Pavitt keeps this super nourishing hand cream in her purse at all times. “I love that the packaging is chic and it can be used on the body and lips [too],” she says.

$7 at Walmart

This drugstore find helps hydrate and repair the skin barrier with a blend of ceramides and emollient oils. And Dr. Zeichner especially likes that “it fully rubs in without leaving the hands feeling sticky.”

$38 at Amazon

$38 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Lim likes this silky formula because “it contains collagen and vitamin C to help brighten and even skin tone.” It’s also compact and easy to toss in a tote or glove box.

$29 at Ulta

$29 at Amazon

This cult-favorite nourishing balm for parched or sensitive skin is a go-to recommendation for Dendy Engelman, M.D., a dermatologic surgeon at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City. She considers it “tried and true for cuticles and hangnails.”

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