In spite of what the cozy sweaters, knit beanies, and insulating footwear do for the rest of our bodies, no matter what winter always seems to leave our hands pretty worse for wear.
Maybe it’s because we’re glued to our phones instead of our mittens, or with all the baking (or germs!) going around we’re more apt to wash our hands and rub them dry. Whatever the case, we thought it’d be helpful to run to the drugstore and hit a few online retailers for you testing out which hand creams truly salve the day. Curious? Keep reading!
1. Korres Nourishing Hand Cream with Almond Oil and Shea Butter
Best for: A classic go-to.
Creamy absorption that’s slightly thicker than normal, non-greasy, yet still feels luxe and calming. The scent is light, airy, but not too overpowering. Formulated without parabens, sulfates and phthalates, too.
2. Radical Skincare Hand and Nail Multi-Repair Cream
Best for: Hands in need of some serious help.
Specially formulated to fight seven signs of aging, this lotion is a scentless powerhouse of hand-healing goodness that we reached for on the daily. Contains: Essential collagen and elastin fibers to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity, trylacel technology to support the healing of skin, hexylresorcinol and raspberry extract to reduce dark spots, myrrh extract to support the strengthening of nails and condition cuticles, rice extract to absorb excess secretion in the palms, and shea butter to leave hands feeling ultra-smooth and hydrated.
3. TRUE All You Need Is Me Intensive Cream
Best for: Spot treatment like cracked cuticles or red knuckles.
This goes on more like a salve than a hand cream, so just use a little bit at a time, but it provides long-lasting hydration to heal skin with natural ingredients that are 95% organic. We’d recommend using this just before bed, especially on your elbows.
4., 10. & 14. Naked Princess Scented Hand Creme
Best for: Replacing your perfume.
Since regular spray-on perfume tends to evaporate more quickly from drier skin, during the winter months consider switching from a liquid to a lotion-based scent. This collection is made from argan, coconut and avocado oils to hydrate said dry skin and leave behind soft smells of vanilla musk, almond, jasmine or white lily.
5. Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream
Best for: Natural goodness.
Did you know silk and indigo were anti-inflammatory? We didn’t, but are sure glad Tatcha did. This lotion comes out purple (fun!), but smoothes on clear to quickly absorb and plump up your skin with good things like tryptanthrin and indirubin, which help reduce irritation and promote skin’s natural healing abilities. It also contains hadasei-3 bioactive complex — a proprietary antioxidant and anti-aging complex of green tea, Okinawa red algae, and Japanese rice bran extracts. Beyond the big words, we liked this a lot.
6. TOCCA Crema da Mano
Best for: Also replacing your perfume.
But with a wider variety of scents that are more subdued and understated than Naked Princess. If you’re looking for a lotion first, great smell second, this is our pick. The formula goes on silky but feels non-greasy, and is also paraben-free. Grazie, Tocca.
7. Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
Best for: The design-savvy.
We’ve seen this hand balm all over Instagram, so we had to try it to see if it’s worth the buzz. Guess what? It is. You’ll almost think the formula is too thin as you rub it in, only to discover the lotion is already absorbed, leaving a smooth patch of skin in its citrusy wake. Formulated with botanical extracts.
8. Yes to™ Coconuts Hand & Cuticle Cream
Best for: Hands on a budget.
If you want something natural without breaking the bank, this is our pick. The coconut scent will instantly chase away any chill weather blues, while also hydrating hands with coconut oil and shea butter, keeping moisture in despite several hand-washings. An easy choice that does what it says it will.
9. Trilogy Ultra-Hydrating Hand Cream
Best for: Daily use.
Something about this blend really did it for us. Just the right amount of thickness and absorption combined with hints of orange and amber for a truly delightful, wintry scent. It didn’t gunk up nails or jewelry either — another win that had us looking for excuses to dab on just a little bit more.
11. derma e Vitamin E Intense Therapy Hand Cream
Best for: In-flight hydration.
Because we’re inevitably cold, hungry, dry or tired on any flight we take, this lotion helps take the sting out of mid-flight dehydration and instantly soothes overworked or extra chapped hands. Containing things like antioxidant vitamin E or D- Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, cranberry seed oil, red palm oil, green tea oil‚ jojoba seed oil‚ grapefruit oil, olive fruit oil and aloe vera leaf, you’re sure to get long-lasting help without any scent whatsoever. Your seatmate will thank you for that — and probably ask to try some.
12. SpaRitual Hand Salve
Best for: Gifting.
Instantly soothing, perfectly portable, this marula oil-based lotion was another on constant rotation around the office. As odd as it may sound, we appreciated the ease and consistency that you were able to squeeze this out of the tube, along with how quickly it absorbed and how little it took to make your skin feel silky and conditioned. Vegan and organic, this would make a great wintry day pick-me-up for your friend on your next coffee date.
13. EOS Berry Blossom Hand Cream
Best for: Your last minute Target run.
We’ve all been suckered into the checkout aisle temptations of candy, mints, and bubble gum in obscene flavors. And seeing as how the checkout aisle is also where you’d find this hand cream, we were skeptical of its quality. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised at the luxe feel of this 97% organic, paraben-free lotion, the slight but-not-too sweet scent and the genius circular design that makes it an easy find in a bottomless purse. Keep this on you at all times and your hands will reap the benefit.
15. Tata Harper Rejuvenating Hand Cream
Best for: Treating yourself.
We’ve long been fans of Tata, considering how dedicated the company is to producing “beauty without compromise” and hand-growing, hand-crafting every product from 100% organic and non-toxic ingredients. So that’s why this lotion wins our vote for what’s worth it to splurge on — a fresh floral scent that isn’t obnoxious combined with deep moisture that visibly conditions your hand almost as soon as you use it, thanks to biocompatible hyaluronic acid, avocado peptides, bamboo extract and their estate grown beauty complex. This is the kind of cream you use with care and appreciate every time.
What are your favorite winter skin remedies?
Images via Milena Mallory
2 comments
Wow- this is great! I’ll have to try some of these out. My go-to hand cream is by ahava. This is my essential list for Winter Skin Care >>> http://www.hazelhaven.com/blog1/6-winter-skin-care-essentials
EOS always gets me at Target!!
http://www.kelseymarie.co