Using hand lotion is something everyone should make part of their daily routine. Not only does it address dry, cracked skin from dry air or the use of hand sanitizer and soap, but it can provide sunscreen to protect from cancer-causing UV damage, and helps prevent your hands’ skin from aging. When your hands are dry, it can be hard to know which ingredients to use
We've researched the best hand lotions available and chose O'Keefe's Working Hands as our favorite. It's fragrance-free and concentrated, so you only need a small amount. We've also put together a list of 10 of the best hand lotions we found online and a buying guide to help you choose.
Quick List - Top Hand Lotions for Dry Skin
Dr. Levy is a board certified dermatologist practicing in NYC and Westport, Connecticut. She has expertise in treating inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. She has an interest in skincare and takes a personalized approach to all of her patients.
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
In order to evaluate if the product is actually effective, you need to look into the ingredients and their functions to make sure they are suitable for your skin conditions. To make your shopping easier, read the guide below!
Dry skin faces two problems: it's not producing enough moisture and it's losing what it has. To hydrate, or add water to the skin, look for humectants. To create a barrier to prevent moisture loss, softening emollients and oily occlusives are what you need.
People with an average amount of skin dryness can choose a hand cream product that is more watery and contains a simple formula. These hand creams mainly work to soften and moisturize.
Moisturizing your skin means you have to increase its water content, which ingredients such as glycerin, urea, or hyaluronic acid can accomplish. Some hand lotions are also formulated to nourish your cuticles as well as your hands. If you also want to moisturize those areas, read labels carefully to see what their intended effects are.
If you're active and use your hands a lot, you may develop calluses. A lotion with urea can help soften the calluses and thin them out. Glycerin is very hydrating and is not as greasy as petrolatum, so it's a great option to use several times a day.
If you have extremely dry skin, you need to look for ingredients with restorative properties. Lotions that nourish and strengthen your hands' hydro lipid film, which protects your skin and alleviates discomfort, is extremely important. Some ingredients that help with this are plant-derived oils, waxes, allantoin, and aloe vera.
Hyaluronic acid and ceramides can provide deep moisture to dry hands. Plant oils like jojoba oil, castor oil, olive oil, and shea butter also work well, and there's little chance that they'll irritate your skin.
For very dry skin, make sure you are using a thick cream or an ointment-based product. These will provide the most amount of moisture to the skin. Also, use the hand cream after every hand wash, since washing or sanitizing strips your skin of natural oils and hydration.
For maximum hydration, use the lotion under cotton gloves at night. Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream is one of my go-to recommendations for those with hand eczema and dry skin.
Sensitive skin has a weaker skin barrier than other skin types, so it needs more protection. Your safest choices are hand lotions made from a relatively short and simple list of ingredients. Even if a product is 100 percent natural, that doesn't mean it's non-irritating and can't have adverse effects, so make sure to conduct a patch test.
As for good ingredients to look for, aloe, arnica, and rosehip extracts are heroes for sensitive hands because they can soften and moisturize the skin while preventing and reducing irritation. Chamomile and lavender also have great soothing effects on both your skin and your mind!
Arnica can be very useful in helping resolve inflammation in the hands as well as help with bruising. The thin skin of the top of the hands is very prone to accidental bruising and is a common place to get solar purpura - bruising that seems to occur almost spontaneously in sun-damaged, aged skin. Arnica, vitamin C and vitamin K creams can help with this problem.
Hands that are chapped or cracked need some serious care and attention. Like dry hands, you'll probably want to look for super moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil, shea butter, paraffin, ceramides, and almond oil. They'll repair damage and also soothe.
We also recommend vitamin E to support blood circulation and vitamin C for reduced dryness and speedy healing.
If you have wrinkled and aging skin, you should choose hand cream that can supply ample collagen and antioxidants. These ingredients will protect and revitalize your hands. Vitamin E is also a common ingredient in anti-aging care.
We also recommend using a hand lotion with SPF or a separate sunscreen to protect your skin from further sun damage.
If you find yourself using your smartphone or laptop directly after applying hand lotion, you should choose something with a fast-absorbing, light, or watery texture. Greasy formulas could leave prints on your screen.
In fact, a greasy texture is a common complaint among hand lotion users, and some people may go out of their way to avoid lotions with oils. This might be a mistake, since ingredients like shea butter can provide you with long-lasting moisture. It may be a good idea to use a greasier formula for nighttime and a lighter lotion for daytime use.
Ointments or oil-based lotions can be annoying to use during the day, but for seriously dry skin or chapped hands, using a greasy oil-based ointment is the best thing you can do for your hands. Additionally, many creams and lotions will burn if you have an active rash, but ointment and oil-based lotions are less irritating.
Some hand lotions have a strong or lingering aroma, so you're going to want to choose something you'll enjoy smelling throughout the day. Ingredients like vanilla, chamomile, floral, and fruity scents can be light in intensity, while herbal ingredients can produce stronger smells.
Strong fragrances can be irritating to your skin as well as your nose, so it's a good idea to read reviews to see what customers say. Of course, there are also plenty of unscented products available; we'd particularly recommend these to people with sensitive skin.
Choose a fragrance-free product if you have an active hand rash, history of atopic dermatitis, or contact dermatitis. Fragrances are a common cause of contact dermatitis and cause red, painful, and itchy rashes. Avoid essential oils or even natural scents with a history of eczema since these can trigger flares.
For regular, daily use, you should aim for SPF 15 or higher. You should also look for one that says it's broad spectrum, which means it blocks both skin-damaging UVA and cancer-causing UVB rays.
Other benefits you can get from some hand lotions include skin brightening and blemish lightening, which may be important if you already suffer from age spots due to sun damage. Try to find ingredients like hydroquinone, kojic acid or glycolic acid.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | O'Keefe's Working Hands Hand Cream | ![]() | Best Soothing Relief for Cracked, Dry Hands | |
2 | Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream | ![]() | Best for Calming Dry Skin on Hands and Even Chapped Lips | |
3 | Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream|3 pack | ![]() | Best to Repair and Strengthen Dry Skin | |
4 | L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream | ![]() | Best Lotion Packed With Shea Butter and Oils | |
5 | Burt's Bees Ultimate Care Hand Cream | ![]() | Best for a Variety of Plant Butters, Oils and Extracts | |
6 | Ahava Dead Sea Mineral Hand Cream | ![]() | Best for Moisturizing From Minerals | |
7 | Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Dry Hand Cream | ![]() | Best Glycerin-Rich Hand Cream to Hydrate and Soften | |
8 | Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream | ![]() | Best for Eczema Therapy | |
9 | Gold Bond Medicated Hand Cream | ![]() | Currently unavailable | Best for Sun Lovers |
10 | Salcoll Collagen Collagen Intensive Hand and Nail Repair | ![]() | Best Anti-Aging Care for Hands |
Pros:
Cons:
This formula helps with dry skin, and can also prevent blisters and cracking, especially during the winter. The consistency of the cream is relatively thick, so you may have to wait for a bit before the cream absorbs into your skin.
Some reviewers mentioned that it leaves their hands greasy, but that it is effective. They say that it isn't scented and works quickly on dry hands. It also works extremely well on cracked hands and keeps their hands soft throughout the day.
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This Yu-Be formula contains vitamin E for anti-aging care and vitamin B2, which is necessary to maintain your skin's collagen levels. Camphor is well-known for calming skin irritation and itchiness.
Some reviewers reported that the cream did not absorb well, but since it's concentrated, you only should apply a small amount. They say that it does moisturize effectively and softens rough skin. Some reviewers even use this on their cracked heels and saw quick results.
Pros:
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This hand cream is enriched with ceramide-3 and natural amino acids that can provide your skin with moisturizing and improved texture. It's great for those who suffer from chapped, damaged and cracked skin. Dermatologists also recommend this to people with eczema.
Some reviewers were not fans of its smell, and others said it left their skin feeling greasy. But most liked that the lotion helped greatly with their dry and cracked hands.
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With 20 percent shea butter, honey, almond extract, and coconut oil in the formula, this hand cream provides your hands with the necessary moisture not matter how dry they get. Additionally, it absorbs quickly into your hands and leaves no oily residue.
However, some reviewers mentioned that it washes off more easily than they expected. They praise the cream for being rich and concentrated, however, so a small amount goes a long way.
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This hand lotion is made from 98.9 percent natural ingredients. It is hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested to moisturize dry skin as well as exfoliate. Baobab oil, shea butter, jojoba, and other emollients and occlusives soothe and soften dry skin.
No fragrances have been added to this hand lotion, but it does have a scent from the fruit and herb extracts. Reviewers are almost unanimous on how effective this lotion is at moisturizing their skin, and say that it doesn't leave a greasy residue.
Pros:
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Ahava's Mineral Hand Cream contains Dead Sea minerals that help replenish your skin. Comfrey helps heal cracking and witch hazel soothes sun damage. It is alcohol-free and has a low pH, which means it's less likely to irritate sensitive or dry skin.
Reviewers seem to either love or hate the scent, so that may be a deal-breaker for you. They say that it makes their hands feel silky soft and works effectively on dry and even cracked hands. Reviewers praise the lotion for being thick but not greasy.
Pros:
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The formula used in this hand cream is clinically shown to prevent dry skin. It has high concentration of glycerin, which has hydrating properties for dryness, as well as acting as an emollient to soften rough skin. It's fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, so everyone can use it.
Many reviewers have mentioned that the cream is a bit greasy. To fix this matter, you can apply it before going to bed, to give your hands an intense overnight treatment.
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A main component of this hand cream is colloidal oatmeal, a well-known ingredient that can moisturize and soothe irritation and itching. Additionally, the formula contains ceramides, which are important lipids for the skin, to lock in moisture.
Many people with eczema love this lotion, and say it's the best non-steroid cream they've tried. Most also find it fairly non-greasy and say it feels cooling when you apply it.
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Cons:
For a hydrating hand cream that also protects you from sun damage, give this one a try. Not only that, but it also works great as an anti-aging option! It has a variety of moisturizers, plus fruit extracts, all of which work together to smooth, protect and heal aging or dry skin.
Reviewers say it makes their hands feel really soft. Some admit it can take some time to absorb, but those with aging hands and those who experience dry hands from use of sanitizers say they apply it daily and love the results.
Pros:
Cons:
This hand lotion contains a large amount of marine collagen, which can nourish and soften your chapped skin and reduce wrinkles. It's also enriched with proteins and elastin, boosting skin regeneration and repairing damage.
Some reviewers didn't see any noticeable differences. However, the fast-absorbing properties of this hand lotion are praised by many reviewers, and they say that it did leave their hands soft and their skin more taut.
You may have your lotion picked out, but do you have any lingering questions? Here's an answer to a commonly asked question about hand lotion, answered after careful research.
Many sources say it's necessary to apply hand lotion twice a day, and a lot of people like to use it right after handwashing. In fact, there's no set rule about how often to apply hand lotion, and it mainly depends on how your skin feels.
If you suffer from really dry skin, or it's dry in winter, or you wash or sanitize your hands a lot, more than twice a day could be most comfortable for you. You'll get the most out of a lotion if you apply it right after bathing when your skin is still damp; then, it can trap some of the water in the skin.
One study showed that lotions do help with dryness from handwashing, so you'll want to apply lotion each time after you do so.
Keeping your hands moisturized and clean sometimes requires more than just a good hand lotion. Here are some other products to keep your hands hygienic and healthy.
No. 1: O'Keefe's|Working Hands Hand Cream
No. 2: Yu-Be|Moisturizing Skin Cream
No. 3: Eucerin|Advanced Repair Hand Cream|3 pack
No. 4: L'Occitane en Provence|Shea Butter Hand Cream
No. 5: Burt's Bees|Ultimate Care Hand Cream
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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