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The skin on your hands is exposed to all sorts of stressors, from cold weather to cleaning products. Even hand soap can strip skin of its natural oils, causing dryness and irritation. Whether you’re struggling with skin dryness or want something with anti-ageing benefits, there’s probably a hand cream that can help.
The best hand cream for you will depend on the specific problems you’re facing, so I asked dermatologists to identify the best ingredients for each goal. The recommendations here are a result of weeks of thorough testing, based on the expert advice I received.
At a glance
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Best hand cream overall:
L’Occitane shea butter hand cream
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Best budget hand cream:
E45 Repairing hand cream
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Best for dry, chapped hands:
Margaret Dabbs Pure Hands repairing hand cream
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Best hand cream for ageing skin:
Lancôme Absolue the hand cream
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Best hand cream for cuticle and nail care:
Weleda Skin Food
Why you should trust me
As a beauty writer, I’ve tested a huge number of cosmetics. I’ve also completed a course in cosmetic science, which taught me to scan ingredients lists to identify the best products and make solid, science-backed recommendations.
I occasionally suffer from eczema on my hands, especially if I’ve neglected to wear gloves while cleaning, so I’m also painfully aware which creams can help calm down flare-ups.
How I tested
I tested 15 hand creams from popular manufacturers, taking notes on skin-hydration levels, star ingredients and how good each cream felt on application.
Nobody wants to be left with slippery, oily hands, so I noted how quickly each cream sank into my skin. If a cream was scented, I checked how well the fragrance stuck around after application.
I also used a moisture reader to test the hydration levels of my hands before and after using each hand cream. I washed my hands as usual during this period, testing my hydration levels after each wash. This showed how well hydration levels lasted without needing reapplication.
I took a close look at each hand cream’s ingredients list, checking for the dermatologist-recommended active ingredients in decent quantities, as well as any common irritants, such as alcohols or heavy fragrance.
The best hand creams in 2026
Best hand cream overall:
L’Occitane shea butter hand cream
L’Occitane
Shea butter hand cream
from £25
What we love
Soothing, softening and protective without feeling greasy
What we don’t love
Aluminium tubes are prone to splitting
The L’Occitane shea butter hand cream launched more than 30 years ago and has rightly become a handbag essential. It’s formulated with 20% shea butter, making it beautifully soothing, softening and protective without feeling greasy. I’ve used this hand cream for years and it’s never let me down, especially in the colder months when my hands need extra TLC.
Why we love it
Alongside a high concentration of moisturising shea butter, this hand cream includes humectant glycerine to help draw moisture into the skin for hydration. Argan and coconut oils also help soften and condition. Despite its rich, buttery consistency, the cream is fast-absorbing, leaving skin feeling instantly hydrated, and it doesn’t leave a greasy residue.
That hydrated feeling lasted between multiple washes, as confirmed by my moisture-meter tests. And, since the cream has a jasmine and ylang-ylang scent, it was a pleasure to reapply when the time came for a top-up.
This 150ml recyclable tube is the best-value way to buy this cream, but it’s also available in a 30ml handbag size.
It’s a shame that … it’s expensive, and the aluminium tube tends to split when it’s getting towards empty. If this happens, I recommend decanting the leftover product into a reusable tub so nothing goes to waste.
Price per ml: about 17p
Key ingredients: shea butter, argan and coconut oil
Vegan: yes
Certified cruelty-free: no
L’Occitane
Shea butter hand cream
from £25
What we love
Soothing, softening and protective without feeling greasy
What we don’t love
Aluminium tubes are prone to splitting
Best budget hand cream:
E45 repairing hand cream
E45
Repairing hand cream
from £4.79
What we love
Great value, as a little cream goes a long way
What we don’t love
It’s neither vegan, nor certified cruelty free
This budget-friendly cream is also my favourite option for sensitive skin and eczema. It has a simple fragrance-free formula, including some of the best ingredients for hydrating and healing cracked skin. Its rich texture means a little cream goes a long way, so this 50ml tube will last you through a whole winter.
Why we love it
The cream includes 10% urea, a natural moisturising factor (NMF) that helps to hydrate and gently soften thickened areas of the skin. This, paired with the hydrating glycerine, has a smoothing effect on the hands, helping to keep them soft with continued use.
I found this cream particularly lovely to use. On application, it was immediately cooling and hydrating, like a refreshing drink of water for the hands. Its thicker texture felt nourishing, without feeling sticky or heavy. It’s an easy recommendation for most people, but especially those with sensitive skin.
It’s a shame that … it’s not vegan or cruelty-free, and those who prefer to use a scented hand cream won’t find any fragrance here.
Price per ml: from about 10p
Key ingredients: urea, glycerine
Vegan: no
Certified cruelty-free: no
E45
Repairing hand cream
from £4.79
What we love
Great value, as a little cream goes a long way
What we don’t love
It’s neither vegan, nor certified cruelty free
Best for dry, chapped hands:
Margaret Dabbs Pure Hands repairing hand cream
Margaret Dabbs
Pure Hands repairing hand cream
£18
What we love
Rebuilds the skin barrier with every application
What we don’t love
The scent isn’t for everyone, and it lingers for hours
Dry, chapped hands need rehydrating and a layer of protection to help lock in moisture, allowing the skin barrier to heal. Margaret Dabbs’s Pure Hands goes one step further with an ingredient that helps strengthen the skin barrier every time you apply it.
Why we love it
The natural ingredient in question is Pentavitin (scientifically known as saccharide isomerate). This is a plant-derived carbohydrate that acts as a hydrating humectant and a skin-barrier strengthener by binding to the keratin in your skin.
In the formula you’ll also find softening, anti-inflammatory sweet almond oil and vitamin F Forte, which is a protective complex commonly used to treat dry and sensitive skin.
I found this cream hydrated my skin well, with hydration levels lasting through three hand washes before starting to dip. It also softened the thicker areas of my hands, while soothing my fragile, often irritated cuticles. Its rose and lemon scent lingered for a few hours, too.
It’s a shame that … its scent won’t be for everyone, and the packaging is plastic. I’d prefer aluminium tubes, which are easier to recycle (even if they are more prone to splitting).
Price per ml: 24p
Key ingredients: Pentavitin, glycerine, sweet almond oil, vitamin F Forte
Vegan: yes
Certified cruelty-free: yes
Margaret Dabbs
Pure Hands repairing hand cream
£18
What we love
Rebuilds the skin barrier with every application
What we don’t love
The scent isn’t for everyone, and it lingers for hours
Best hand cream for ageing skin:
Lancôme Absolue the hand cream
Lancôme
Absolue The Hand Cream
from £56
What we love
Packed with quality ingredients to slow skin ageing
What we don’t love
At more than £1 per ml, anti-ageing comes at a price
Hands are exposed to more environmental stressors than any other part of the body, so are often the first place to show signs of ageing. This luxurious cream from Lancôme promises to plump the skin on the hands and defend it from further damage.
Why we love it
This cream has lots of natural moisturising factors, ceramides and antioxidants to help protect and restore firmness. Specifically, it includes Pro-Xylane (hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol), a naturally derived anti-ageing ingredient that thickens and plumps the skin. It works by strengthening the connection between the top and bottom layers of skin – connections that get weaker as we age, as collagen production slows. The cream also has soothing niacinamide, antioxidant vitamin E, shea butter and ceramide NP to protect the skin from daily life.
In my tests, I enjoyed this cream’s thick, satin-like feel and light rose scent. It had an immediate softening effect on my skin, with a notable increase in hydration levels. As I would expect for a cream at this price, it also didn’t feel greasy – making it simple to apply during busy days.
It’s a shame that … it’s so expensive.
Price per ml: £1.12
Key ingredients: NMFs, ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin E, shea butter, glycerine
Vegan: no
Certified cruelty-free: no
Lancôme
Absolue The Hand Cream
from £56
What we love
Packed with quality ingredients to slow skin ageing
What we don’t love
At more than £1 per ml, anti-ageing comes at a price
Best hand cream for cuticle and nail care:
Weleda Skin Food
Weleda
Skin Food
from £9.96
What we love
All the hard-working ingredients
What we don’t love
The smell really isn’t appealing
This cream is, without a doubt, the most hard-working in this guide. I like using it after manicures to soften up cuticles, but it can also soften the skin on your elbows, feet and even the face. Some makeup artists use the cream as a primer, although it’s far too rich for my sensitive skin.
Why we love it
Skin Food’s main goal is to give your skin lots of nourishment. It has a thick, rich texture that can help soften cuticles without irritation. When massaged into the hands, its occlusive formula can also help repair dry, cracked skin. This cream took more massaging to sink in, but the softening payoff was incredible and lasted all day. It’s also cruelty-free and vegetarian, with its distinctive scent derived from natural essential oils.
The ingredients list includes a mixture of softening, soothing oils, such as calendula, vitamin- and antioxidant-rich sunflower seed oil and soothing chamomile extract. It’s the only cream on this roundup to feature emollient beeswax, which explains the cream’s thick, rich texture.
It’s a shame that … it has a distinctive smell. Weleda describes this as sweet orange and lavandula; in reality, it smells like a potent mixture of my grandmother’s handbag and a citrus-flavoured throat sweet. Thankfully, the odour fades with time and is worth overlooking for the sake of my nails.
Price per ml: about 13p
Key ingredients: sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, beeswax, chamomile
Vegan: no
Certified cruelty-free: yes
Weleda
Skin Food
from £9.96
What we love
All the hard-working ingredients
What we don’t love
The smell really isn’t appealing
The best of the rest
Jo Malone London wood sage and sea salt hand cream
Jo Malone London
London wood sage and sea salt hand cream
from £24
What we love
A divine scent that lasts for hours
What we don’t love
Pricey for a pretty average formulation
Best for: luxury and gifting
If you want a lasting, classic scent, the newly launched Jo Malone London hand creams are my pick. These handbag-size creams have a soft, satin-like consistency that melts into the skin and dries quickly. They use glycerine and hyaluronic acid to give the skin a hit of moisture, with sunflower seed oil and fatty acids helping to condition and moisturise.
For me, the star of the show is the scent. I adored the wood sage and sea salt cream I tested, and can see it becoming a staple for those who already love the matching perfume – this would make a lovely gift for any Jo Malone lover.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it’s pricey and the formulation isn’t doing anything hugely groundbreaking. It doesn’t feel as nourishing or protective as other, and cheaper, options – such as Weleda’s Skin Food or the E45 cream. Those with very dry skin should look elsewhere.
Price per ml: 80p; key ingredients: glycerine, hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil; vegan: no; certified cruelty-free: no
Jo Malone London
London wood sage and sea salt hand cream
from £24
What we love
A divine scent that lasts for hours
What we don’t love
Pricey for a pretty average formulation
Body Shop strawberry hand cream
The Body Shop
Strawberry hand cream
from £7
What we love
A little goes a long way, and it absorbs into skin quickly
What we don’t love
There’s not much shea butter in there, despite the label
Best for: travel
This is a good option for a handbag-size tube of hand cream. It’s made with fatty acids, hydrating humectants and sweet almond oil to help hydrate and moisturise the skin on your hands. It has a light texture, so a little goes a long way and it sinks into the hands quickly.
I liked the sweet strawberry scent, but if that isn’t up your street, the Body Shop sells a wide range of alternative fragrances, including fun seasonal options. The recycled aluminium tubes are also recyclable.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it’s advertised as including shea butter, but that comes far below fragrance on its ingredients list.
Price per ml: from 23p; key ingredients: glycerine, sweet almond oil, fatty acids; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
The Body Shop
Strawberry hand cream
from £7
What we love
A little goes a long way, and it absorbs into skin quickly
What we don’t love
There’s not much shea butter in there, despite the label
Commune Seymour hand cream
Commune
Seymour hand cream
from £35
What we love
Effective and planet-friendly
What we don’t love
It’s not widely stocked and pricey where it is
Best for: the planet
Based on performance alone, this would be one of my top recommendations. It’s formulated with 99% naturally derived ingredients, including loads of natural oils. It has cocoa butter and shea butter to soften and nourish the hands, plus rosehip, coconut, sweet almond and antioxidant-rich sea buckthorn oils, which have smoothing, skin strengthening and moisturising benefits.
This naturally fragranced cream has a sweet citrus scent that dries to a relaxing, woody aroma that smells clean and sophisticated. The packaging is plastic-free, with a weighty recyclable aluminium screw cap and tube. You can even buy the hand cream in a pump bottle, with a reusable pump and aluminium bottle refills.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it’s expensive and isn’t as widely stocked as other hand creams. I also wish the cream was available to buy in a smaller tube, so it was easier to carry around.
Price per ml: about 47p; key ingredients: cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, rosehip oil; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
Commune
Seymour hand cream
from £35
What we love
Effective and planet-friendly
What we don’t love
It’s not widely stocked and pricey where it is
Rituals Private Collection smooth violet kitchen hand balm
Rituals
Private Collection smooth violet kitchen hand balm
from £14.90
What we love
Great for getting yourself into good hand-care habits
What we don’t love
Completely plastic packaging
Best for: kitchens and bathrooms
The easiest way to force a hand cream into your routine is to keep one in a pump bottle by your sink. This affordable cream from Rituals is a brilliant option for this, since its slim, stylish bottle fits in any space.
The cream covers all the basics, with hydrating glycerine and softening shea butter, and it absorbs quickly so you can continue with your day without slippery hands. Its fragrance also feels unique and warming, combining rose with soothing violet, earthy sandalwood and patchouli.
It didn’t make the final cut because … this cream isn’t doing anything groundbreaking. Its packaging is also completely plastic.
Price per ml: from about 9p; key ingredients: glycerine, shea butter; vegan: yes; certified cruelty-free: yes
Rituals
Private Collection smooth violet kitchen hand balm
from £14.90
What we love
Great for getting yourself into good hand-care habits
What we don’t love
Completely plastic packaging
Moroccanoil hand cream: Fragrance Originale
Moroccanoil
Hand cream: Fragrance Originale
from £20.50
What we love
The same lovely scent as the brand’s hair care products
What we don’t love
Low concentrations of shea butters
Best for: lasting scent
Moroccanoil is best known for its hair care, but its body care range is a similar hit in my household. This hand cream is infused with hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin while argan oil, cocoa and shea butter soften. It also has squalane, a natural moisturising factor that helps smooth the skin and support the skin barrier.
Alongside its lightweight feeling it has the same fragrance as the brand’s hair care products, which is a lovely woody amber and magnolia. It’s light, fresh and uplifting, perfect as a pick-me-up after a long day.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the shea butters aren’t in high concentrations, which means the softening benefits aren’t as pronounced. I also wish its plastic packaging was swapped to a more recyclable aluminium.
Price per ml: about 21p; key ingredients: glycerine, squalane, cocoa butter, shea butter; vegan: no; certified cruelty-free: yes
Moroccanoil
Hand cream: Fragrance Originale
from £20.50
What we love
The same lovely scent as the brand’s hair care products
What we don’t love
Low concentrations of shea butters
What you need to know
What do hand creams help with?
“The hands face more exposure to environmental and lifestyle aggressors, such as UV rays, extreme cold and hot temperatures, and excessive washing,” says Dr Mo Akhavani, co-founder of the Plastic Surgery Group. “Creams offer nourishment and hydration to the skin on the hands, as well as helping to protect them from these lifestyle and environmental factors.”
When should I apply hand cream?
“Apply hand cream after washing your hands, as soap can strip the skin’s natural oils,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips. “Cell regeneration peaks when you sleep,” so you may even want to keep a hand cream on your nightstand to help boost these natural regenerative processes. “Applying it before bed allows for deeper absorption and repair.” Overnight use can also keep the cream on the skin for longer, giving it more time to work without disturbance.
The weather also has an impact on our hands. “You may also need to apply hand creams more often in extreme weather conditions, such as if hands are exposed to cold, dry conditions,” says Phillips. This is usually a bigger problem in winter, as colder air has lower humidity and central heating indoors dries out the air even further. Pair this with the comparatively low number of oil glands in the hands, and you’ve got a recipe for dryness.
Do I need to buy a hand cream or will body moisturiser work?
Hand creams and body moisturisers are formulated differently, according to Phillips. “Hand cream typically has a thicker and more emollient consistency, with a higher oil content in order to address the dry skin.
“It’s also usually formulated to help create a protective barrier against the elements, as well as lifestyle habits such as frequent washing. Body moisturiser is typically made with a higher water content so that it’s easier to spread over large areas.”
Buying a dedicated cream is a targeted way to protect your hands’ skin barrier. That said, if your budget can’t stretch to a hand cream, using a body moisturiser can help hydrate the hands in the short term – you’ll just miss out on some of the protective benefits associated with hand creams that have higher oil and emollient formulations.
What are the best ingredients for dry, cracked hands?
“The best ingredients are those that focus on hydration and drawing moisture into the skin. Humectants are key to this,” says Akhavani. The most popular of these are glycerine and hyaluronic acid, although many exist, including AHAs (lactic acid and glycolic acid), aloe vera and panthenol.
Also, “ceramides are essential as they replenish the natural lipids in the skin barrier, helping it to seal in hydration and protect against further irritation,” says Phillips. He also recommends shea butter, “a rich emollient that coats the skin in a protective layer, soothing dryness while helping to restore suppleness”.
Natural moisturising factors, or NMFs, are also crucial in a hand cream, as they mimic naturally occurring components of the skin barrier, helping restore the skin’s moisture levels long term. “Urea is especially valuable for rough or cracked skin because it hydrates and gently softens thickened areas, making the skin feel smoother,” says Phillips. Other NMFs include peptides, sodium PCA and amino acids.
What are the best ingredients for ageing skin on the hands?
“Many people notice that with age their hands lose their natural volume, elasticity and plumpness, making them appear more wrinkled and saggy,” says Akhavani. “Some people may also experience this after weight loss.”
According to the experts, ageing skin on the hands can be tackled in much the same way as ageing skin on the face. That is, by using retinol to smooth fine lines over time, vitamin C to brighten uneven tone, and niacinamide to help support the skin barrier while reducing pigmentation.
For more:
The best anti-ageing creams, serums and treatments
Winter beauty essentials: Sali Hughes’s 30 favourite cold weather products
The best moisturising lip balms to hydrate and protect your lips
Sarah Matthews is a consumer journalist who specialises in giving health and beauty recommendations. She’s tested her way through more makeup, skincare and hair care than you can shake a stick at. Thanks to her stubborn hormonal acne, concealer is always a staple in her makeup bag
