6 Best Hand Creams

When we think of the word “skincare,” we immediately think of the skin on your face. Somehow, overlooking the skin on our hands seems to be the norm.

We’d happily shell out cash for the best serums and moisturizers, but hand creams are often a mere afterthought. In spite of that, the fact remains that paying attention to our hands is just as important.

Even if you successfully maintain a flawless, wrinkle-free face as you age, extending a dry and wrinkly hand as you reach out for a handshake is a dead giveaway.

To add, few things make a better first impression than soft, smooth, and youthful hands. Fortunately, taking care of our hands can be as simple as religiously using a reliable hand cream. Hand care is even more important for those of us who live in harsh weather conditions. Germophobes who wash their hands very often shouldn’t skip the hand cream aisle, either.

We’ve created this buying guide to help you get into the habit of using a hand cream or lotion. And what better way to do so than by hooking you up with a product that you’ll absolutely love?

So sit back, relax, and read on. Trust us, your hands will thank you for it.

Why is Hand Cream Essential?

We can all agree that the hands are easily the busiest body part. You depend on them for a huge chunk of your daily activities. They’re in constant contact with different objects and other people. You use them to pick things up, to exercise, and in all-important handshakes.

Because of this, the hands are also the most frequently-washed body part. And every time you use antibacterial soap, you dry out your hands—leaving your skin vulnerable to cracks, dehydration, and aging.

If you compare your hands to the rest of your body, you’ll notice that the skin on the hands is much thinner. This makes them even more vulnerable to dryness and rough spots.

Also, we don’t usually think of our hands when we’re talking about sun protection. And many of those who do use sunscreen tend to forget to reapply after handwashing. Considering that our hands are one of the first body parts to show signs of aging, incorporating a hydrating and nourishing hand cream into your everyday routine becomes even more important.

When to Apply Your Hand Cream

• After a shower. Your hands come in contact with soap and shampoo while you’re in the shower, and cleansing agents like these can dry out the skin.
• After washing your hands. Every time you wash your hands with soap and water, you remove the protective layer of moisturizer on your hands. This is why reapplication is important.
• After doing chores that involve water. Exposure to harsh cleansing agents isn’t limited to the bathroom. When you use your bare hands to do the laundry and wash the dishes, your hands lose moisture, too.
• Before going out. Applying some hand cream before you step out will protect your hands from harsh environmental elements like the wind.
• Before bed. Applying a hand cream right before you go to bed is a great way to pamper your hands overnight. You’ll wake up to smooth and silky hands—and we all want that, right?

What Causes Dry Hands?

If you’re experiencing extreme dryness on your hands, it’s always best to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem. Addressing the root of the issue will enable any hand cream to give better and longer-lasting results.

Some potential causes of dry skin include:

• Frequent hand washing, especially if you use a harsh soap and hot water
• Hard water, which contains a lot of minerals that might be sucking moisture out of your skin
• Use of harsh sanitizers and rubbing alcohols
• Smoking, which dries out the skin in general
• Poor diet—specifically, a diet that is low in essential fatty acids from food sources like salmon, avocado, almonds, and tuna
• Extreme weather conditions
• Harsh personal care products, which strip moisture off your skin

A Guide to Hand Cream Ingredients

Different hand creams boast various ingredients to solve our hands’ woes. The sheer variety of possible hand cream components might make the entire shopping process daunting, but they can actually be categorized into a few categories.

So, what should the best hand creams contain? And what exactly do these ingredients do? Check out this brief guide to learn more.

1. Water. The main point of using hand creams, after all, is to hydrate our hands. Most products contain an oil-water emulsion which ensures that water is absorbed into our hands instead of evaporating into the air.
2. Emollients. Emollients are ingredients that give the skin that soft, silky feel. Some examples of emollients that are commonly used in hand creams are shea butter, cocoa butter, lanolin, beeswax, jojoba, and squalene.
3. Humectants. Humectants are prized ingredients in skincare because they pull moisture from the air and into the skin. Some examples of humectant ingredients are glycol and glycerin.
4. Occlusives. Occlusives, as the name suggests, form a barrier that prevents moisture from escaping from the skin. Paraffin, mineral oil, lecithin, and other oils are examples of occlusive ingredients.
5. Exfoliating acids. Some hand creams contain exfoliating acids to help slough off dead skin cells. Doing so will let moisturizing ingredients penetrate the skin better. Some examples of exfoliating acids are lactic and glycolic acid.
6. Vitamins. Many manufacturers add vitamins into their hand cream formulations for added skin benefits. These vitamins nourish the skin and help fight skin aging. Popular vitamins in hand creams are Vitamins A, C, and E.

How to Choose the Best Hand Cream

Here are the factors you should consider when shopping for a hand cream:

How much moisture you need

Hand creams offer varying levels of moisture. Some hand creams are super emollient to cater to extremely dry hands. On the flip side, some boast a lighter formulation for milder concerns.

Scent

When it comes to skincare, we tend to overlook our hands a lot. But if you have a hand cream that smells great, you’ll likely find yourself using it more often. Luckily, dozens of different scent options abound in the hand cream aisle. Make sure to select a product that agrees with your nose.

Ingredient sensitivity

If you have sensitive skin, you should stick to hand creams that contain mild and hypoallergenic ingredients. Although the world of creams and lotions can be a delight to the olfactory nerves, you might also want to stick to fragrance-free products, as well.

Exfoliation

Do you have flaky hands that need exfoliation? Or is hydration your only concern? If you suspect that your hands might be playing host to accumulated dead skin cells, purchasing a hand cream that contains alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) like lactic and glycolic acid is a good move. That said, don’t forget to lather up on SPF to protect your newly-exfoliated skin.

The weather

As we’ve mentioned in the previous section, some hand creams contain humectants that pull moisture from the air and into the skin. This is a great way to keep your hands hydrated.  However, if you live in a dry climate, there might not be enough moisture in the air for the humectants to absorb. The result? These humectants might pull moisture from the deeper layers of your skin instead—therefore worsening dryness.

Best Hand Cream For Aging Hands

As you age, you’ll start to notice wrinkles, age spots, and other fine lines forming on your hands. To help counteract the signs of the years, using a good anti-aging hand cream is important.

When choosing a hand cream for aging hands, look for ingredients that eradicate cracked skin. Some examples of this are urea and allantoin. You can also go for products that contain Vitamin C, as Vitamin C is known to help stimulate collagen production.

Meanwhile, antioxidant ingredients also help combat aging by helping neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are harmful molecules that damage our cells and speed up the aging process. Antioxidant ingredients, which are either added vitamins or plant-based components, will help manage their harmful effects.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Hand Cream

We use hand creams in hopes of achieving soft, smooth, and youthful-looking hands. Using the best hand cream for your needs and lifestyle is already a huge help, but adopting more hand-friendly habits will give you the best results.

So, how exactly do you get the most out of your hand cream? Follow these tips.

• Apply sunscreen on your hands every day. The sun is one of the biggest contributors to the skin’s aging process. That said, it’s important to apply sunscreen not only on your face but on the rest of your body, as well—including your hands!
• Don’t forget to reapply your hand cream after handwashing. And if you’re going to get sun exposure, reapply your sunscreen, too. The hands aren’t as protected as the rest of the body (by clothing) from the aging effects of the sun, so reapplication is super important.
• Use gloves while doing house chores—that is, chores that involve harsh chemicals, such as washing dishes and doing the laundry. Frequent exposure to water and detergents can seriously dry out your hands.
• Use spa gloves for extra hydration. During the winter season, your hands might be craving for some extra TLC. We recommend applying an extra-rich cream on your hands and topping it off with a spa glove once a week. Leave the spa glove on for at least an hour. You’ll end up with super soft and extra-hydrated hands.
• Avoid using hot water. Whether we’re talking about activities in the bathroom or in the kitchen, avoid using hot water to protect the skin on your hands from drying out. Warm water is fine if a cold shower isn’t an option, but anything more than that can parch your skin real fast.