Extra hand washing is a fact of life these days, but it unfortunately comes at the price of your skin’s hydration. Dry, chapped hands are avoidable, however, if you keep a bottle of hand cream close by at all times. Below are our eight favorite balms, salves, and lotions that help prevent your skin from cracking and leave you with deeply moisturized, supple hands all day long.
Bag Balm Vermont’s Original Skin Moisturizer, $8
Is this stuff sexy? No. Does it work on even the most chapped hands? Absolutely. Considering that it was originally used to moisturize cow udders (no, seriously) and then people noticed how soft their hands felt after using it, we’d say it’s made to work hard.
La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ Body Cream for Extra Dry Skin, $15
Soothing niacinamide and shea butter help drench your skin with moisture in this French-favorite cream. This editor always takes this formula with me when I fly, and my hands stay hydrated from takeoff to touchdown.
Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment, $22
Glycerin, honey, vitamin B5, shea butter, sodium PCA—it’s a veritable pu pu platter of hydration with this hand treatment. Pile on a thick layer, and breathe deeply for a calming natural scent that is sure to help put your mind at ease.
Burt’s Bees Ultimate Care Hand Cream, $7
Green tea extract, baobab, watermelon seed, and pumpkin oils douse your skin with hydration, while added natural fruit acid complex gently exfoliates rough, dead skin. That allows the moisturizing ingredients to better penetrate the skin underneath, and your hands feel soothed and supple, fast.
Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, $23
Packed with avocado and sesame oil, this cult-favorite hand salve banishes dry, cracked skin fast. The formula pulls water from the air to help create a protective barrier, while natural botanical oils keep the moisture locked in for hours.
Skinfix Eczema+ Hand Repair Cream, $18
If you’re suffering from eczema, the additional hand washing is probably causing even more irritation than normal. This cream contains 1 percent colloidal oatmeal and 5 percent sweet almond oil to soothe itching and help further protect your skin barrier.
Lord Jones High CBD Body Lotion, $60
Topical CBD can help soothe irritation caused by extra hand washing, while the added shea butter and glycerin keep the moisture locked in for long-lasting hydration. The pump is designed to dispense about 2 mg of CBD for use (and no, it will not get you high).
Eucerin Daily Hydration Hand Cream with SPF 30, $6
The always-classic Eucerin hand cream gets an update with the added SPF, which you need even if you’re staying indoors and the only sunlight you’re seeing is through a window. Keep your hands moisturized and protected from further damage all day long.
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