TL;DR
Our top pick for the best hand cream is the fast-absorbingGrown Alchemist’s Hand Cream. It’s full of nourishing ingredients we love without being sticky or greasy. If you’re shopping on a budget, check outBenton's Shea Butter and Olive Hand Cream. We love that it can improve overall skin texture without breaking the bank.
We often overlook skincare below the neck, but when it comes to the hands, taking the extra moment to care for them can make a massive difference to how they look and feel. According to board-certified dermatologistDr. Diane Madfes, MD, FAAD, a break in your hands’ skin barrier can contribute todrynessand discomfort. “This canbe causedby trauma, repetitive hand washing, allergic reactions, and underlying genetics, i.e.,eczema,” she explains. “When the barrier is compromised, the skin no longer effectively retains hydration, and its ability to protect itselfis also weakened.”
Combat dry hands and apply a hydrating, nourishing hand cream that isn’t watery, overly thick, or greasy. To find the best hand creams, wetestedover 30 options. Our testers each took one home for two weeks and used it multiple times daily to evaluate it on several factors: how quickly it absorbed, how moisturizing it was, how smooth it left their hands looking, and how it smelled. This list consists of our top-performing eight hand creams.
Our Top Picks
Best Budget:
Best Luxury:
Best Fast-Absorbing:
Best Consistency:
Best for Nighttime:
Best for Eczema:
What We Like
Excellent consistency
Nonsticky and no greasy residue
Fast-absorbing formula
Improves look and feel of hands
What to Consider
Metal tube can break easily
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, camellia seed oil, grapeseed oil | Size: 2.3, 16.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Grown Alchemist’s hand cream is formulated with a blend of nourishing ingredients—glycerin, camellia seed oil, grapeseed oil, and aloe plant extract—to moisturize and soothe dry skin without any lingering residue.
Our tester, Elise, loved this product’s lightweight yet plush consistency and found that a nickel-sized dollop was enough to make her hands feel soft and smooth (although she sometimes dabbed a little more onto extra-dry patches of skin). We also love that while this cream doesn’t contain synthetic fragrance (which can be irritating to some), it does have a natural citrusy scent that smells fresh without being overpowering.
Elise | 18-24 age group | has dry patches | moisturizes at least once daily
“One of my favorite things about this hand cream is that it’s perfectly moisturizing without being greasy or oily. It dries within 30 seconds of application, then I can touch my phone, clothes, bags, screens, and keyboard without worrying about the hand cream getting everywhere.”
What We Like
Lightweight and easy to spread
A little bit goes a long way
Nongreasy formula
Improves textured skin on hands
What to Consider
Natural scent can be a bit overpowering
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, olive oil | Size: 1.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This budget-friendly option is formulated with shea butter and olive oil to nourish dry, cracked skin, and despite its ultra-moisturizing abilities, it’s not at all thick or heavy. Even with its lightweight texture, our tester. Mike, only needed a small amount of product—enough to cover a fingertip—to coat both hands. It absorbed in around two minutes with no sticky residue left behind, leaving Mike’s hands noticeably nourished.
Mike | 25-34 age group | dry, calloused hands from weightlifting and hand sanitizer use | moisturizes once or twice a week
“The first time I used this hand cream, it felt like my hands devoured the product, and I even doubted whether I had put it on.”
What We Like
Rich texture from rose wax
Fast-absorbing formula
Smooths dry patches
Doesn’t leave residue
What to Consider
Small amount of product
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, shea butter, jojoba oil, camellia oil, iris extract | Size: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
While Chanel’s La Crème Main is packed with classic moisturizers, including glycerin, shea butter, and jojoba oil, the brand highlights camellia as its star ingredient. This hydrating plant oil is high in antioxidants, helping protect the skin barrier. Additionally, iris extract (another antioxidant) helps even skin tone and boost radiance.
According to Caitlyn, our tester, this cream was extremely rich but highly absorbent, drying within seconds so she could use her laptop and phone without leaving any greasy fingerprints behind. The difference it made to the condition of her hands was “like night and day.” After using the cream, Caitlyn felt an immediate improvement in her skin's softness and smoothness. The subtle scent and sleek egg-shaped packaging also added to the luxury experience.
Caitlyn | 18-24 age group | extremely dry hands, especially in the winter when the skin between her fingers, on her palms, and around her knuckles sometimes cracks and bleeds
“The chapped skin around my knuckles felt softer, and even the cracks in my palms seemed like they plumped out a bit.”
Best Fast-Absorbing
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Touch Hand Cream
What We Like
Absorbs within seconds
Lightweight texture
A little bit goes a long way
Moisturizing, nongreasy formula
Luxurious Cheirosa ’62 warm notes
What to Consider
We wish there was more product per packaging
Key Ingredients: Cupuaçu butter, Brazil nut, coconut oil, squalane | Size: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This gorgeously scented cream utilizes cupuaçu butter, Brazil nut oil, coconut oil, and squalane to hydrate parched hands and support the skin’s natural barrier. Despite all these rich butters and oils, it’s ultra-lightweight, absorbing into the skin so quickly “you wouldn't even think you had just put product on,” Katherine said.Katherine found that a pea-sized amount was enough to keep both hands moisturized for hours after application.
Katherine | 25-34 age group | experiences dryness on her hands during winter | moisturizes before bed
“I don't feel like I need to frequently reapply because the moisture stays inside my pores for a long time.”
What We Like
Provides long-lasting moisture
Rich texture isn’t overly heavy
Fully absorbs with nongreasy finish
Spreads easily
What to Consider
Some might find the scent too strong
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, coconut oil | Size: 1, 5.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This hand cream has been around for ages, and it’s no wonder so many people have raved about it for so long. Its rich texture (thanks to shea butter, coconut oil, and glycerin) deeply hydrates the skin while remaining lightweight and nongreasy.
Michal, our tester, was in love with the consistency of this cream. The formula spread quickly and easily over her hands, and no matter how much she applied, it still absorbed completely without any stickiness or greasiness. After slathering on the cream four times a day, Michal noticed a big improvement in the texture of her skin; dryness and roughness—especially between her fingers—were both visibly reduced.
Michal | 25-34 age group | extremely dry hands | moisturizes after washing—up to 10 times a day
“It felt creamy and rich but not too heavy or sticky.”
What We Like
Lightweight, creamy texture
A little bit goes a long way
Great for smoothing cuticles
Formula reduces lines, discoloration, and dehydration
What to Consider
Not super fast-absorbing
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, vitamin E | Size: 3 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This nourishing hand cream leans on ceramides, vitamin E, and jojoba esters to coat the skin in rich, buttery moisture. A dime-sized amount was all Maggie, our tester, needed to completely cover her hands, and she appreciated that it effectively nourished and smoothed her skin without leaving an oily residue behind.
The formula does take one to two minutes to fully absorb, but once it does, Maggie says it’s virtually undetectable, especially since it doesn’t impart a fragrance. While Maggie’s hands typically get very dry in the winter (especially those pesky cuticles), this cream worked wonders.
Maggie | 25-34 age group | dry hands and a cracked, flakey cuticle line | applies lotion after showering
“Keeping this in my handbag and at my desk and applying one to three times a day has prevented cracks and dry spots on my hands.”
Best for Nighttime
Fenty Skin Recovery Glycerin Hand Mask
What We Like
Deeply hydrating
Gel-like cream
Easy to spread
Not ultra-greasy
What to Consider
Some might find the scent too strong
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, panthenol, murumuru and mango butters | Size: 1, 2.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Nighttime hand masks are often extremely thick and oily; while this one does have a rich texture, it’s far from greasy or slimy. Designed for pre-bedtime application, this hand treatment from Rihanna’s skincare line is packed with hydrating ingredients (like glycerin and a blend of nourishing butters), and it works beautifully to remedy dry patches, smooth skin texture, and significantly boost hand hydration.Our tester Chantia was impressed by its smooth, gel-like consistency and lavender squeeze bottle that dispenses the perfect amount of product each time. It absorbed easily in around two minutes and “worked like a gem,” hydrating ashy patches and leaving her skin noticeably more supple.
What We Like
Provides fast relief for dryness
Rich texture
Easy to spread
Nongreasy finish
What to Consider
Can feel a bit thick on the hands
Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, sweet almond oil | Size: 3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you deal with eczema, you know how hard it can be to find a lotion that adequately moisturizes the skin and helps relieve the itching and burning sensations that come with flare-ups. This formula from Skinfix checks all those boxes and more due to the fact that it contains soothing colloidal oatmeal, which is known to provide relief from eczema symptoms, as well as allantoin (a hydrating ingredient) and sweet almond oil (a nourishing oil that works to moisturize and smooth the skin).Our tester Cindy found the rich texture of this formula easy to work into the skin and noted that it left no oily residue behind. The cream was instantly soothing, providing on-the-spot relief from her eczema symptoms. In fact, Cindy credits the product with preventing flare-ups and leaving her palms noticeably softer than before. As an added bonus, she raved that her hands “never looked better”—they were soft, smooth, and supple by the end of the testing period.
What to Look for When Buying Hand Creams
A helpful hand cream is crucial for keeping hands healthy and hydrated all year. To hone in on which hand cream is right for you, keep the following factors in mind.
- Ingredients: To ensure you’re selecting a hand cream that will truly improve your dry skin, Dr. Madfes says it’s important to look for formulas that contain humectants (ingredients that draw water into the skin, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin), ceramides, and lipids. Her favorite ingredients in hand creams are shea butter, coconut oil, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid.
- Texture: While the texture of your go-to hand cream is really a matter of preference, it’s still an important factor to consider. If you’re looking for a hand cream that you can use on the go, try something lightweight and nongreasy. If your hands are extremely dry or you’re prone to eczema, you might benefit from something richer.
- Size: We highly recommend buying a cream that’ll last through multiple applications (consistency is key to seeing a real difference here), so you’ll want to take a look at the size options before purchasing. Select a larger tube so you can slather on copious amounts of lotion whenever needed.
How We Tested Hand Creams
Below are the features our team of editors and contributors evaluated over two weeks to determine our top picks.
- Absorption: While certain creams on our testing roster may have smelled or felt amazing, if they didn’t absorb quickly enough for us to do things with our hands, it was a no from us. As such, we noted each hand cream’s consistency, texture, and thickness, tracking how easily it spread and (most importantly) how long it took to sink into our skin. We also monitored the amount of residue each cream left behind, if any.
- Moisture: An essential quality of a good hand cream is how moisturized it makes hands feel, which is why we considered how hydrated our hands felt after using each hand cream.
- Smoothness: Since most people apply hand cream to make their hands look and feel smoother, we observed the suppleness of our hands when evaluating each pick.
- Smell: Finding a hand cream scent that speaks to you is essential, so we accounted for this when testing each product. While which scent smells most appealing is largely up to the individual, we noted the strength of each and whether the product caused any irritation.
FAQ
How often should you use hand cream?
You should apply hand cream as often as you feel is necessary, but keep in mind that Dr. Madfes recommends using it at least twice daily and after every hand washing.
What ingredients should be avoided in hand cream?
Just like it’s important to seek out certain ingredients in hand creams, the opposite is also true. According to Dr. Madfes, it’s best to avoid synthetic fragrances—especially if you have sensitive or broken skin—because fragrance can be an irritant.
Why Trust Byrdie
Caitlyn Martyn is a commerce writer on staff at Byrdie. She covers all things beauty, style, and wellness and often participates in tests happening in Byrdie’s in-office lab. For this test, she tried (and loved) the Chanel hand cream, but she also has an entire collection of hand creams on her bedside table.
Esme Benjamin is a freelance writer, editor, and podcaster based in New York. She began writing and editing for the Byrdie commerce team in 2023. As a wellness expert, she has a particular interest in naturally-derived beauty ingredients and the intersection of beauty rituals and self-care. She updated this article in 2024.
For this story, we spoke to an expert for their insights:
- Dr. Diane Madfes, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City specializing in dermatology and dermatologic surgery.
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough hand creams from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com, and we will evaluate the product ASAP.