From frequent hand washing to the effects of harsh weather, our hands go through a lot, but having a good hand cream on the go can make all the difference, thanks to soothing, hydrating and nourishing ingredients.
But is there any difference between hand cream and other moisturisers? Well, yes. Consultant dermatologist Dr Catherine Borysiewicz explains that, while any moisturiser will hydrate your hand, hand creams “tend to be richer with intense hydrating ingredients”, while their “texture is often easier to absorb, so the skin doesn’t feel too slippery”. And, of course, there’s the added bonus that some of the best hand creams are imparted with some sort of heavenly scent.
As for specific ingredients to look for in hand cream, Borysiewicz suggests hydrating ingredients, such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid, as they’re “great at plumping the skin, and supporting the skin barrier”, and recommends using a good SPF, as the skin on our hands is “thin and prone to pigmentation such as sun spots and fine lines”. She also warns against fragrance, perfumes and lanolin if you have sensitive skin.
Beyond skincare benefits, hand creams will of course differ in terms of scent and how they feel on the skin. One person’s dream lotion will be lightweight and quick to absorb, while another’s will form a protective barrier to lock-in hydration. With this in mind, we’ve been assessing popular and top-rated formulas from the likes of L’Occitane, CeraVe and more – here’s how they fared.
How we tested
We’ve been putting these hand creams to the test over the course of two months. We applied (and re-applied) them as often as needed throughout the day, which was typically twice a day at least, in addition to several top-ups. We assessed their key ingredients, consistency (were they lightweight and silky or thick and heavy), scent, how quickly they sunk into the skin, and how they felt on the skin throughout the day. Where applicable, we also paid attention to any improvements to our nails and cuticles after using the creams, including reduced brittleness and flaking.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
With more than four years experience reviewing for IndyBest, Lois Borny is well versed in the beauty brands to know (and avoid). She’s tested everything from shampoo bars to lip balms and is across the most popular brands, including Ultra Violette, Clarins and more. In her pursuit to find the very best hand creams, she even consulted a dermatologist to inform her picks. See her choices below, plus all the hand cream dos and don’ts from Dr Catherine Borysiewicz.
The best hand creams for 2025 are:
- Best overall – L’Occitane shea butter hand cream: £23.20, Johnlewis.com
- Best budget buy – Palmers cocoa butter softens hand cream: £2.39, Boots.com
- Best budget SPF option – Boots SPF+ hydrating hand cream SPF30: £4, Boots.com
- Best for frequent hand washing – Nursem caring hand cream: £9.99, Boots.com
- Best luxury buy – Clarins hand and nail treatment cream: £28, Amazon.co.uk
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L'occitane shea butter hand cream
Does one of the most talked about hand creams on TikTok live up to the hype? In our opinion, yes. The ultra-thick, almost mousse-like consistency, for our tester, offered effective, long-lasting hydration. With 20 per cent shea butter, plus nourishing argan and coconut oil, it left our skin feeling instantly softened and supple, with any tightness caused by dryness relieved upon application. It does have quite a heavy consistency, and it takes longer than some to sink in. But we love the refreshing, floral jasmine and ylang-ylang scent, and the packaging is made from recycled aluminium as opposed to plastic. It’s expensive, yes, but this massive tube will last absolutely ages.
Buy now £23.00, Johnlewis.com
Palmers cocoa butter softens hand cream
Affordable and hydrating skincare is Palmers’ forte, and this cream is no exception. Targeted towards those who want to address dry, cracked hands requiring intensive repair, it’s suitable for eczema-prone skin. Containing antioxidant-packed cocoa butter and vitamin E, which are known to nourish and deeply moisturise, it has a thick and creamy consistency. We found the formula to be noticeably rich, comforting and intensely moisturising upon application and left skin feeling supple and smooth long after application. It’s vegan and hasn’t been tested on animals. Just be aware that the smell of the cocoa is quite strong.
Buy now £2.39, Boots.com
La Roche-Posay cicaplast baume hand cream
This cream provides a protective, glove-like layer on the skin, so the texture and feel are a little unusual – more of a balm than a cream. Despite this, it doesn’t feel heavy or sticky, but instead, like a silky-smooth veil over the skin. The ingredients are minimal, and include the brand’s soothing and hydrating thermal spring water. The formula is hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free (this doesn’t really smell of anything at all), and it’s also suitable for sensitive skin. It doesn’t contain SPF however, which is something to keep in mind. There’s not a lot of product in the tube, but we find that a little goes a long way.
Buy now £9.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Hello Sunday the one for your hands SPF30 hand cream
Suncare and hydration rolled into one? Say hello to Hello Sunday’s hand cream. With high protection SPF30, this enlists skincare-loving ingredients like hydrating hyaluronic acid, plus vitamin E and aloe vera – these nourish the skin and defend against the signs of photoaging. The consistency is very lightweight, so it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky at all, and takes almost no time at all to sink in. For us, it didn’t feel quite as moisturising as some, and we felt the need to reapply fairly often, but reapplication every two hours is the recommendation for sun protection anyway. It smells fresh and clean with its super subtle orange, floral and musk fragrance, but bear in mind it won’t last too long as there’s only 30ml in the tube.
Buy now £6.75, Boots.com
Nursem caring hand cream
Nursem co-founder, Antonia, experienced dry, sore and cracked as a result of frequent hand-washing while working as a paediatric intensive care nurse, so launched the brand. After applying the brand’s hand cream we were struck by how incredibly quickly it sinks into the skin. Within a minute or two our skin was left feeling matte and smooth. You only need a pea-sized amount to feel it’s doing its job too.
We tried the original formula (there’s also a non-fragranced option), which is naturally fragranced with bergamot, petitgrain and grapefruit essential oils and smells lovely – it’s very soft, with a hint of refreshing, sweet citrus. It contains a whole host of skin-loving ingredients (medical grade manuka honey and white willow extract, allantoin and pro vitamin B5), which work to moisturise and nourish the skin, while plant oils and glycerin help the hands to stay hydrated by restoring its protective barrier. It’s recommended for eczema-prone skin, psoriasis and sensitive skin.
We really like the flat shape of the tube, as it makes it easy to slot away neatly into a bag. The brand will also provide a nurse or midwife with a month’s worth of free Nursem with every product sold.
Buy now £9.99, Boots.com
Aveeno daily moisturising hand cream
The star of the show in Aveeno’s skincare is the nourishing and soothing humble oat. This cream is meant to preserve the skin’s natural microbiome and bolster the skin barrier which, in turn, aids in keeping skin hydrated and strong.
It’s suitable for sensitive skin as well as for dry skin types, and its light to mid-weight consistency is easy to distribute across the skin. It sinks in quickly, too. While the formula is unscented, one thing we don’t love is its slightly medicinal smell. That said, at less than £5, this is excellent value for money.
Buy now £5.99, Boots.com
CeraVe reparative hand cream
CeraVe’s affordable and effective skincare has attracted a lot of attention, and this cream has those boxes ticked. Non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, it’s formulated to remedy extremely dry, rough and cracked skin. It has a thick, balm-like consistency but we found that it sank into the skin quite quickly, and didn’t make our hands feel overly greasy. As for the formula, soothing niacinamide and ceramides feature to support the skin barrier. Thanks to the help of hydrating powerhouse hyaluronic acid, this cream left our skin feeling soft and hydrated throughout the day.
Buy now £7.59, Amazon.co.uk
Caudalie vinotherapist hand and nail repairing cream
The cream presents a sweet citrus scent that reminds us of grapefruit. It is quite a heady scent, so it won’t be for those who prefer clean-smelling skincare. When it came to the feel of the product, it has a mid- to lightweight consistency, and we found that it sank in quickly, and didn’t leave any residual greasiness on the skin.
The formula is vegan, with a focus on natural origin ingredients, and features nourishing grape-seed oil, shea butter, avocado oil and olive oil. In terms of immediate skincare results, we were impressed with its rapid skin-softening effect – our skin felt significantly more silky-soft from the first application. What’s more, this cream also gets to work strengthening the cuticles and nails.
Buy now £12.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Fenty hydra vizor broad spectrum mineral SPF 15 sunscreen hand cream
With a fresh, subtle scent that reminds us of summer (think florals and tropical fruits, sweet but not cloying), Fenty’s SPF15 hand cream is suitable for all skin types, and feels almost weightless, making it notably seamless and quick to apply.
Providing mineral SPF15, the consistency is one of the thinnest we’ve tried, so it glides across the skin with ease, and we appreciated how quickly it was absorbed, too. Vegan and cruelty-free, the formula features hyaluronic acid, aloe and baobab to hydrate, soothe and condition the skin, and leaves our skin feeling comfortable, supple and smooth to the touch. We just wish there was more product in the tube.
Buy now £14.00, Boots.com
Clarins hand and nail treatment cream
Clarins is a premium brand, so this product is undoubtedly an expensive one. Thanks to the cream’s fresh, spa-like scent, every application felt like a pampering moment and it wasn’t too heavy, sticky or greasy as it sinks into the skin.
It features sesame oil and shea butter, which helps to nourish, soothe and protect against environmental stressors, and on application, our skin felt supple and smooth. Plus, the fresh, delicate scent creates moments of calm for us and is every bit as luxurious as the cream’s price suggests it should be.
Buy now £28.00, Johnlewis.com
Lush handy gurugu hand cream
Contrary to what’s expected from Lush, this cream has a mild, fresh scent. It’s a treat to apply, creating a relaxing, pampering moment. Similarly, the formula is soothing and calming, which is owing to shea, cashew and almond butter, and evening primrose. Meanwhile, rose and pumpkin seed help to address skin redness.
The formula is super thick, buttery and rich, but easy to distribute, and doesn’t feel heavy or sticky. We did notice little flecks of ingredients that didn’t sink into the skin, which is something to bear in mind. But it’s cruelty-free, and certified by The Vegan Society. One thing to note; it’s housed in a tub, not a tube, which does make it a little less portable.
Buy now £12.00, Lush.com
Upcircle hand cream with hibiscus flowers
The beauty industry is a wasteful one, but Upcricle is a brilliant brand if you’re looking for more eco-friendly skincare to try. By incorporating leftover ingredients from other industries into its formulas, the brand prevents them from ending up going to waste. So, in this cream, the hibiscus flower acids hail from the food supplement industry.
We’ve been using this cream (on and off) over the course of many months, and love its strong, invigorating floral scent. It’s softening and hydrating, thanks to shea butter, while hibiscus removes pollutants from the skin and stimulates cell turnover. And, like everything from Upcircle, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and we rate that it comes in an aluminium tube, rather than a plastic one.
Buy now £19.99, Upcirclebeauty.com
Ultra Violette extreme screen SPS50
Ultra Violette is primarily a suncare brand, but its body and hand sunscreen incorporates hydrating ingredients too, such as aloe vera. Suitable for all skin types, it’s not sticky and feels far more hydrating than other sunscreens. However, perhaps because of the suncare ingredients, it didn’t feel as well absorbed as other hand creams here.
It’s speedy to top up, thanks to the unique twist cap, and provides SPF50+ broad spectrum protection, protecting against UVA and UVB rays. With a sweet coconut scent that reminded us of a pina colada, it’s billed as four hours water and sweat-resistant, and even left a subtle shimmer on our skin. It is expensive, but there’s a smaller size available if you want to try it out before committing to a 150ml bottle.
Buy now £27.00, Ultraviolette.co.uk
Boots SPF+ hydrating hand cream SPF30
This ultra budget-friendly hand cream proves you can find a formula that performs for less than a fiver. Providing SPF30 and everyday protection against UVA and UVB rays, it also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin. It’s quite lightweight, and applied seamlessly, owing to its silky consistency. That said, it did create the feeling that it was sitting on the skin’s surface, although this isn’t too noticeable. The tube is quite small so there’s not a lot of product here, but as a pocket-friendly SPF for sunny holidays and everyday protection with an extra dose of hydration, this does the job. It’s also vegan, and not tested on animals.
Buy now £4.00, Boots.com
Eucerin hyaluron-filler + elasticity age spot correcting hand cream SPF30
Suitable for all skin types, this cream delivers all-important suncare with SPF30 and hyaluronic acid. It’s formulated to boost skin’s elasticity and firmness, and if you’re looking to address age spots on your hands, Eucerin says it can reduce and prevent them when it’s used regularly. While our tester was impressed with the cream’s hydrating power, they didn’t use the product long enough to see any of these changes to their skin. However, they found that a little goes a long way (a little over a pea-sized amount is needed), and it sank in quickly, didn’t feel heavy, and delivered long-lasting hydration.
Buy now £12.93, Amazon.co.uk
How often should you apply hand cream?
This will depend on your skin. “If you have a tendency to dry skin and hand eczema, I usually recommend applying a hand cream after each hand wash, especially in the winter months,” Dr Borysiewicz says. Otherwise, she recommends twice a day, and reapplying when your hands feel dry.
Should hand cream contain SPF?
“The skin of the hands is thin and prone to pigmentation such as sun spots and fine lines so I’d definitely recommend applying a good SPF in the same way we would apply a daily face sunscreen,” she explains.
What to look for in a hand cream if you have very dry hands
Dr Borysiewicz recommends looking for cream or ointment consistencies. “We often refer to ‘barrier creams’, these offer additional benefits such as soothing and healing chapped or broken skin”, she explains.
“If your skin is very dry and thickened, ingredients such as urea will also help break down thickened keratin build up on the skin, allowing hydrating ingredients to penetrate into the skin more effectively. Applying your moisturiser under white cotton gloves at night time can also help the absorption of the moisturiser.”
What to look for in hand creams if you have sensitive skin
“Avoid unnecessary ingredients such as fragrance or perfumes”, she says. “Some ingredients can be sensitising such as lanolin. If the skin is very sore or cracked, any moisturisers may feel sore or uncomfortable, if this happens try switching to an ointment.”
The verdict: Hand creams
L’Occitane’s shea butter cream lived up to the hype with its ultra-thick, rich consistency and hydrating formula. For a cream that is both effective and budget-friendly, Palmer’s cocoa butter delivers a hydrating punch, and Boot’s SPF hand cream feels incredibly softening and moisturising and costs less than a fiver. Nursem’s hand cream is great for tackling the effects of frequent hand-washing, while Caudalie and UpCircle’s creams smell divine.
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