The 16 Best Hand Creams for Soft, Supple Skin

Wave goodbye to "sanitizer skin."

hand creams
(Image credit: Morgan McMullen)

Once winter rolls around, I completely reform my skincare routine. I have dry and redness-prone skin, so I swap out my lightweight gels and serum in favor of rich creams and luxurious oils to make my face more comfortable. But one area of my body that keeps on flaking, no matter what I do? My hands. My cracked, dry, rough-ass hands. It's like December hits and everything from the wrists down enters its own invisible cryo chambers. They hurt! And now that we're all using hand sanitizer a dozen times a day, they get absolutely no relief. So after a couple weeks of hand hell, I started calling in reinforcements: the best hand creams on the market.

These aren't your boring, average hand creams that sit unused next to your work keyboard. These are luxe, velvet-y, innovative formulas that don't just make your hands feel better—they actually heal and soothe irritated skin to get your digits back to baseline. And since it's such a necessary product lately, new creams are cropping up every day for every type of parched person. Not a fan of fragrance? Try Nécessaire's scent-free solution. Wish you could plant your own personal rose garden in your apartment? Add By Terry and Diptyque's bloomy options to your cart. And aging hands will find comfort in Dr. Barbara Sturm and Augustinus Bader's science-driven formulas. Whatever your preference, here are the most covetable hand creams of 2022.

Taylore  Glynn

Taylore Glynn is the Beauty and Health Editor at Marie Claire, covering skincare, makeup, fragrance, wellness, and more. If you need her, she’s probably roasting a chicken, flying solo at the movies, or drinking a bad Negroni at JFK.