Make dry, chapped hands a thing of the past (even as the weather gets colder) with our edit of the best luxury hand creams.
Whether you struggle with dry hands and are looking for a formula to nourish without feeling sticky, or you just love applying a beautifully scented hand cream as an act of self-care, these are the CF team’s tried-and-tested recommendations for supple skin this winter.
Including Aesop’s indulgent balm and L’Occitane’s iconic tube, these are the best luxury hand creams to pamper your hands – this winter and beyond.
Dior's pink houndstooth-motifed hand balm is a chic accessory in itself, adding an extra luxury to your handcare routine. And the 95 per cent natural formula inside is just as indulgent, with a nourishing, soothing blend of centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter that quickly moisturises dry, chapped hands.
Hand creams hardly come more classic than L'Occitane's iconic shea butter creation, which has been successfully pampering hands for decades. The multiple award-winning product comes in a variety of aromas but we especially love this zesty citrusy scent; perfect for making you feel a little more awake on cold, dark evenings.
Specifically designed not to leave an annoying sticky residue, this lotion-like hand cream doesn't just moisturise your skin, it also leaves your hands silky smooth with the addition of hard-working skincare actives, including niacinamide and Ashwaganda. Plus, to help you unstress at the end of a long day, the bottle is shaped to be used as a hand massager too.
Not just a nourishing hand cream, Rare Beauty’s bottle is designed to work as a de-stressing hand massager too.
Searching for a hand cream that smells amazing? Any of Byredo's fragranced range will fit the bill – and there's plenty to choose from (no surprise considering the fragrance brand is a beauty insider favourite). If we had to pick just one scent for the winter, we'd choose Bal d'Afrique – one of the company's original floral aromas that will linger delightfully on your skin throughout the day.
Just like the brand's classic hand washes, Aesop's hand cream is a beauty editor favourite, and the perfect winter warmer gift. The creamy formula is especially good at nourishing your cuticles as well as your weather-worn hands without feeling oily or sticky, and you'll love the mandarin, cedar and rosemary scent, which is moreish throughout the year.
Sensitive skin needs a sensitive solution and La Roche Posay has been providing that for decades. Perfect for the whole family (including your children's hands), this cream doesn't just moisturise – it repairs damaged skin, making it especially good for cracks. Its secret: thermal spring water blended with panthenol, glycerin, vitamin B5 and shea butter for intensive hand TLC.
Look for nourishing ingredients such as shea butter, panthenol and glycerin on the ingredient list.
We love the illustrated packaging of Austin & Austin's hand cream – although don't be surprised if it makes your friends and family want to borrow it too. (Why not pop one in their Christmas stocking this year?). The inclusion of plant, seaweed and algae extracts also means the cream helps protect your hands from further damage – and you don't have to apply loads to see results either.
If your hands are in need of some serious care and attention, Nursem is the brand to carry with you on your travels. Developed by nurses who wanted a solution to the dryness they experienced from frequent hand washing, the cream may be heavy duty but it sinks into your skin quickly and the natural ingredients soothe as they moisturise, thanks to the inclusion of manuka honey and allantoin.
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