Once, after realising to my horror that I had left my hand cream at home, I went up to a perfect stranger in desperation to ask if I could have a bit of theirs. Extreme? Perhaps. But I take hand cream seriously. It is not just vanity. While moisturised hands are always more aesthetically pleasing, when they are dry, they are, literally, a pain, ie really uncomfortable. The obsessive hand-washing rituals we adopted over the pandemic was a necessary evil, but evidently the same intensity was not applied to replenishing the lost moisture in our skin. Which is why most people are now walking around with hands that look and feel three times older than they are. So as we crawl towards winter, it is a good time to (re)consider hand cream. Some love a good fragrance (Jo Loves Fig Trees and Bamford are sublime), but others prefer a utilitarian approach (which is what French pharmacy brands like SVR offer). If you prefer a light, flat, matt finish, lotions are for you. Severely dry hands benefit from an overnight mask (like Margaret Dabbs) and a heavy cream during the day. Which isn’t everyone’s go-to, but I personally love thicker textures for their comfort and shine. Many leave a little residue, which is annoying when opening doors or shaking someone’s hand. But your hands will thank you for it.
1. Ameliorate Intensive Hand Therapy £16, cultbeauty.co.uk
2. Margaret Dabbs Pure Hand Mask £30, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
3. Mavala Prebiotic Hand Cream £17, fenwick.co.uk
4. Ole Henriksen Touch Nourishing Hand Cream £15.20, boots.com
5. SVR Cicavit+ Hand Cream £8, uk.labo-svr.com
6. Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream £13.50, lookfantastic.com
7. Nécessaire The Hand Cream £20, libertylondon.com
8. Bamford Geranium Hand Balm £23, bamford.com
9. Shiseido Ultimune Hand Cream £25, johnlewis.com
10. Jo Loves A Hand Lotion £40, cultbeauty.co.uk
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