The Best Hand Creams for Dry, Cracked Skin (2020)

I fully expect readers of Temptalia have all been washing hands thoroughly and about 400 times more often than ever before, and so if you, like me, are experiencing drier-than-usual hands, let me share with you my favorite hand creams. None of these are new favorites; these are ones I’ve had on hand (that was totally an unintentional pun) for years and return to.

I am prone to eczema, especially if I let anything dry out too much (especially getting dry very quickly), so I definitely favor the first two hand creams when the situation is more dire but very much use the other two regularly (and more often for my maintenance/regular routine). I’d love to hear about your favorite hand creams for day-to-day hydration as well as more for intensive hydration needs!

Aveeno Eczema Therapy Hand & Face Cream ($14.99)  has been a go-to for years now.  I’m a huge fan of Aveeno’s Eczema Therapy range in general–I find it lives up to being soothing, gentle, and effective–and the hand cream is top notch.  The lotion is medium-weight as it squeezes out of the tube, and it spreads easily across hands without stinging the driest of areas.

It absorbs within a few minutes and leaves behind smoother, hydrated skin behind while also relieving the pain of exceptionally dry areas that were to the point of bleeding slightly.  The dry down doesn’t feel tacky, and it didn’t feel greasy, as it definitely sinks into my skin, but there has a slight velvety quality to my skin post-application.

It has also proven effective for me as actually hydrating and healing my skin over time with consistent use, but it’s effective enough that even when I forget to use it (normal behavior, less so at the moment!) it gets me through rough patches… literally.

Cortizone 10 Intensive Healing Eczema Lotion ($10.99) is another go-to I’ve always kept on hand for years.  Because it has 1% hydrocortisone, I use it whenever my skin is exceptionally dry, itchy, and red but not every day or for simply dry hands.  Based on what I’ve read and been told by doctors over the years, hydrocortisone is often effective for mild eczema symptoms and should be used as needed for brief periods (not everyday indefinitely) unless otherwise directed by one’s doctor.  As one might expect, it is also fragrance-free.

The formula is lightweight, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly and leaves behind a mild tackiness but instantly starts to soothe my skin and makes the back of my hands look infinitely smoother, less cracked, and much more able to maneuver my fingertips/hands comfortably.  It stays where it’s put, even hours later, which makes it great for day time use as I type most of my day–this way I can easily apply it to the back of my hands but avoid my my palm and fingertips and not get hand cream all over my keyboard.

Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer ($15.00) is a thicker cream that dries down quickly, doesn’t feel greasy, and has a strong, more medicinal scent (they say “light eucalyptus”).  It’s intensely hydrating, long-lasting, and absorbs fully.  I routinely use this one at night time (I keep a bottle on my nightstand in hopes of reminding myself to use it) as I dig the light scent as a relaxation moment as I try to fall asleep.  I find this to be effective even when my hands start resembling a dried out riverbed and I can start navigating through the cracks on the back of my hands.  Even when my hand care game is weak, I know I can slather this on before bed and wake up with happy hands for the next couple of days.

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps ($30.00 to $78.00) is a staple in my skincare routine when it comes to keeping body parts and hands hydrated.  I grab a mega-sized bottle at least once a year (when they’re on sale), and I keep one in my photography room to keep my swatching arm from drying out.

I like to apply it before and after a swatching session (there’s a lot of skin rubbing and product removal in-between) because it’s non-greasy and intensely hydrating, though it’s not the fastest absorbing (compared to the previous three options mentioned).  This is often the one I’ll apply and then put gloves on if I want to do some extra hand-pampering.

It’s fragrance-free, which I prefer as heavy scents on my hands are often too much for me, and as a body cream, it means I can wear my favorite perfume without worrying about the two mixing.