15 Best Drugstore Hand Creams 2022 For Soft And Smooth Skin

15 Best Drugstore Hand Creams (2022) For Soft And Smooth Skin

1. Best Fast-Absorbing Formula:L’Occitane Butter Hand Cream

The L’Occitane Butter Hand Cream is formulated with 20% shea butter, honey, almond extract, and coconut oil. This iconic cream has a rich and creamy texture. The high percentage of shea butter helps counter the dryness of your hand. The organic spring honey in the cream helps nourish and soften your hands, while the almond oil is rich in omega 6 and 9 fatty acids that soothe and soften dry skin. This hand cream forms a protective barrier around your hand to keep them moisturized. Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Honey, Almond oil, and Coconut oil Pros

Fast-absorbing No oily residue A little goes a long way Value for money

Cons

Unpleasant fragrance

2. Best Non-Greasy Formula:Borghese Restorative Hand Creme

The hand cream from Borghese not only nourishes your hands but also restores the skin’s natural moisture barrier. It helps in softening and repairing your dry and chapped hands and makes them smooth and soft. The drugstore hand cream is formulated with vitamin E, which is a powerful hydrating agent and prevents sun damage to an extent. It also helps strengthen the nails. This cream has a subtle fragrance that leaves your hands smelling great. Key Ingredients: Vitamin E Pros

Subtle fragrance Non-greasy Paraben-free Phthalate-free Talc-free Allergy-tested

Cons

Small quantity for the price

3. Best Skin-Friendly Formula:J.R. Watkins Natural Moisturizing Hand Cream

The J.R Watkins Natural Moisturizing Hand Cream helps revitalize your hands and makes them smooth and healthy. It is formulated with shea butter, cocoa butter, and plant-based oils, such as jojoba and avocado. These ingredients are skin-friendly, nourish and hydrate your hands, and improve their appearance. This cream has a delightful fragrance that will uplift your mood and leave your hands smelling good. Key Ingredients: Shea butter, cocoa butter, Jojoba oil, and Avocado oil Pros

Long-lasting Non-greasy Cruelty-free Paraben-free Dye-free Phthalate-free Silicone-free

Cons

Overpowering fragrance

4. Best Anti-Aging Benefits:-417 Serenity Legend Anti-Oxidant Hand Moisturizer

This drugstore hand cream moisturizes dry and cracked skin and makes your hands smooth. It contains plant extracts, beeswax, and Dead Sea minerals (high concentrations of natural active ingredients) that nourish, repair, and hydrate your hands. They help prevent the harsh aging lines and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. This hand cream will give you soft and supple hands and protects them against environmental stressors. Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Beeswax, and Dead Sea minerals Pros

Non-greasy Fast absorption Gluten-free Paraben-free Phthalate-free Cruelty-free Vegan

Cons

Strong fragrance

5. Best Hypoallergenic Formula:Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream

If you are looking for a hand cream that is intensely hydrating, sets in quickly, and lasts multiple handwashes, the Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Cream is the right pick for you. It is formulated with aloe vera that provides intense moisture to your hand. The drugstore hand cream also contains vitamins A, C, and E. This trio helps improve the appearance of your hands, protects them against environmental stressors, and minimizes moisture loss. The positive ions in the formula keep the moisture particles attached to your skin, making your hands supple and always happy! Key Ingredients: Aloe vera and Vitamins A, C, and E Pros

Long-lasting Non-greasy Fast-absorbing Hypoallergenic Dermatologist-tested Great value for money

Cons None

6. Best For Sensitive Skin:Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream

This hand cream from Aveeno is infused with an effective blend of colloidal oatmeal and rich emollients that provides deep nourishment to your dry hands. The oatmeal helps restore your skin’s normal pH and maintains its moisture barrier. The creamy texture feels great on your chapped hands and helps restore smoothness to dry skin. This drugstore hand cream is also suitable for people dealing with eczema. Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal Pros

Long-lasting Dermatologist-recommended Steroid-free Fragrance-free Safe for sensitive skin Value for money

Cons None

7. Best For Skin Chafing:CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream

Show your overworked hands some love with the CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream. It is formulated with moisture-rich hyaluronic acid and niacinamide that help moisturize and soothe your dry and itchy skin and make it supple and smooth. The cream also contains three types of ceramides and dimethicone that work together to protect and restore the skin barrier. It makes chaffed skin smooth and soft to touch. Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, 1, 3, 6-II Ceramides, and Dimethicone Pros

Long-lasting Non-greasy Fast-absorbing Dermatologist-recommended Fragrance-free Suitable for all skin types

Cons

Not for very dry hands.

8. Best Chemical-Free Formula:Salcoll Collagen Hand Cream

The Salcoll Collagen Hand Cream is formulated with marine collagen, a potent ingredient that helps in softening dry and chapped hands. It also helps diminish wrinkles and fine lines on your hands. The collagen in the hand cream helps lock in moisture and preserve your delicate skin. The product also helps in boosting skin regeneration. It helps sooth burns, scrapes, and chapped skin by stimulating the healing process. Key Ingredients: Marine collagen Pros

Hypoallergenic Non-greasy Pleasant fragrance Chemical-free Cruelty-free

Cons None

9. Best For Intense Hydration:Adamia Therapeutic Repair Hand Cream

This hand cream from Adamia contains promega-7, a blend of macadamia nut oil and clinically proven moisturizers that provides relief to your distressed hands. It helps repair and treat dry and cracked hands and thinning skin. The macadamia nut oil in the formula provides intense hydration by getting absorbed quickly. It is rich in omega-7 that helps soothe dry and cracked skin. Key Ingredients: Promega-7 Pros

Fast-absorbing Non-greasy Dermatologist-tested Non-allergenic Fragrance-free Paraben-free Gluten-free Non-GMO Petroleum-free Cruelty-free

Cons None

10. Best For Exfoliation:Flexitol Hand Balm

The Flexitol Hand Balm has a fast-acting and non-greasy formula that works great for dry hands. It contains vitamin E that helps in replenishing your skin. It also contains urea that replenishes moisturize to your skin and dimethicone that forms a protective barrier to prevent moisture loss. The hand cream also contains lactic acid that exfoliates the dead skin cells. It claims to prevent and treat dry skin caused by skin conditions like eczema, diabetes, or other environmental stressors. Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, Urea, Dimethicone, and Lactic acid Pros

Fast-absorbing Non-greasy No residue Gluten-free

Cons

Contains mineral oil

11. Best For Skin Elasticity:HerbXtract Cosmetics Rose Series Hand Cream

Say hello to youthful and nourished hands with the HerbXtract Hand Cream that helps moisturize, heal, and soften the hands. The cream is formulated with natural rose oil that moisturizes and nourishes your skin. It also contains collagen and vitamin E. All three ingredients are powerful moisturizing and anti-aging agents. The collagen in the hand cream helps in slowing down aging while improving skin elasticity and diminishing the appearance of fine lines. The vitamin E in the formula also helps strengthen your nails and cuticles while keeping them moisturized. Key Ingredients: Natural rose oil, Collagen, and Vitamin E Pros

Organic ingredients Non-greasy Fast-absorbing Anti-aging Gluten-free

Cons

Strong fragrance

12. Best Moisture Balance:O’Keeffe’s Working Hands

The O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream is a boon for dry and cracked hands. Its concentrated formula with glycerin works its magic almost instantly, helping heal and repair extremely dry and chapped skin. It creates a protective layer on your skin’s surface to lock in moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth. Key Ingredients: Glycerin Pros

Long-lasting Non-greasy Quickly absorbed Fragrance-free Safe for all skin types

Cons None

13. Best UV Protection:Tree To Tub Shea Butter Hand Cream

This hand cream from Tree To Tub has all the moisturizing and skin-friendly ingredients that you can think of! It is formulated with vitamin B5, vitamin E, lavender oil, jojoba oil, and rose water in a moisturizing base of shea and cocoa butters. This potent concoction helps treat dry hands caused by UV damage, hard work, genetics, and aging. Shea butter and jojoba oil help revitalize your skin, while cocoa butter and rose water increase skin elasticity and provide protection from UV rays and pollution. Lavender oil helps soothe the skin, and vitamin E is great for moisturizing and strengthening the nails. Key Ingredients: Shea butter, cocoa butter, Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, Lavender oil, Jojoba oil, and Rose water Pros

Non-greasy No oily residue Fast-absorbing Mild fragrance Safe for sensitive skin Paraben-free Sulfate-free Silicone-free Gluten-free Cruelty-free

Cons None

14. Best For Hyperpigmentation:Retinol Anti-Aging Hand Cream

This drugstore hand cream provides deep conditioning to not only your hands but also the nails and cuticles. It is also an anti-aging cream that helps restore your hands to their youthful appearance and prevents any signs of aging, like wrinkles and fine lines. The hand cream is formulated with green tea and vitamins A, C, and E that help moisturize your hands and improve their texture. Key Ingredients: Green tea and Vitamins A, C, and E Pros

Long-lasting Fast-absorbing Targets hyperpigmentation

Cons

Unpleasant fragrance Slightly greasy

15. Best In Budget:Crépe Erase Anti-Aging Hand Repair Treatment

This hand cream helps heal dry, crepey, and cracked hands and makes them smoother and velvety soft. Its key ingredient is TruFirm complex, which is a blend of essential phytonutrients from extracts of apple, dill, and sage. The formula also contains hydrators like shea butter, glycerides, and coconut oil that improve and seal the moisture content of your hands. The hand cream is infused with squalane that helps protect the skin and treat the signs of aging to help you achieve soft, supple, and youthful-looking hands. Key Ingredients: TruFirm Complex and Squalane Pros

Non-greasy Smells good Fast-absorbing

Cons

Not very effective

If you are looking to pick one from the above list, go through the buying guide below to understand the factors you need to look for.

Tips To Choose The Right Hand Cream

Texture: If your hands are involved in hard work for a considerable period or require constant washing, or you have very dry skin, a heavy balm-enriched cream will be ideal for you. Otherwise, a light-textured cream is sufficient.

Ingredients: Check for natural moisturizing ingredients that lock in hydration. Glycerin is a natural humectant that pulls water from the epidermis to the deeper skin layers for locking in moisture. Shea butter is another ingredient that makes the skin smooth, soft, and supple. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, vitamins B, C, and E, lanolin, and essential fatty oils hydrate and nourish your hands. Look for a cream that has at least three of these ingredients.

No Chemicals: The hand cream should be free of chemical ingredients, artificial fragrances, added colors, and any thickening agents to avoid allergic reactions.

Our hands reveal our true age, and therefore, it is imperative that we take care of them. The list above comprehensively covers the best of drugstore hand creams. Pick one and show your hands that you care!

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author, Oyendrila Kanjilal, is a certified skin care coach. She conducted hours of in-depth research on product specifications and user feedback to compile this list of the best drugstore hand creams for her readers. She also considered the texture and ingredients of the products for shortlisting the best ones for soft and smooth skin. These products pamper your hands, manage dryness, moisturize, and soothe your dry hands. How often should you use hand cream? There’s no limit to how many times you can use hand cream. Use it whenever you feel your hands are dry or after a handwash. Is fragrance in hand cream bad? Yes. Chemicals that induce fragrance are damaging and can cause skin irritations. Which is better, hand cream or hand lotion? Hand creams are better as they contain moisturizing ingredients rather than water, unlike hand lotion. Is there a difference between cream and hand cream? Yes, body creams are less thicker and watery, whereas hand creams are more buttery and thick in composition. Are hand creams safe during pregnancy? Yes, hand creams that do not contain harsh chemicals are safe for anyone. How long do hand creams last? On your skin, hand creams last for 1-2 hours. It also depends on the activity your hands are indulged in. How often should I apply hand cream? You can apply hand cream as soon as you feel your hands are getting rough or dry.