Cold weather brings with it statement knits, oversized puffer jackets, and – on a slightly less glamorous note – dry, dehydrated hands. Despite being the most exposed part of our body during the colder months, they're often the most neglected; it can be tricky to find a product that sinks in fast while still packing plenty of moisture. There's nothing worse than a lovely scented hand cream that leaves greasy fingerprints all over your keyboard.
So we've found the heavy-duty skin protectors that not only boost moisture levels, combat eczema and even reduce signs of ageing, but are also fast-absorbing and, most importantly, non-greasy. Read on for our edit of the balms, creams, salves and lotions that will keep your palms, nails and cuticles hydrated all year round.
Formulated with a blend of probiotics, prebiotics and lactic acid, this fast-absorbing cream protects the skin's microbiome, while the combination of shea butter and daisy extract softens.
Gallinée La Culture Hand Cream, £9.50, available at Look Fantastic
A mix of mandarin oil, rosemary leaf and cedarwood soothes rough skin, cuticles and nails in this handy tube from Aesop. Rich but non-greasy, it helps to fight dermatitis, combat the first signs of ageing and leaves skin feeling hydrated and smooth.
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm, £19, available at Space NK
Enriched with 20% shea butter, L'Occitane's hand cream has achieved cult status. Blended with almond, honey and coconut oil, and essence of jasmine and ylang-ylang, it protects and heals dry, dehydrated skin.
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, £20, available at L'Occitane
Fortified with antioxidant rose oil and nourishing shea butter, Lano's hand cream leaves a silky, protective veil for continued hydration.
Lano Rose Hand Cream Intense, £9.18, available at Look Fantastic
A long-standing favourite, this emollient-rich treatment comforts and conditions dry, chapped and irritated skin with sesame oil and Japanese mulberry.
Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, £21, available at John Lewis
This cream intensively moisturises and protects the skin's barrier from environmental aggressors such as cold weather, water and soaps. Enriched with urea and lactate, it reduces dryness, redness, scaling and irritation.
Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Hand Cream 5% Urea with Lactate, £8.42, available at Feel Unique
A deliciously scented pick-me-up. Formulated with geranium, walnut and apricot kernel oil, and with a lightweight texture, Jo Malone delivers soothed and softened hands.
Jo Malone Geranium & Walnut Hand Cream, £22, available at Jo Malone
A hand treatment that packs a punch. Working to protect dry and chapped hands from daily aggressors, it leaves a non-greasy film that restores the skin's moisture barrier. Perfect for sensitive skin sufferers.
La Roche-Posay Lipikar Xerand for Hands, £5.50, available at Feel Unique
Restore suppleness and soothe irritation with this fast-absorbing lotion formulated with Atlantic kelp extract and magnesium PCA.
REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Energising Hand Lotion, £18, available at REN
A non-greasy, botanical blend of echinacea, vitamin E and antioxidant-rich beta-carotene, Liz Earle's cream provides instant relief to dry hands, helping to condition nails, soften cuticles and protect against dehydration.
Liz Earle Orange Flower Hand Repair, £22.50, available at John Lewis
Delivering 12-hour hydration, this rich cream strengthens the skin's moisture barrier, leaving hands softer and smoother.
Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream, £19, available at Feel Unique
For velvety soft skin, look no further than Laura Mercier's amber vanilla hand cream. Combining notes of tangerine, coconut, amber and brown sugar with intensely moisturising grape seed and vanilla extract, it's soothing, comforting and most of all, smells divine.
Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Hand Cream, £13, available at Space NK
Combining omega 7, camellia, virgin plum and macadamia to form a silky barrier that locks in moisture, this luxurious option is super smooth and fast-absorbing.
Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, £27, available at Elemis
Pop a tube of this in your handbag for on-the-go hydration. The gel-cream formula, infused with community trade argan oil from Morocco, leaves hands soft and smooth.
The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream, £5, available at The Body Shop
Enriched with jojoba and avocado oils, soothing colloidal oats and restorative copper active, this water-resistant, anti-inflammatory cream will soothe hands and cuticles. But what we love most about it, is it's prolonging effect on nail polish. Lack of suppleness can cause your perfectly painted nails to chip, and this product prevents just that.
Slizir Hand And Polish Cream, £21.95, available at Slixir
Specifically designed for dry, busy hands, this thick but non-greasy blend of botanical oils conditions and moisturises skin, forming a protective barrier against further moisture loss.
Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, £14, available at Feel Unique
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