In this time of Covid-19, take a moment and think about how many times you’ve washed and sanitized your hands today. Both are entirely necessary I might add, but repetitive hand washing can damage the integrity of the skin, causing hands to become dry, sore, and irritated, and if the skin becomes damaged, it becomes less of a barrier against infection. A simple effective way to ensure hands are protected and moisturized on a daily basis is the use of hand cream after washing and drying your hands. A must-have addition to your skincare arsenal, hand cream contains occlusives and emollients, groups of ingredients that create a physical barrier on the skin and work by locking and sealing the moisture in. Look out for ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter, ceramides, and glycerin, essential for ensuring hands stay supple and smoother for longer.
Read on for the best hand creams for repairing dry skin, available in selected pharmacies and online, that will protect and soothe and have them back to full health in no time I’ve also included a hand treatment for a little self-care during this period of lockdown. Lastly, top tip! If you feel your skin is particularly dry, apply a thick layer of your hand cream to your hands overnight before you go to bed and pop on a pair of thin cotton gloves or socks! this will lock in the moisture during the night and you’ll wake up to the softest hands yet.
CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream
- Enriched with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid replenishes vital moisture in hands in order to strengthen the protective skin barrier and provide lasting hydration. Winner of ‘Best Hand Cream’ in the Hi Style Best Beauty Buy Awards, this melts effortlessly into the skin leaving hands feeling soft, supple, and hydrated, €5.50 available from selected pharmacies nationwide and online from boots.ie.
Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream
- Have been one of Clarins best-selling products for over 40 years with one tube sold every 30 seconds worldwide. The moisturizing base of sesame oil and shea butter is boosted by Japanese mulberry extract to work on minimizing age spots, while myrrh extract is used to strengthen the nails. Deeply nourishing, this gives long-lasting comfort, €22 available from selected pharmacies/department stores nationwide and online from clarins.ie.
Gallinée Hand Cream
- Boasts a lightweight and fast-absorbing formula to soften and intensely nourish dry hands. The ultra-active formula contains hydrating shea butter and brightening daisy extract to help fade age spots, combined with a patented Triple Biotic Complex of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to help support your skin’s microbiome in the most gentle and effective way possible. It also doubles as a foot cream. Bonus! €16.96 available from selected pharmacies nationwide and online from meddirect.ie.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume Hands
- Restores the comfort of even the most damaged hands. Containing a 30% concentration of glycerin and a 4% concentration of niacinamide, which reduces inflammation and prevents the formation of cracked skin, this quickly absorbing, non-oily balm cream soothes and repairs the skin’s protective barrier and provides an invisible wash and friction-resistant barrier. After four weeks, the skin is less irritated, red, and sore and hands are rejuvenated, €8 available from selected pharmacies nationwide and online from mccauley.ie.
L’Occitane Shea Hand Cream
- is made with 20% shea butter for a rich and moisturizing feel on the skin that penetrates quickly to protect and nourish. A multi-award-winning product it also contains almond, honey, and coconut butter for extra hydration. Lightly scented with jasmine and ylangylang essential oil it works wonders on dry and fragile hands all year round, €24 available from selected pharmacies nationwide and online from ie.loccitane.com.
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
- Is all about efficiency. This clinically proven concentrated hand cream enriched with 40% glycerin, is great for tackling seriously dry, chapped hands and provides instant relief after just one application. Its reparative properties protect and restore the skin barrier to ensure skin is nourished, moisturized, and healthy. The concentrated formulation means only a small amount is needed for ultimate hydration. Available in original and fragrance-free, each hand cream provides up to 200 applications, €4.99 available from selected pharmacies nationwide and online from mccauley.ie
Rosy Hands Instant Manicure Hand Treatment from Seoulista Beauty
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- Is one I always reach for. An award-winning mask for your hands that delivers beautifully smooth, younger-looking hands in under 30 minutes and in the comfort of your own home. Made from natural ingredients, these patented, double-layer hydration gloves treat and nourish your skin, nails, and cuticles providing much-needed TLC for your precious hands. Bulgarian rose oil heals, protects, and hydrates skin, nails, and cuticles. Antioxidants and vitamin C nourish and brighten the skin while Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) help fade pigmentation and restore even skin tone, €8.99 available in selected pharmacies nationwide and online from mccauley.ie. Top Tip: Overdone the tan on your hands. Sleep with the gloves on your hands and it will help lift excess tan overnight.
