Are hand creams essential or merely an indulgence?

We ask the experts if a hand cream is necessary or whether a body cream can fill in just as well

Often packaged in either lilac, powder blue or pink tubes or featuring a clean, minimalistic white aesthetic, hand creams have become a staple in most of our handbags. To others, they pass off as something that’s not essential, but an indulgence or an easily dispensable addition to one’s beauty kit. We’re not surprised since many ingredients that go into the making of hand creams are easily found in body creams and lotions as well. We speak to the experts to find out how hand creams fare in comparison with body moisturisers.

Hand creams 101

If you look closely at the list of ingredients on a tube of hand cream, you’ll be apprised (and surprised) of the rich complex of nourishing agents—think emollients like natural oils and sundry types of butter as well as humectants like hyaluronic acid. Whether you realise it or not, your hands will benefit highly from applying the moisturising concoction from time to time since we are habituated to washing our hands every now and then, especially after the pandemic, which, in turn, leaves our palms severely dry and chapped.

According to Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist Dr Niketa Sonavane, the skin on your hands will become dry, tight and ashy as you age due to trans-epidermal water loss. “A hand cream not only replenishes the water in your skin, but also traps the water you already have to plump it up and protect it,” says the skin expert. Listing the common ingredients that one can find in a good-for-you hand cream, New Delhi-based dermatologist Dr Meghna Gupta says, “Shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, glycerin, lanolin, ceramides, squalane, urea and liquid paraffin are the most effective ingredients to look out for.”

Does a body lotion or cream make the cut?

Even before we were introduced to the concept of multi-step skincare routines, we have been religiously adhering to the practice of applying a body cream or lotion or body butter after showers or before hitting the sack every day. So, it’s natural for you to wonder why can’t you just rub some of that trusted body hydrator between your palms and get done with it. However, experts believe that a hand cream has an edge over the former. “Hand creams are thicker and contain a higher concentration of oil than lotions, which are intended for the entire body,” states Sonavane. “They moisturise the skin, which not only keeps the hands and cuticles soft and supple but also reduces the likelihood of cracking and splitting skin on your hands. Emollients and humectants work together to attract and seal in moisture while also forming an occlusive, protective barrier on the surface” she adds.

A research reveals that those who used hand creams regularly and immediately after each hand wash experienced minimised skin dryness and roughness. Sonavane believes that besides boosting your feel-good hormones, hand creams will also preserve the thin, delicate skin on your hands, which only thins and becomes more sun damaged with age. On the same lines, Jemy Dayrit, national education manager, Moroccanoil, says, “Generally speaking, hand creams are formulated to have slightly quicker absorbability than most body moisturisers while also having the ability to last longer on the skin.” He is also of the opinion that hand creams are gaining popularity because people not only want to focus on anti-ageing techniques to make their face look younger, but also on their hands, realising that they have a way of revealing somebody’s true age if not taken care of. Gupta also highlights that the packaging of hand creams makes them extremely travel-friendly, “You can carry them with you wherever you go and use it every time you wash your hands,” she says. “I would say hand creams are for both convenience as well as indulgence.”

The best picks

“My vanity is always stocked with nourishing hand cream. I don't use it all the time, but I know it's there if I need it. Because the air in Mumbai is humid, I tend to reach for it during the winter, and occasionally as a nighttime ritual,” says Sonavane, who swears by L'Occitane’s hand creams. “If none [hand creams] are available, I'll use any cold-pressed oil,” she adds. Dayrit says by using Moroccanoil’s hand creams, your skin will be pampered with extremely rich ingredients like argan oil, shea butter and cocoa butter along with anti-ageing benefits from hyaluronic acid and squalene. Gupta, whose hands are prone to dryness because of wearing gloves for hours together, says, “The hand cream I own is packed with urea.” Some of the hand creams we love are Ultimate Strength Hand Salve from Kiehls, Hand & Nail Cream from Caudalie, Almond Nail & Hand Cream from The Body Shop, Cicalfate Hand Cream from Avène, Reverance Aromatique Hand Balm from Aesop, Advanced Repair Hand Cream from Eucerin, Everywhere Multi-Cream Allover from Lano and The Hand Treatment from Augustinus Bader.

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