Jenna Hipp
Something as simple as hand cream often gets overlooked when your hands are so dry and cracked that you’re considering cashmere-lined gloves as an alternative to actually baring your palms. Instead of hiding, we recommend a strict regimen of hydration. Good thing that come November, beauty brands are offering their best formulations at travel-friendly, purse-ready sizes that are meant to be shared. And if you’re feeling generous, that’s exactly what you should do: share the wealth. But if you’re like us and have hands that are more dry than giving, we say keep the set for yourself. Leave a tube by your sink, another by your computer, one in your bag, one in your car…the list goes on and on. Thankfully, each one of our picks comes in under $10 a piece after you break the sets up and spread the love.
Jenna Hipp Essential Nail & Hand Cream
Bulk Buy
Jenna Hipp is known as the nail world’s green goddess, crafting polishes and now, hand cream without harsh chemicals. Previously, she’s released a capsule collection with niche L.A.-based polish brand RGB, but she’s branched off on her own with a small selection of goods available at Costco. She’s put together a set of polishes that highlight a few of the hottest nail trends (Pastels! Neons! Mint green!), but our favorite item from Hipp has to be her Essential Nail & Hand Cream ($26.99). The rich cream is sure to brighten up your bathroom or night table thanks to it’s cute patterned tubes and it’s thick, rich formula is great for on-the-spot hydration. The tubes are also huge (you can’t take the epic sizing out of Costco, can you?), so you’re getting a huge bang for your hard-earned buck.
Key ingredients: 20% shea butter and myrrh plant extract
Available at Costco.
L’Occitane Hand Creams of Provence
Classic Cream
There’s a reason that L’Occitane’s hand creams are a best-seller: they actually work. The French brand is a favorite because each cream has a huge dose of shea butter, which keeps hands hydrated and soft through hand washings, temperature changes and handling too many gingerbread lattés. The purse-friendly tubes in the Hand Creams of Provence set ($42) are a gifting favorite and the lightly scented formulas, which range from floral to almond and classic lavender, won’t interfere with any fragrance you’ve already got on.
Key ingredients: shea butter and coconut oil
Available at Sephora.
Caudalie Hand Cream Trio
The Quickie
Another French staple (are the French known for soft hands?) is the Caudalie Hand Cream Trio ($25), which is a favorite for people who need a quick-absorbing formula that’s high on hydration and low on grease. This trio of creams in special holiday scents is sure to sell out quick, especially when each one is inspired by a different French wine: Sauvignon, Cabernet and Merlot.
Key ingredients: grape seed oil, grape seed extract and avocado oil
Available at Sephora.
NEST Luxury Hand Cream Gift Set
The New Wonder
NEST is known for home fragrance, but the brand’s expanded into personal scents and now, a set of five decadent hand creams that you’ll have a hard time parting with come December. Each one is decorated with Nest’s signature botanical prints and boasts a stronger scent than any of the other creams we’ve recommended. The Luxury Hand Cream Gift Set ($38) is light on the grease, heavy on hydration and definitely not stingy with scent. With names like Midnight Fleur, Passiflora and Dahlia & Vine, get one set for yourself and another to gift. These luxe lotions are just too good.
Key ingredients: white tea extract and jojoba oil
Available at Sephora.
Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
Manhandled
Frills and floral scents are fine for the ladies, but if you’re man’s got hands that are rough enough for a deep exfoliation every time he touches you, then slather his paws with our Menswear Editor’s pick: the Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve ($15). It’s a tingly, minty hand cream that’s anything but girly and stops dry hands in just a few uses. Slather on this rich cream, binge watch Breaking Bad and your guy will have baby-soft hands you’ll be begging to touch. The brand claims that this ultra-thick lotion forms a glovelike protective barrier against moisture loss and after trying it just a few times, we’re believers. It’s over our $10 per tube budget, but we say it’s worth the splurge.
Key ingredients: olive oil, glycerin, shea butter
Available at Nordstrom.
Images courtesy Sephora, Jenna Hipp, Nordstrom and Costco
