How to choose the best hand cream for you

From cooking nourishing meals to flipping through the pages of a paperback, our hardworking hands are always doing something. A high-quality hand cream will help to keep them feeling soft and supple. Picking the perfect formula means thinking about texture: do you need a balm enriched with organic shea butter to soothe dry skin? Or a lightweight formula to gently moisturise? Some of our hand creams are infused with certain essential oils to carry the gentle fragrance of a warm breeze scented with Provençal flowers. Here's how to choose the perfect hand cream for your lifestyle.

For working hands

Handling garden tools all day or creating beautiful pieces as an artist: some professions are harder on hands than others. If yours are the heart of your livelihood, choose a rich hand moisturiser such as our Shea Butter Hand Cream. This opulent hand balm is made from 20% shea butter, which has been used for centuries by the women of Burkina Faso to protect their skin against dry desert winds. Our award-winning formula is absorbed quickly, so it doesn't leave an oily residue. This means you can use it throughout the day without disturbing your work.

For cold weather

Whether you're heading off to cut through soft powder on an Alpine ski holiday or you're battling the chill at home, it's important to keep your hands feeling nourished and protected during cold weather. Exposure to freezing temperatures can leave hands feeling dry even if you enrobe them in gloves. Look for luxuriously formulated products such as our Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm. Infused with 25% shea butter, this ultra-rich hand cream is your best ally for cold weather, ideal for helping to repare your weather-beaten hands as you sip hot chocolate in front of a roaring log fire.

For warm weather

While languorous days basking on sandy beaches and afternoons spent drinking tea in the garden are fantastic for our mental health, sunny weather can take its toll on hands. Choose a hand moisturiser that protects your skin from the rays while refreshing and hydrating after dips in the salty ocean. Our Almond Velvet Hands cream has UV filters for an SPF value of 15 and also contains a special blend of ingredients to help prevent the appearance of sun-induced dark spots, while help gently plump up the skin on your hands. The key component is the Provençal almond, which flourishes on trees with distinctive white blooms.

For home manicures

An at-home pampering session is a wonderful way to breathe new life into your hands while relaxing after a tough week. Fresh cotton pyjamas on, chilled glass of Provençal rosé vino poured – the next step is selecting which products to use. Start by gently exfoliating with a hand scrub like our Shea Butter Hand Exfoliator, then nourish your nails with Shea Nail & Cuticle Nourishing Oil before painting them. Finish with a slick of lightly scented Cherry Blossom Hand Cream. Its delicate floral fragrance is perfect for an evening of girly pampering.

For before bed

Magic happens overnight as our bodies take time to repair and restore themselves. When you're deep in dreamland for eight hours, it's the perfect time to give your hands some intense moisturisation. After applying a nourishing hand lotion – try our Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm for this, as it can also be used as a luxurious hand mask.

If you'd like a little help unwinding before bed, choose our Lavender Hand Cream instead. As well as being rich in shea butter, it's infused with soothing lavender essential oil from the emblematic purple fields of the Haute-Provence region. This delicate fragrance is utterly relaxing, helping you to drift off to visions of delicate flowers swaying under a pure blue sky.

For the morning

Blending hand cream into your beauty routine at the start of the day is an easy way to ensure you always remember to apply it. It's best to use a light, fast-absorbing formula so that your hands feel soft and protected yet are free from oily residue. In warm weather, the refreshing effect of our Verbena Cooling Hand Cream Gel is a fantastic choice. The revitalising effect of the verbena fragrance will set you on a good path for the day ahead and the powdery finish ensures it won't rub off if you have to apply it before dashing out of the door.

When the weather's cooler and your hands need a little more care, reach for our Shea Zesty Lime Hand Cream is rich in shea butter, soaks into skin quickly and is infused with a refreshing citrus fragrance to remind you of summer and help energise you for the day ahead.

For everyone

From intensive hand creams for dry skin to lightweight creams with tantalising fragrances, our collection is brimming with different hand moisturisers to leave your fingers and palms feeling their best. Our experience in crafting award-winning hand creams infused with natural ingredients ensures there truly is something to suit every occasion and season. If you're unsure which cream to go for, you can find the ideal hand cream online or consult with an assistant at our in-store Hand Cream Bar.