These Anti-Aging Hand Creams Will Keep Your Hands Healthy, Hydrated, and Looking Youthful

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When it comes to applying skincare products, it’s easy to overlook our hands. But it turns out that implementing an anti-aging hand cream into your daily routine can go a long way toward a healthier, more youthful appearance. Our hands do a lot for us—they deserve proper care, too.

Neglecting proper hand care can accelerate the aging process in the skin. “As we age, we tend to lose two major components of the skin that provide structure and support: collagen and elastin,” explains Janiene Luke, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Loma Linda, CA. “With decreased collagen, the skin in this area can become thinner. We can also lose fat/subcutaneous tissue, and the small muscles of the hands may atrophy as well, making underlying veins and tendons more visible.”

Meet the experts: Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ; and Janiene Luke, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Loma Linda, CA

According to Dr. Luke, regular use of hand cream helps keep them looking healthy and youthful; it “helps maintain a healthy skin barrier—which is already composed of various lipids and ceramides.” Anti-aging hand creams enriched with powerful hydrators, emollients, and active ingredients can significantly smooth skin, improve tone and texture, and provide the dose of moisture we need for healthy skin.

Our top picks

Ahead, find the best anti-aging hand creams recommended by dermatologists and editors that may yield healthier, smoother, and more youthful-looking hands.

Bariederm Insulating Repairing Hand Cream

Combat signs of aging on hands with Uriage’s formula, recommended by Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ. “I love this product. It is super moisturizing, it’s great for all different skin types and skin problems. It’s truly a reparative cream and improves skin dryness and damaged hands.” It also contains some of Dr. Lal’s go-to ingredients for hand creams, like dimethicone and squalane for deep moisture. The brand also claims that the formula is water-resistant to help hands stay moisturized through washing.

User review: “I love Uriage because it’s a dermatological brand and it’s perfect for my sensitive skin,” wrote one customer on the Uriage website. “The texture on your hands is great, soft and creamy. No allergic reactions. Everybody can use it!”

Intensive Care Hydra Replenish Hand Crème

If you’re looking for an effective, no-frills hand cream that provides long-lasting hydration, this is it. It contains a number of skin-living ingredients to main supple, youthful-looking, and healthy hands, and comes highly-recommended by Dr. Luke. “This hand crème has worked wonders for me given that I wash my hands all day long,” she explains. “It is formulated with shea and cocoa butters, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and other ingredients to help lock in moisture and keep hands soft and smooth.”

User review: “This is my hand cream going forward. Can’t go wrong with Vaseline products. I noticed a difference in the first use. My hands are so soft,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “It is affordable also. Try it!”

Age Renew Crepe Corrector Body Lotion

For those who are concerned with fine lines and wrinkles on their hands, Dr. Lal recommends this “Crepe Corrector” cream from Goldbond. “It’s a really good hand cream. It’s non-greasy, it’s fragrance free, and highly moisturizing,” he says. Plus, it contains an ingredient called urea, which Dr. Lal explains is a moisturizer but also functions as a gentle exfoliant. “So it’s going to get rid of that flaky situation people sometimes have going on.” The cream is also formulated with antioxidants for anti-aging benefits and omega fatty acids to add moisture and protect the skin barrier.

User review: “Finally, I have found a lotion that really does address my crepey skin almost immediately! It does such a wonderful job. The morning after I used this cream I saw an immediate difference in my hands,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “This lotion is worth every penny and it will be the only one I use in the future for this issue. I highly recommend it!”

Therapeutic Hand Cream for Dry Cracked Hands

Cracked skin doesn’t just age hands—it also hurts. If you are experiencing broken skin or painful dryness, your hands will require a more intensive formula. “This is one of my favorite hand creams because it has ceramides to replenish the skin’s barrier, protects the skin, and doesn’t feel too greasy when applied,” says Dr. Luke. In addition to ceramides, this cream (marketed toward cracked hands) also contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and dimethicone to soothe angry skin. Plus, it’s fragrance-free which may help avoid further irritation, stinging, and burning.

User review: “I work with food, so hand washing is constant. During the colder months my knuckles will crack and bleed they get so dry. This stuff works so incredibly well that it only takes one application a day to stop that,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “Also, it doesn’t sting if my hands are irritated.”

Handscreen SPF 40

Dr. Luke recommends that everyone use sunscreen on not only the face, but the hands too. That’s because sun exposure and UV damage “can lead to skin aging, dark spots, and skin cancer,” she explains. This editor-loved hand cream from Supergoop! contains SPF 40 and highly moisturizing ingredients to help hydrate, repair, and protect hands from the sun—so you can skip a step without actually skipping a step. “I love that this hand cream doubles as sunscreen,” says Christie Calucchia, Prevention’s senior commerce editor. “It takes a few minutes to fully absorb into the skin, but it’s worth it for the UV protection. And no, there’s no classic sunscreen smell.”

User review: “This has become my replacement for on-the-go hand lotion for summer time, and it doesn’t feel or smell like sunscreen,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “It has a cinnamon smell that is very natural and not overpowering, and it dries feeling nice and smooth—not slippery like some other hand lotions.”

Cicaplast Hand Cream

“I love La Roche Posay and I love Cicaplast Hands,” says Dr. Lal. He compares applying the cream to “putting a nice hydrating glove on your skin,” thanks to ingredients like niacinamide, shea butter, and glycerin. “It’s safe for all skin types and great for people that wash their hands a thousand times a day,” Dr. Lal adds. The brand claims the formula is “resistant” to hand washing and provides a healthy dose of moisture that lasts up to 48 hours.

User review: “I’ve tried so many hand creams/lotions and nothing ever seemed to have lasting hydration! I constantly have my hands in water, either cleaning my hands or washing dishes,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “My hands were so dry and my cuticles were beginning to tear and hurt. This product has saved my hands and restored moisture. I would definitely recommend it!”

Skin-Renewing Retinol Body Lotion

When it comes to anti-aging skincare, retinol is the gold-standard ingredient, as it’s been proven to prevent and address visible signs of aging. But why stop at your face? Dr. Lal “loves” this lotion from Naturium for the body and hands. “It’s a cream that’s not only moisturizing, but it has retinol in it. And that’s huge. So it’s not going to dry you out but you’ll still get all the benefits of retinol,” he says. “In addition to retinol it contains glycerin, dimethicone, and linoleic acid, which are very moisturizing,” he explains. Dr. Lal also notes that since the formula is fragrance free and uses encapsulated retinol, it can be used on sensitive skin.

User review: “This product is wonderful for dry and aging skin,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “I’ve just used it once or twice, and my skin is smoother (and looks younger) already.”

Eczema+ Ceramide Hand Relief Cream

Pamper your dry hands with this ultra-moisturizing formula from Skinfix, which was formulated with those prone to eczema in mind. “This hand cream makes hands feel moisturized without being too greasy,” says Dr. Luke. “It contains colloidal oatmeal (which has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties), ceramides, squalene, and shea butter.” All of these ingredients help soothe the skin and support a healthy skin barrier for more vibrant-looking hands.

User review: “My hands get so dry and cracked, especially in the winter or after washing my hands, and I need a heavy-duty cream for them. This product fits the bill! It soothes my dry skin and relieves itchiness,” one Sephora reviewer wrote. “I also can have sensory concerns when a lotion feels too ‘smothering’ or sticky on my skin, but this absorbs well and does not bother me at all in that way. It has a thick texture that spreads well.”

Volumizing Hand Cream

If dark spots or age spots on your hands are getting you down, try this brightening, firming formula recommended by Dr. Lal. The superstar ingredient is alpha arbutin, which Dr. Lal says helps fade dark spots and promote a more even skin tone. Plus, “it also has patented formulas that help improve your skin barrier,” he adds. And as the name suggests, the cream is formulated to visibly hydrate and plump the skin to minimize the look of lines and wrinkles.

User review: “Great product! This has really volumized my hands and made the veins far less noticeable! Plus it has faded some of my dark spots on my hands as well,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “Really makes the hands look so much younger!”

EGF Hand Serum

This hand serum took me by surprise. With its thin, lightweight, serum-like consistency, I wasn’t sure it would provide me with the much-needed moisture my hands were searching for. However, I was really impressed with how deeply nourished and hydrated my hands felt—even after just one use. The serum contains hard-working ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides to lock in moisture. It also contains the brand’s proprietary Barley EGF—a plant-based growth factor designed to increase moisture while visibly reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

User review: “I am a fan of Bioeffect and was excited to find this serum explicitly formulated for hands! I love the non-greasy gel serum texture. It only takes a small amount to feel it absorbing and instantly moisturizing,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “My aging hands soak it up and feel hydrated and super soft! It is also helping to fade some stubborn age spots.”

Brazilian Touch Hand Cream

Sol de Janeiro is widely known for its products’ signature scent—and this hand cream is no different. While reviewers love the warm and spicy gourmand fragrance, it also contains several ingredients proven to nourish the skin and support a healthy skin barrier—like squalane and extracts rich in essential fatty acids.

User review: “I absolutely love this hand lotion. Aside from the smell being my all-time favorite; the lotion itself is amazing,” wrote one reviewer on the Sol de Janeiro website. “It absorbs really well into your skin and seems to last. Even after washing with soap and water I could still see and feel the effects.”

Working Hands Cream

For those who are sensitive to fragrance or struggling with irritated skin, this fragrance-free formula from O’Keeffe’s should do just the trick. It’s a “thick, creamy, non-greasy formula that locks in moisture and works well on super dry hands,” says Madeleine Haase, Prevention’s assistant editor. “I love using it at night before bed to keep my hands soft until morning.”

User review: “I love that there is no scent. But what I really love is that it doesn’t leave a greasy film, sinks in and does a phenomenal job of soothing cracked, angry skin,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.

How to choose and use the best anti-aging hand cream

While regularly applying moisturizing creams is the best treatment for the hands, we have a few expert-approved ingredients to consider when selecting an anti-aging hand cream:

✔️ Emollients. These moisturizing ingredients “lubricate and soften the skin,” explains Dr. Luke. Examples include squalene, shea butter, fatty acids, and oils.

✔️ Humectants. These hydrating ingredients “draw water and moisture into the skin,” Dr. Luke adds. The most common examples of humectants include hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

✔️ Occlusives. These protective ingredients “form a barrier to prevent water loss and lock in moisture,” explains Dr. Luke. Examples include petrolatum, dimethicone, and ceramides.

✔️ Exfoliating acids. Acids like lactic acid (which also functions as a humectant) and glycolic acid are worthwhile ingredients for those who struggle with dry hands or discoloration, according to Dr. Lal. Just make sure you get any cracked or inflamed skin under control before you use these ingredients to avoid further irritation.

✔️ Retinol. “Creams that have retinol give an added bonus in that they help your skin cells turnover more quickly and regularly, and increase collagen production to improve the appearance of the skin and decrease fine lines and wrinkles,” adds Dr. Luke.

How we chose the best anti-aging hand cream

We tested Supergoop! Handscreen SPF 40, Bioeffect EGF Hand Serum, and O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream. We spoke with Janiene Luke, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Loma Linda, CA and Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ. We also sifted through countless product reviews to select the best anti-aging hand creams available.

Why trust us

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

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