My name is Andrea, and I have a confession to make.

I am a hand cream addict. No. I am a hand cream Obsessive.

Now, if you’re reading this, then you’re probably wondering “Why is this woman acting as though she is is an addict about LOTION?” 

Yes, lovely people of the Internet. I am a hand cream snob, and I won’t apologize for it. 

It all started in 5th grade, when my mother (the OG beauty junkie and the person responsible for showing me the possibilities of this addiction) bought me my first hand cream, which was the Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Hand Creme. It was my first favorite hand cream EVER, and not just because it smelled like almond cookies. I loved it because it was a light texture, but packed enough grease to keep my hands soft. I still think of it whenever I smell almond-scented body products.

Fast forward 19 years later, and I still have a love affair with hand creams. However, I’ve now graduated to hand creams that you find in specialty stores like Sephora, Bluemercury, C.O. Bigelow’s and the like. Basically….the bougie stuff. I do a lot of things with my hands, and I need to know that my hands are well-hydrated and moisturized. However, there is a catch-my limit is $20.00. Here are my top three hand creams that I keep on current rotation from my third favorite to my first favorite,.

(3) M-61 Hydraboost Hand Cream (Peptide and Vitamin B5 Hand Cream)- I found this hand cream when I meandered into the Bluemercury near Grand Central while on my way to a P3 (Prayer, Penance, Pub) meeting. I had intended to restock on my all-time favorite, but I asked the saleswoman to show me another option, and this was the one I liked the most. A bit of background about the M-61 line: It’s Bluemercury’s house line, and it was founded by Marla Malcolm Beck as a luxurious, highly efficacious vegan alternative to the high-end lines that she carries in her stores. This cream is unscented, and very hydrating, but not greasy. I like to use it at night on top of other serums that I may use on my hands when I have the time to do so. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Deborah Lipmann’s “Rich Girl” Hand Cream with SPF 25- I decided to buy this hand cream when I got my copy of the May issue of InStyle magazine, and the editors voted this hand cream as their favorite.Since I’m a huge fan of their beauty section, I HAD to have it. So I went to the one place I knew had their entire line in stock, aka C.O. Bigelow, and I tried it out. Besides the rich, buttery texture and the perfume-like scent, this hand cream is one of the rare ones on the market that has SPF in it. I tested this at my nail salon on my hands AND feet when I wanted to protect them from the effects of the UV light during a gel manicure session, and I can say that it did the job. *A word of warning: This cream works really well on skin that has been exfoliated. If your hands are dry and crusty….nah. It’ll feel like grease on top of breadcrumbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Caudalie’s Hand and Nail Cream- This is my favorite hand cream EVER. Besides the smell, which smells like a grape vineyard in your house, I love the feel of this hand cream. It’s thick, but it goes on lightly, and it makes your hands feel hydrated without being greasy, and the hydration was still there after a few hours. For me, this cream is an experience: I can feel it working, smell the French sunshine, see how it hydrates my hands instantly, and hear the lack of ashy crustiness as a result of using this cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it. These are my three favorite hand creams which I actually use. What are your favorite hand creams? Are you into hand creams? Or do you not see the need for them? Let me know!