Colder weather demands for more care to one’s moisturisation routine. I automatically move to thicker and creamier, more dense consistencies of body lotions and creams during the Winter months as my hands get really, really dry and the skin on the rest of me needs a more hydrating formula than the regular lightweight summer lotions as well, and I’m sure this applies to all of us.

Whether you’re dry -skinned or blessed with naturally oily-skin , moisturisation is mandatory for everyone’s skincare routine. Our hands in particular, get the short end of the stick considering the fact that we do most of our tasks with our hands including doing the dishes, touching several chemicals and the like. Do you know that your hands are one of the first parts of you to show signs of aging ? Which is why, I’ve rounded up my favorite list of hand creams for the colder seasons. Take your pick !

The Body Shop Hand Cream :

The Body Shop is such a trusted brand worldwide for their super- hydrating creams and lotions. I’m personally not a huge fan of their makeup particularly for desi tones but their skin care formulations are a total winner for me. I recently chanced upon these travel sized hand creams from The Body Shop and I just love them.

The packaging is really fuss-free (almost reminiscent of medicinal tubes ) and the size is just perfect to pop into your bag and carry with you wherever. The product comes in variants of wild rose, hemp, shea, mango, honeymania, argan oil and more, all of which have perfect consistency. Some are more hydrating than the others though, so make your pick. Oh and they cost only about INR 399 (about $6) so they’re a steal for the price.

Works best for – Normal skin

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy :

You know how you’d expect a gardener’s hand to look like with all the weed-pulling, occasional thorn-pricking and interactions with mud right ? That’s exactly why Crabtree & Evelyn formulated this super-rich formula for super-dry, rough, almost scaly hands. This is an amazing product and works best for those with EXTREMELY dry and care-seeking hands.

It isn’t advisable for daytime wear as it leaves behind an oily-ish film so I’d advise you wear under gloves as you sleep at night and let it do its thing. You could try Iris Hand Therapy (also by C&E) for daytime use, it has a similar formula with a lighter texture that’s perfect for the day. I’m not sure about the pricing because my cousin got me a set of 3 of these but they retail for about $23 on Amazon.

I absolutely must say that once you’ve tried Crabtree & Evelyn ‘s hand cream, it’s hard to go back.

Works best for – Extremely dry, crying-out-for-help hands 😛

Marks and Spencer Vintage Floral Forget – Me – Not Fragrant Hand Balm :

This balm has the prettiest packaging EVER ! I’m not even exaggerating when I say this but, you really need to hold this little tin to feel like you’re in some sort of fairytale. It reminds me of an old jewelry box my grandmom owned. Okay random fangirling aside, this product by M&S is another great heavy-duty hand balm for hardworking hands.

The texture is like a thick, almost paste-like cream that melts when you apply it onto your skin (that’s always an indicator of a good product) . You’ll need quite a less quantity of this product as a little goes a long way with this balm.

While this is a good, really hydrating product, I’d really buy it more for the packaging than anything else because my hands aren’t very dry. If your skin falls in that zone though, there’s nothing not to love about the fragrant balm.

P.S. It smells very floral and the scent lingers so don’t buy it if floral scents aren’t your thing.

Works best for – Dry, hardworking hands. Works also if you like collector’s edition of products ! 🙂

Author – Rachel Vera