11 Best Cruelty-Free Hand Creams Of 2023
Keep your hands hydrated and keep them from getting dry by sealing in moisture.
Hillary ClarkEsthetician
Expertise: Makeup & Skin Care
Experience: 21 years
Hillary Clark is a third-generation beauty entrepreneur, celebrity makeup artist, and medical esthetician with 21 years of experience. Her stints as the youngest Beauty Director for Nordstrom and West Coast Beauty Editor for Sephora provide... more
Oyendrila Kanjilal Certified Skin Care Coach
Expertise: Skin Care & Hair Care
Experience: 2 years
Oyendrila holds a master's degree in English Literature from the University Of Calcutta, West Bengal, and is a certified skincare coach. As a beauty and lifestyle writer with two years of experience, ... more
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
There is no better way to honor your furry babies and yourself than using the best cruelty-free hand lotions out there. When winters come around, they suck the moisture out of the air, leaving your hands dry and chapped. The perfect hand lotion will retain moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth. To help you out, we have created a list of the best cruelty-free hand lotions to make you feel good. Scroll down!
Top Picks
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Best SLS-Free Yes To Coconut Ultra Hydrating Moisturizing Hand & Cuticle Cream $14.99 ON AMAZON Read More › $14.99 ON AMAZON - 3
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Best Quick-Absorbing Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream $5.99 ON AMAZON Read More › $5.99 ON AMAZON - 4
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Best Lightweight Mademoiselle Provence Rose and Peony Soothing Hand Cream $9.99 ON AMAZON Read More › $9.99 ON AMAZON - 7
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Best Paraben-Free Human+Kind Hand Cream - Watermelon With Cocoa Butter & Aloe Vera $8.8 ON AMAZON Read More › $8.8 ON AMAZON - 8
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Best Refreshing-Fragrance Awakening Hands Dead Sea Magnesium Hand Cream $28 ON AMAZON Read More › $28 ON AMAZON - 10
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Best Lanolin-Free DERMA.E Vitamin E Fragrance-Free Therapeutic Shea Hand Repair Cream $7.95 ON AMAZON Read More › $7.95 ON AMAZON
In This Article
11 Best Cruelty-Free Hand Creams – 2023
Best Non-Greasy:J.R. Watkins Hand Cream
The J.R.Watkins Hand Cream is a moisturizing formula made with 98% natural ingredients. It contains shea butter, avocado oil, and cocoa butter that nourish the hands and keep them hydrated. The cream heals cracked skin and reduces the signs of aging. It has a pleasant scent of lavender to relax the senses. Apply this cream liberally on the hands before hitting the bed for maximum benefits.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Cocoa butter, and Avocado oil
Pros- Non-greasy
- A little goes a long way
- Absorbed quickly
- Paraben-free
- Dye-free
- Phthalate-free
- Formaldehyde-free
- EDTA-free
- Silicone-free
Cons
- Overwhelming scent
Pro TipThe Yes To Coconut Hand And Cuticle Cream is apt for dry skin. The intense moisturization formula repairs dry, cracked, chapped skin without making it greasy. The cream protects the cuticles from cracking and keeps the skin smooth and soft. The formula contains shea butter and virgin coconut oil that nourish and protect the skin and prevent further moisture loss. Hillary Clark, a beauty entrepreneur, celebrity makeup artist, and medical esthetician, says, “This product is great for feet too! You can use it as a foot mask with socks.”
Key Ingredients: Passion fruit, Shea butter, Avocado oil, Grapefruit extract, and Coconut extract
Pros
- Non-greasy
- Absorbed quickly
- Paraben-free
- SLS-free
Cons
- Strong scent
Best Quick-Absorbing:Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream
This hand cream from Cake Beauty has a tempting smell of baked goodies. The formula is enriched with concentrated oat milk and marshmallow root extract, which nourish the skin and keep the hands hydrated. The cream is slowly whipped to attain its rich, velvety, air-like texture. It glides effortlessly onto the skin to reduce roughness and make the hands soft and supple. It also protects the skin and cuticles from dryness and chapping. Take a look at this video for an honest review of Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream
Key Ingredients: Oat milk and Marshmallow root extract
Pros
- 100% vegan
- Quick-absorbing
- Paraben-free
- Mineral oil-free
- Sulfate-free
Cons
- Expensive
Best Vegan:Bliss Lemon & Sage Hand Cream
This hand cream from Bliss is an ultra-rich moisturizer that is absorbed quickly into the skin. It makes the cuticles soft and moisturizes dry, rough skin. The non-greasy, hydrating formula is rich in shea butter, provitamin B5, macadamia nut, aloe extract, grape seed, and soybean oil that nourish and revitalize the skin cells. The sodium hyaluronate present in the formula prevents water loss and keeps the hands supple and moisturized. This hand cream comes in a refreshing lemon and sage fragrance. Hillary Clark, says, “This is a must-have product for estheticians and you if you wash your hands throughout the day.”
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Macadamia nut, Grapeseed oil, Soybean oil, Provitamin B5, Aloe leaf juice, and Sodium hyaluronate
Pros- Quick-absorbing
- Amazing fragrance
- A little goes a long way
- Paraben-free
- Phthalate-free
- SLS-free
- Vegan
Cons
- Very thick consistency
Pro TipBest Long-Lasting:The Honest Company Moisturizing Hand Cream
The Honest Company Moisturizing Hand Cream is the perfect solution for those with dry skin. This luxurious cream is packed with antioxidants to help nourish and protect your hands from daily wear and tear. This moisturizing hand cream has a light texture that absorbs quickly into your skin without leaving behind any greasy residue or feeling heavy on your hands. The formula includes natural ingredients like shea butter, desert date oil, lemon peel, and omega fatty acids to provide intense hydration. Its hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested formula makes it ideal for everyday use.
Key Ingredients: Desert date oil, Shea butter, and Upcycled lemon peel
Pros- Paraben-free
- Phthalate-free
- SLS-free
- Long-lasting
- Smells good
Cons
None
Best Lightweight:Mademoiselle Provence Rose and Peony Soothing Hand Cream
This hand cream from Mademoiselle Provence is a hydrating formula with 96% natural ingredients. It is infused with olive oil and shea butter, rich in vitamins A and E and other antioxidants that nourish and moisturize the skin. Allantoin, wild rose, and peony extracts nourish the skin and keep it soft and smooth. The moisturizing formula maintains the skin’s natural pH balance and is dermatologically tested.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Peony extracts, Rose extracts, Allantoin, and Olive oil
Pros
- Lightweight
- Non-greasy
- Smells good
- Certified organic
- Paraben-free
- Phenoxyethanol-free
- Phthalate-free
- EDTA-free
- Silicone-free
- Paraffin-free
- Petrolatum-free
- Synthetic dye-free
- Sulfate-free
Cons
- Sticky
Best Paraben-Free:Human+Kind Hand Cream - Watermelon With Cocoa Butter & Aloe Vera
Human+Kind’s hand cream is a multipurpose moisturizer with a tempting watermelon fragrance. This hand cream repairs dry and chapped skin around the hands and elbow areas, making it soft and supple. It is enriched with shea and cocoa butter that keeps the hands moisturized, while avocado oil and centella asiatica hydrate and nourish the skin. These ingredients possess anti-inflammatory properties, which help to soothe irritated, itchy, and sunburned skin. The cream is non-greasy, lightweight, and comes in a travel-size bottle.
Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, Cocoa butter, and Centella asiatica extract
Pros
- Quick-absorbing
- Non-greasy
- Vegan
- Paraben-free
- Petrochemical-free
- SLS-free
Cons
- Overpowering scent
Pro Tip
The Andalou Naturals Clementine Hand Cream is enriched with nourishing ingredients like sea buckthorn, shea butter, and evening primrose oil. The rich formula softens dry and chapped skin and keeps the hands moisturized. This cream is formulated with Fruit Stem Cell Science that incorporates nature’s most potent bioactive ingredients like grape, argan tree, heirloom apple, Swiss Alpine rose, and hemp plant to restore the texture and radiance of the hands. The mesmerizing clementine fragrance refreshes your senses.
Key Ingredients: Organic sea buckthorn oil, Shea butter, and Cocoa butter
Pros
- Fast-absorbing
- Non-GMO
- Smells good
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
Cons
None
Best Refreshing-Fragrance:Awakening Hands Dead Sea Magnesium Hand Cream
This hand cream from Awakening is infused with myrrh extract and concentrated Dead Sea minerals. The intense Mineral Moisture Therapy hydrates the skin and soothes irritation. The magnesium fights the signs of aging by stimulating the skin cells, while the potassium keeps the hands hydrated. Natural ingredients like ginger and cinnamon extracts soothe irritated skin, and myrrh extract fights bacteria and heals cracked nails, fingers, and cuticles. This hand cream is the perfect recipe for healthy, soft, and supple hands. Hillary Clark, says, “It is ideal for those that garden or work a lot with their hands in water.”
Key Ingredients: Myrrh extract, Concentrated Dead Sea minerals, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Myrrh
Pros
- Quick-absorbing
- Refreshing fragrance
- Non-greasy
- Does not stain clothes
- Paraben-free
- Vegan
Cons
None
Best Lanolin-Free:DERMA.E Vitamin E Fragrance-Free Therapeutic Shea Hand Repair Cream
This hand cream from DERMA.E is a skin repairing formula enriched with shea butter and vitamin E. It reduces dryness and rough patches, softens the cuticles, and makes the hands supple. The lightweight formula utilizes full-spectrum vitamin E to replenish the skin with antioxidants and nourish it from within. Click this video to check more about this product
Key Ingredients: Shea butter and Vitamin E
Pros
- No residue
- Smells good
- 100% vegan
- Fragrance-free
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Mineral oil-free
- Lanolin -free
- Gluten-free
- GMO-free
Cons
None
Best Certified Organic:Peter Lamas Spa Sensuals Intensive Repair Hand Cream
The Peter Lamas Hand Cream provides long-lasting hydration to the hands and makes them soft and supple. This intensive repair cream, enriched with vitamins and botanical extracts, nourishes the skin and keeps it hydrated. It contains shea butter, grapeseed oil, almond oil, and lavender oil that moisturize, nourish, soothe, and heal the skin.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Grapeseed oil, Almond oil, and Lavender oil
Pros
- 100% vegan
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Petrochemical-free
- Certified organic ingredients
Cons
None
Hands and neck are the first places you will start to see signs of aging. If you want your skin to remain youthful beyond your 30s, skin care should be a priority starting in your mid 20s. Investing in a good quality hand cream is one of the first steps you should take – and if it is cruelty-free, nothing better! The skin on our hands goes through a lot, and therefore starts to appear older quicker. However, with the help of an excellent hand cream, you may put off the onset of aging by ten years or more. However, before making a purchase, please consider the following guidelines.
Things To Consider When Purchasing A Cruelty-Free Hand Cream
Ingredients
When it comes to your skin, chemicals won’t do you any favors. Only use paraben-, silicone-, and sulfate-free products. Avoid purchasing any hand cream that contains mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, formaldehyde, paraffin, phenoxyethanol, EDTA, and silicone.
Skin Concern
Already damaged skin is evident by the presence of fine lines and saggy skin on your hands. Use a cruelty-free cream that has been developed specifically for the purpose of reducing the appearance of aging. Go for deeply hydrating formulations if you have mature or sun damaged skin.
Choose a hand cream that contains vitamins like E, A, or B to nourish the skin. If you only want to put the cream on before going to sleep, and happen to sleep in an air conditioned room, go for thicker formulas that prevent moisture from escaping the skin.
Fragrance
In terms of hand creams, you should prefer fragrance-free options. Because the main purpose of this product is skin rejuvenation, unnecessary chemicals in the form of artificial fragrances are not required. However, you may get a lightly-scented one if you have no primary skin issues.
Price
It is not necessary to spend a fortune on a cruelty-free hand cream if you don’t have any serious skin issues. Something in the middle-price range would be just fine. However, if you want to get rid of fine lines or sagging skin, you may have to splurge on a high-quality, branded formulation.
Hands are the most sensitive part of the body. Climatic conditions and harsh chemical products can make them dry and scaly. You will need hand creams that are cruelty-free to keep the hands soft and crack-free. These hand creams are quickly absorbable, penetrate the skin, and moisturize the hands. These products are non-greasy, paraben-free, and vegan. However, some hand creams have an overwhelming scent. Go through the product reviews to choose the best cruelty-free products that suit your skin type.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
Oyendrila Kanjilal is a certified skin care coach specializing in researching and reviewing skin care products. She has combed through various trusted websites and user reviews to compile this list of the best cruelty-free hand lotions that retain moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth. She has also highlighted the unique attributes of each product, along with their pros and cons, to help you buy the best product to obtain soft hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cruelty-free hand cream good for eczema?
Yes, cruelty-free hand creams are good for eczema. Some of them contain petrolatum, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, which are known for combatting eczema signs.
How often should you put cruelty-free hand cream?
There is no rule for putting cruelty-free hand cream. You can use it once, twice, or as often daily as your skin requires.
How long do cruelty-free hand creams last?
Cruelty-free hand creams typically last for two years. However, avoid using them if they start smelling stinky even before expiration.
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