My imaginary boyfriend Chris Hayes tweeted this the other day:
And I get it! Dry, scratchy hands are not a great look!
No one wants sandpaper mitts, but with frequent hand washing, it’s an unfortunate side effect. So, if you’re all aboard the good hygiene train (AND YOU ARE, RIGHT?!), then there’s an easy action to take to combat dry hands. Consider it an antidote.
It’s called: hand cream.
I know. So simple, it’s ingenious. This, my dude, is why the women in your lives keep hand cream ev-er-y-where. By the kitchen sink, in their desk drawer, tucked into a pocket of every purse they own. And it’s time you got familiar.
Now, could you use regular ol’ body lotion on your hands? Sure, of course. But a) does a majority of the male population even regularly purchase that now? And b) we’re living through a germy time, people. Take these small luxuries where you can!
Check out this our round up of the best hand creams to keep your paws pristine.
We don’t deserve Mrs. Meyers. Like bodegas, surprise Childish Gambino album drops, and the New York Times foregoing its paywall for breaking stories, the affordable cleaning products line is a net good in the world right now.
You’re probably already washing your hands with the brand’s omnipresent hand soap; why not add to the rotation with its equally-good smelling hand cream?
Everyone has their favorite scent, so feel free to go with yours, but gotta say, the lavender translates pretty well from soap to moisturizer. (The basil is nice, too).
This stuff is legendary, though if you’ve seen it before, it’s probably been in a pot. Which, if you’ll allow me a slight tangent….what is that about? In the hierarchy of moisturizer vehicles, it’s clearly: #1) pump bottle, #2) squeeze bottle…. literally everything else, and then a jar or pot that you have to open and then close again and make a mess because now your hands have lotion all over them.
My point? Skip the pot; buy the bottle. It’s the same stuff.
O’Keefes is great for extremely dry, cracked hands because it creates a protective layer on the skin’s surface that helps prevent further moisture loss.
Every few weeks in the winter before bed, I slather my feet with Aquaphor (does that sound practically pornographic? Should I start a cam girl venture if things in the pandemic get really bad?), then pull on my coziest sleep socks. In the morning, any rough heels or dry patches I was dealing with have smoothed over.
If you’re ready to go hardcore for a healthier handshake, try a variation on this trick. Goop your hands up good before your new bedtime (I’ve found I’m ready for some shuteye around either 8:01pm, or 2:37am. Nothing in between), then tug on these cotton gloves and hit the pillow.
In the morning, you’ll wake up with baby soft hands that have been seeping up moisture while you cycle through REM stages.
This qualifies on Amazon as a “luxury” beauty product, so feel free to skip it in favor of a more affordable option on this list. The balm does feel indulgent, though, thanks to creamy shea butter, honey, and almond extract. So maybe, just maybe, consider treating yourself this one time?
My family’s best-kept secret for years has definitely NOT been my brother’s deformed twin we hide in the attic; no, it’s been Bag Balm. Similar to petroleum jelly, this stuff is great under bandages for cuts and blisters, but also helpful with dry skin patches. Use it on any scaly bits that have sprung up from your new hygiene habits.
Hand cream “for men” as a concept is dumb, but I do like this moisturizer by Marlowe. It’s got coconut oil, mineral oil, aloe, shea butter, and natural oat extracts for a rich-feeling cream that smells really, really good.
This is another admittedly pricy hand lotion, but think of it this way: it’s the cost of a movie ticket, and you’re not going to the movies these days.
This is the kind of hand moisturizer you can leave out on your desk and it won’t look creepy if your co-workers catch sight of it during your daily Zoom check-in.