Right about now, our hands are telling us they need some extra TLC—more like screaming it. The cold is brutal on the skin, but that can’t keep us from washing dishes, erasing pencil marks, changing diapers and being engaged in the myriad activities of daily life. That’s why this time of year you should eschew the light lotions that are fine when you just want a little something sweet smelling and turn to the heavy hitters. These have to be thick, somewhat greasy and filled with ingredients like glycerin, vitamins and shea butter. This is not the season for sissy creams!
[jo malone vitamin e]
Nourishing Hand Treatment This simply combines the best in perfume with the best in moisturizing ingredients: vitamin E, wheat germ, barley, cassis and pomelo.
$50 at fine department stores
[sisleya global]
Anti-Age Hand care French nameplate Sisley offers a cream that combines all the qualities this exclusive brand is known for: It’s emollient, has an SPF of 10 and smells decadently expensive (which it is).
$165 at fine department stores
[1908]
This floral-scented hand cream is created exclusively for Soft Surroundings, and it offers the best of both worlds, a delicate perfume and a rich emollient thanks to cocoa butter and shea butter.
$22 at Soft Surroundings
[herbalind professional glycerin hand cream]
Not exactly a household brand, Herbalind, from Germany, is a real find. The smell is mild and the effect is creamy and long-lasting. Filled with alpha hydroxy acid and vitamins A and E, it can be found at Merz Apothecary in Chicago, or online.
$14 at smallflower.com
[krigler sublime star]
The New York brand makes a very good, super-moisturizing cream, although the 1.6-ounce size won’t take you very far. The hip brand by French perfume house Krigler smells divine, too.
$41 at the Krigler Boutique in The Plaza Hotel or at krigler.com
[bobbi brown extra]
From cosmetics counter favorite Bobbi Brown, Extra hand cream provides that all-important moisture barrier and some anti-aging properties, as well, thanks to something called Repair Complex.
$30 at fine department stores
[rituals ginko’s secret]
Made in the Netherlands, Rituals hand cream is softening, with a strong perfumey scent.
$15 at Barney’s
Photo by Bill Barrett