No matter what time of the year it is, there’s always a need for hand cream. Whether you’re washing your hands too often and totally stripping your skin, or going on that long flight en route to your summer vacation and stressing over the drying effects on our skin, it’s always smart to have a trusty hand cream in your tote bag at all times. And it helps to have a cream that not only softens hands, but smells really, really good.
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So what better time to try out a new scented hand lotion than, well, now? Not only do hand creams make for great self-care essentials, but they also are great gifts for truly anyone in your life. If you’re having trouble finding a good gift for your mother-in-law, or need some goodies to give your favorite work friends, you can’t go wrong with a good hand cream—especially in the winter months.
Best Scented Hand Creams at Glance
Best Aromatherapy Hand Cream: Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Lavender, $9
Best Floral Scent: Beautyspace NK Jasmine and Rose Hand Cream, $5
Best Luxurious Spend: Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm, $33
Best With Fair-Trade Certified Ingredients: L’Occitane Nourishing and Protective Shea Butter Hand Cream , $30
Best Hypoallergenic Hand Cream: Burt’s Bees Lavender and Honey Hand Cream , $9
Best with Antioxidants: Ranavat Sacred Rose Restoring Hand Crème, $22
Best Nutrient-Rich Cream: Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream, $26
Best Drugstore Hand Cream: Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream , $4
Best Made with Milk: Fresh Milk Hydrating Hand Cream, $22
Best Multi-Pack: Josie Maran Argan Whipped Nourishing Hand Cream 4pc Collection
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We’ve rounded up some of our favorite scented hand creams at every price point. Whether you’re looking for a drugstore favorite that won’t cost you more than $5, or a designer balm that makes for a great birthday gift, you’ll find what you need here. Get ready for the most luxurious midday pick-me-up—and you won’t even need to leave your desk to do it.
Hand Cream Fragrance Trends in 2024
According to Sasha Chou, founder and formulator of Mumu Bath in New York City, “Many perfumers are looking to natural ingredients to create a sense of escape and well-being,” says Chou. “Sustainability is a growing concern, so expect to see more ethically sourced and natural ingredients used in fragrances.”
She also notes that floral and citrus scents are a mainstay and aren’t going away any time soon, as per customer request. We’ve incorporated some of 2024’s biggest hand cream fragrance trends, plus formulas our editors swear by.
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Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Lavender Hand Cream
PHOTO : BATH & BODY WORKS.
Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Lavender Cream
Bath & Body Works is known for their fragrances, and they’ve since expanded their collection into an aromatherapy line that’s meant to help relax and de-stress you. This scent is one of my favorites because it has the bright and fresh scent of eucalyptus with the relaxing blend of lavender—the best of both worlds. The best part is, it’s under $10 and they’re currently running a deal on buy three get three free. That means you can have a hand cream for your purse, the car, your desk, and anywhere else you need a last-minute boost of hydration.
Scent: Eucalyptus and lavender
Quantity: 1 fl oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: On the go hydration
Key ingredients: Shea butter and hyaluronic acid
Pros
- Frequent sales
- Powerful scent
- Made without parabens or artificial dyes
- Dermatologist tested
Cons
- Some say the eucalyptus is overpowering
Beautyspace NK Jasmine and Rose Hand Cream
PHOTO : BEAUTYSPACE NK.
Beautyspace NK Jasmine and Rose Hand Cream
This hand cream comes from Beautyspace NK, a body care line at Walmart known for its delicious scents and high-quality products at an affordable price. If you like a certain scent from the line, you can find it in the form of body scrubs, candles, and more. This floral scented hand cream fits perfectly into your handbag and hydrates and locks moisture into the hands each time you use it.
Scent: Roses, peach, coconut
Quantity: 3.38 fl oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Conditioning hands
Key ingredients: Soy bean oil, sunflower seed oil
Pros
- Affordable
- Absorbs quickly into skin
Cons
- Some reviewers note the scent lasts a little too long
Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
PHOTO : AĒSOP.
Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
This Aesop hand cream is never far from our desks. It’s the perfect gift to show your gratitude to friends and family, thanks to the excellent formula and the brand, which has reached cult-status in the bathroom cabinet aesthetic world. Just FYI: This scent is definitely on the more “natural” side, as the rosemary and cedar notes are quite strong. Whether you prefer the fragrant botanicals or the rich hydration, you’ll be impressed with this balm in your arsenal.
Scent: Citrus, woody, herbaceous
Quantity: 2.6 fl oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Hands and cuticles
Key ingredients: Mandarin Rind, Rosemary Leaf, Cedar Atlas
Pros
- Only small amount needed
- Medium weight hand cream
Cons
- Higher price point
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream
GOLD BOND.
PHOTO : GOLD BOND.
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream
On Sale 33% off
More than 28,000 Amazon shoppers have given this $4 hand cream a perfect five-star rating thanks to its ability to soothe dry, flaky skin in just a few uses. If your hands are in need of some major TLC, grab this bargain treatment. The best part? It even lasts through hand-washing, and as an avid hand-washer like myself knows, this is a key formulaic need when shopping for hand creams.
Scent: Light aloe
Quantity: 3 oz
Type of Packaging: Flip cap squeeze bottle
Best for: Budget shoppers
Key ingredients: Aloe, jojoba oil
Pros
- Affordable
- Non-greasy
- Light, fresh scent
Cons
- Some reviewers noted the smell was fruity, not aloe-vera influenced
Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream
PHOTO : JURLIQUE.
Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream
Jurlique hand creams are not only one of the richest, most hydrating hand creams you can buy, but they also come in a variety of fragrances. An editorial tip: choose lavender if you want something soothing at night, and citrus if you want something energizing for the morning.
Scent: Lavender
Quantity: 40 ml
Type of Packaging: Flip cap squeeze bottle
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Pansy-Viola tricolor with antioxidants, calendula extract, marshmallow root
Pros
- Non-greasy
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Some reviewers say scent is too faint
Ranavat Sacred Rose Restoring Hand Crème with Antioxidants
RANAVAT SACRED ROSE RESTORING HAND CRÈME WITH ANTIOXIDANTS
PHOTO : RANAVAT.
Ranavat Sacred Rose Restoring Hand Crème with Antioxidants
If you like your fragrances sweet and decadent, this is the cream for you. It has very warm and rich notes of almond oil and Damask Rose. And if you really love smelling like dessert (and who doesn’t?), you can even combine it with other products in the line.
Scent: Roses
Quantity: 1.7 oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Those who love all natural ingredients
Key ingredients: Wild damask rose, almond oil, sunflower oil
Pros
- Naturally scented with rose petals
- Clean and vegan brand
Cons
- Higher price point
Burt’s Bees Lavender and Honey Hand Cream
PHOTO : BURT’S BEES.
Burt’s Bees Lavender and Honey Hand Cream
On Sale 10% off
This Burt’s Bees hand cream uses 99 percent naturally-derived ingredients in its powerful formula that contains shea butter, baobab, and pumpkin seed oils for all-natural hydration. It’s also formulated formulated without parabens, phthalates, SLS, petrolatum or synthetic fragrances, so that lavender and honey smell you’re taking in? All comes from nature, not chemicals.
Scent: Lavender, honey
Quantity: 1 oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Those who love all natural ingredients
Key ingredients: Shea butter, baobab, pumpkin seed oils.
Pros
- 99% natural ingredients
- Non-greasy
Cons
- Small tube, not best for everyday use
L’Occitane Nourishing and Protective Shea Butter Hand Cream
PHOTO : L’OCCITANE.
L’Occitane Hand Cream
L’Occitane: it’s a classic for a reason. Their hand creams are all enriched with 20 percent shea butter, as well as other natural ingredients like coconut oil, honey, almond, and grape seed. Best of all, there’s a wide range of scents to choose from, including lavender, cherry blossom, and rose—so you’re bound to find one that you fall in love with.
Scent: Shea butter
Quantity: 5.2 fl oz
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Those interested in sustainability; made with Fair Trade certified shea
Key ingredients: Shea oil
Pros
- Fair Trade Certified
- Instant hydration
Cons
- Some reviewers note formula is very thin
Fresh Milk Hydrating Hand Cream
FRESH MILK HYDRATING HAND CREAM
PHOTO : FRESH.
Fresh Milk Hydrating Hand Cream
This hand cream is formulated with centella, rice, and linseed milk to create a soothing, anti-inflammatory hydration base, and the addition of hyaluronic acid takes its moisture-locking properties even further. It has tons of skincare ingredients likely found in your face products, but the hands need a little TLC, too! The addition of niacinamide and biotin will help brighten and support the skin’s natural barrier, respectively.
Scent: Fresh perfume fragrance
Quantity: 1.6 oz
Type of Packaging: Flip cap squeeze bottle
Best for: Anti-aging on the hands
Key ingredients: Plant based milks, hyaluronic acid, biotin
Pros
- Skincare ingredients
- Protects through hand washing
Cons
- Perfume added for scent
Josie Maran Argan Whipped Nourishing Hand Cream 4pc Collection
PHOTO : JOSIE MARAN.
Josie Maran Argan Whipped Nourishing Hand Cream 4pc Collection
Argan oil is one of the key ingredients in a lot of Josie Maran products. It comes from Morocco and it’s cold-pressed by hand by women who are local to the area. It’s PETA and/or Leaping Bunny certified and one of QVC’s Clean Beauty brands, formulated without sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oil, chemical sunscreens, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, and talc. One cream in this four-pack is unscented, and the rest have fruity and calming scents.
Scent: Various
Quantity: 2.37 fl oz each
Type of Packaging: Screw top squeeze bottle
Best for: Those interested in buying multiple creams
Key ingredients: Argan oil, shea butter
Pros
- Multiple scents
- Four-pack
- Made with sustainably sourced argan oil
Cons
- Some reviewers note that milk and honey scent doesn’t smell like its name
