Using a hand cream consistently before bed can sometimes feel like a chore. With another Polar Vortex hitting us from all angles, the last thing I want to sport are dry scaly hands. Luckily, L’OCCITANE, Royal Apothic and AHAVA each make hand creams that make the night stand’s real estate value go up and leave your hands soft, nourished and moisturized. With no greasy prints from these hands down winners, you can read a book, an e-book, or flip through the channels all you want before you doze off for the night.
A pioneer in the luxury segment of the beauty industry, L’OCCITANE sells a tube of 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream every three seconds around the world. This cream balm hybrid is rich in Honey and Almond Extracts, Coconut Oil, and the signature Shea Butter. Despite the thick consistency, it absorbs quickly, leaving the skin extra supple while the soft white scent lingers. Deeply moisturizing, this hand cream is perfect when it’s too late to prevent dryness and your hands need some healing. The metal tube can be recognized by its outline or in pitch black – it’s that iconic.
British inspired and Los Angeles based Royal Apothic makes a range of hand creams that adds a little vintage to your end table and even more moisture to your hands. With micronized Safflower Oil and Glycerin, this creme comes in a variety of fresh and floral scents that are equally hydrating. Named after the most romantic park in Central London, the Holland Park scent, is a favorite of Victoria Beckham. Partial to Italy and liqueur, Lemoncello is my top pick from this whimsical range. Light and creamy but never runny, all Royal Apothic hand creams sink into the skin within seconds and leave hands silky soft.
I first encountered AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream over a decade ago and consider it one of my first beauty splurges. Two repackagings ago to be exact. Luckily, while the tube design has evolved, the whipped texture has remained perfectly consistent. Enriched with Dead Sea Water and its beneficial minerals, this amazing hand cream glides on to instantly deliver velvety comfort to dry hands. With the addition of calming Witch Hazel, this formula is soothing and revitalizing. The AHAVA hand cream has a unique floral yet creamy effervescence that I can’t get enough of. I have used it for so long, it will always remind me of my 20’s in NYC.
Incorporating a hand cream into a nightly routine may sound like a challenge to most. I’d love to have the discipline to apply hand cream after each time I wash my hands but that only sounds good in theory. Pick up a tube of either formula and put it on your night stand. There’s a better chance you’ll reach for it if it’s there. Can’t argue with logic, can you?
Where to buy:
L’OCCITANE 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream: loccitane.com, Sephora.com, Nordstrom.com, beauty.com ($28 – 5.2 oz.)
Royal Apothic: Ulta.com, HSN.com ($22 – 4 oz.)
AHAVA: Ulta.com, Skinstore.com, Birchbox.com, Nordstrom.com ($23 – 3.4 oz.)
