The Best Hand Creams Under $30, According To Our Editors

The dreariest, coldest months of winter are upon us, and our hands will likely be getting the worst of it. Between constant handwashing, blasts of central heating and ongoing exposure to frigid air and wind, it's no wonder they could use a little TLC. Here, Chatelaine staffers share the best hand creams that won't break the bank.

Eucerin Complete Repair Moisturizing Hand Cream, $13 for 75 mL

“This hand cream is lightweight and doesn't feel greasy, but it's also moisturizing enough to help heal my parched, cracked skin in the winter thanks to urea and ceramides. I love that it's fragrance-free (a must since I have eczema!), very easy to find at the drugstore and that it's often on sale.” –Aimee Nishitoba, art director

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, $30 for 75 mL

“At the start of the pandemic, a friend gifted my wife and me a care package filled with Kiehl's products, including their Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. Since then, it's been a fixture on my nightstand—it's the only hand cream that keeps my skin from cracking in the winter amid all of the dry air and frequent handwashing (it's flu season!). It's rich but not greasy like other creams I've tried, and a dime-sized dab is enough to keep my hands feeling hydrated.” –Erica Lenti, deputy editor, features

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Mains, $15 for 100 mL

“La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast Baume B5 is one of my all-time favourite skincare products, so I was delighted to come across this hand cream from the same line on a trip to the drugstore a couple of years ago. Since then, I've gone through several tube of it. It's fragrance-free, gentle on my sensitive skin and incredibly effective. While the texture is thicker and more gel-like than the original balm, there's zero stickiness once it's massaged into the skin.” –Andréanne Dion, senior style and beauty editor

Flexitol Anti-Age Hand Balm, $15 for 40 mL

“I’m currently using this hand balm. I love that it doesn’t leave any greasy residue—and it works! It's made with shea butter, lanolin, aloe vera and urea, so it’s super moisturizing. Plus, you only need a small amount.” –Sun Ngo, creative director

Glysomed Hand Cream, $9 for 150 mL

“I should moisturize my hands more often—especially in the winter—but even though I don’t apply it as often as I should, the Glysomed hand cream works really well for me. It’s thick enough that it immediately softens my hands, but it doesn’t feel heavy once it’s rubbed in. Bonus tip: To avoid greasy hands, I like to put a dab on the back of one hand and rub it in using the back of the other, wait a little and then massage the excess into my palms.” –Kevin John Siazon, former associate editor

Lovely Body Satin Body Butter, $25 for 236 mL

“This isn’t a hand cream per se, but when I want to seriously moisturize my hands (and my feet, and all my other parched spots) I turn to this luxurious body butter that’s made in my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ont. It’s thick but not greasy, absorbs quickly and comes in a variety of delectable seasonal fragrances. There are loads of scents to choose from, including Tokyo, a lovely blend of yuzu, passionfruit and amber.” –Maureen Halushak, editor-in-chief

Aruba Aloe Ultra Intensive Aloe Creme, $31 for 59 mL

“Aruba claims that its aloe—a massive cash crop for the country that once covered nearly two thirds of the island—is of the highest quality in the world. While that's hard to prove, I can say from having used this hand cream for a couple of years that their aloe makes some of the best lotions I've ever used. Aruba Aloe's Ultra Intensive Cream is meant for sunburns and eczema breakouts, but it works great on dry hands, too.” –Chantal Braganza, deputy food editor