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Last Updated: January 13, 2023
Relish in the feeling of soft skin with the best vegan hand creams that use natural ingredients, ethical practices, and unique scents.Â
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These five moisturizing hand creams have botanical extracts, healthy oils derived from plants, and vitamins that hydrate while they protect—massage hand cream into sore muscles after a long day or a gripping gym session.Â
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Check out these top vegan hand creams for soft and supple skin. Choose your favorite to keep in your gym bag, car, next to your sink, or backpack.Â
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Ready to get baby-smooth skin? Great! Let’s dive in!Â
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | The Cottage Greenhouse Carrot & Neroli Handcreme | Lightweight, Moisturizing Hand Lotion | Paraben F
| 9.7 | Click For Best Price |
![]() | DERMA-E Rosehip and Almond Anti-Aging Shea Body Lotion – Vegan Collagen, Retinol and Vitamin E Moi
| 9.5 | Click For Best Price |
![]() | Melixir Bare Hand Butter #Untamed Nature - Calming Forest Scented Repair Hand Lotion Travel Size, Ve
| 9.1 | Click For Best Price |
![]() | facetheory Hand Cream, Hand and Body Lotion for Dry, Chapped, and Cracked Skin, With Hyaluronic Acid
| 8.8 | Click For Best Price |
![]() | Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream Plant Based | Therapeutic Healing Natural Vegan Pure Hand Balm | Hypo
| 8.6 | Click For Best Price |
The Cottage Greenhouse Handcreme is one of the best vegan hand creams made with natural oils and botanicals. Every product by The Cottage Greenhouse, including this carrot and neroli hand cream, is made with plant-based ingredients specifically selected for their nourishing and healing properties.
This luxurious hand cream features carrot oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and shea butter that soothes dry skin, leaving it moisturized and soft. This hand lotion also boasts aloe vera leaf with soothing and nourishing properties of macadamia nut oil. Carrot oil has beta-carotene, a natural ingredient that protects your hands from sun damage.Â
Every tube of The Cottage Greenhouse Handcreme is paraben, sulfate, gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. The perfect product for anyone who wants an effective and clean vegan hand moisturizer.Â
Use this vegan cream on your hands and wrists in your nightly skin routine or after washing your hands.
This hydrating hand cream by The Cottage Greenhouse is the best hand cream for dry hands. The texture of the carrot and neroli hand creme by The Cottage Greenhouse is thick and creamy and leaves your skin nourished and hydrated. Â
The scent is carrot and neroli, which is hard to describe but has a light and fresh scent reminiscent of cucumber. The fragrance is entirely natural with no artificial additives, preservatives, or fragrance. The smell is light that some users might find it not fragrant enough.  Â
This vegan hand lotion quickly absorbs your skin, leaving it soft and smooth without an oily finish. Massage this hydrating lotion into your skin daily or as needed, and feel the difference with natural and cruelty-free ingredients.Â
One downside to this vegan hand cream is the price. While a little goes a long way with this lotion, the price may deter some.Â
DERMA E Rosehip and Almond Anti-Aging Shea Hand and Cuticle Cream is the runner-up on our list. Additionally, this cuticle cream is the best anti-aging hand cream for vegans. This rich and creamy lotion uses vegan collagen and retinol to keep hands looking youthful and soft.
DERMA E hand and cuticle cream uses certified organic ingredients and natural fragrance oils for a lightweight and non-greasy hand cream. This vegan hand cream features vitamin E and astaxanthin to restore your skin to softness and protect it from the elements.Â
Dermatologists recommend this plant-based hand cream because it contains zero parabens, sulfates, soy, gluten, benzene, GMOs, petroleum, mineral oil, or lanolin.Â
This hand cream is reef-safe and made in the USA.Â
The DERMA E Rosehip and Almond Anti-Aging Shea Hand and Cuticle Cream is the best hand cream for aging hands or anyone with dry skin.Â
This cuticle cream is one of the best vegan hand creams because it contains a vegan form of collagen to restore the suppleness in your skin. This plant-based hand cream comes filled with natural and organic ingredients that nourish your skin and leave a soft fragrance behind.Â
This lotion is creamy with a slightly liquid texture that quickly absorbs through your skin. Feel free to bring this hand cream along on your next vacation because it is vegan, cruelty-free, and reef-safe.Â
Another noteworthy feature about DERMA E’s hand cream is that all the packaging comes from recycled plastics. The eco-friendliness of this cream makes it even more appealing.
This lotion gives off a delicious smell of rosehip and sweet almond oil. We enjoyed the scent and found it fresh. However, rosehip can be a strong smell to someone who is not a fan.Â
The downside of this vegan hand cream is that we wished there was more! While a little goes a long way with this hand cream, the 2oz bottle left other reviewers and us wanting more.Â
The Melixir Bare Hand Butter is one of the best vegan hand creams that are nourishing and lightweight on your skin.Â
This plant-based hand cream is thick and creamy yet absorbs quickly and is not oily on your skin. All of the ingredients used in the Melixir Bare Hand Butter are plant-derived and completely vegan.
The primary scents in this luxurious hand lotion are sage, vetiver, and cedarwood for an earthy yet fresh scent that lingers on your skin after use.Â
This vegan hand butter also uses shea butter and ceramides providing lasting hydration and moisture without a sticky residue.Â
All Melixir products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, PETA-certified, and paraben-free. This hand cream for vegans is formulated for sensitive skin types to soothe your skin instead of irritating it.Â
The Melixir Bare Hand Butter, manufactured in Korea, is a country known for its nourishing skin care products and cosmetics.Â
The Melixir Bare Hand Butter might be the last vegan hand cream you ever buy! The tube looks like a small tube of toothpaste and is perfect for throwing in a purse or a gym bag to take with you on the go. Hydrate your skin with the thick and creamy formula that absorbs into the skin within just a few seconds of massaging it in.Â
A notable feature of this Melixir’s plant-based hand cream is the sustainably made packaging to help reduce environmental impact. The Melixir Bare Hand Butter package and tube feature a minimalistic design, making it a great unisex gift idea.
The Melixir Bare Hand Butter has a strong scent upon application, but it fades quickly once on your skin. The smell is a pro for those who prefer a lighter scent but a con for others who like a long-lasting fragrance. Â
The vetiver, sage, and cedarwood smell is earthy, spicy, and mellow. The Melixir Bare Hand Butter is a powerhouse addition to your skincare routine that will make you feel pampered and show a visible difference in how hydrated your skin appears.
FaceTheory Hand Cream is the best vegan hand cream for dry hands. The FaceTheory hand cream is produced in the United Kingdom but is a Korean-style hand lotion featuring rice as one of the main ingredients.
This creamy and thick lotion uses rice peptides and Rice bran oil to soften, hydrate, and rebuild collagen. FaceTheory hand cream uses only natural ingredients and is vegan and cruelty-free.Â
The formula features aloe vera, vitamin C, rice bran oil, vitamin E, and Urea. These natural ingredients cleanse, hydrate, protect, and repair dry skin.Â
Delight in the hydrating benefits of a plant-based hand cream suitable for all skin types. This dermatologist-recommended hand cream has no fragrances added, making this cream an ideal option if you are prone to skin irritations.Â
FaceTheory hand cream is paraben and silicone-free. It is also free of harmful polyethylene glycol (PEG), mineral oils (like petrolatum), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES).Â
FaceTheory Hand Cream is a strong contender for the best hand cream for dry skin. This vegan hand cream features the cleansing and hydrating benefits of aloe vera. Furthermore, it has the antioxidant properties of vitamin C and omega-six oils that protect and hydrate your skin. Â
From the packaging to the product application, there are no details overlooked! FaceTheory uses recycled packaging to help reduce its carbon footprint.Â
The design is professional-looking and makes a perfect unisex gift. The small tube is easy to keep in a purse, car, or gym bag so that you can hydrate when you need it. The metal tube also includes an aluminum foil seal to lock in the freshness. Simply flip the black screw cap and use the inside tip to tear through the seal.Â
One of the notable features of the FaceTheory Hand Cream is that it is free from harmful chemicals like PEG, SLS, SLES, silicone, and parabens. It is also free of mineral oils, so this lotion is reef-safe.Â
Pamper yourself with this luxurious hand cream and feel the difference on your skin in no time. This nourishing vegan hand cream leaves no residue after putting it on your skin.Â
The one downside to the FaceTheory hand cream is that while the formula is unscented, the natural scents of the rice are noticeable. To some, this might be an offputting smell. If that is the case, you can always add a drop of your favorite essential oil to a dollop of cream and mix it to get the scent of your choice.Â
Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream is one of the best vegan hand creams for those with eczema and sensitive skin. This natural hand cream uses organic plant-based ingredients to heal your skin, neutralize free radicals, and keep it soft and supple.
Every tube of Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. This natural hand cream contains no synthetics, dyes, fragrances, phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, fillers, or additives.Â
The main ingredients in Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream are deionized water, vitamin E, chamomile, raspberry, and plantain leaf extracts.Â
Pamper yourself with the best vegan hand cream by Plantoria. This plant-based lotion transforms dry skin into soft, smooth, touchable skin.Â
With soothing chamomile, olive oil, vitamin E, and botanical extracts, this vegan cruelty-free hand cream is nourishing and soothing.Â
The texture is thick and creamy, plus the formula absorbs quickly into your skin. The Plantoria hand cream leaves your skin feeling instantly softer without being greasy. Experience a luxurious sensation as you massage this lotion into your hands after a long day of typing or other hand-intensive work.Â
The Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream’s fragrance is soft with chamomile notes and lavender. It is a gentle scent that only someone with a highly-sensitive nose would find overbearing.Â
The one downside of the Plantoria Chamomile Hand Cream is the small tube size since it relieves eczema so efficiently. You might want to grab two tubes if you have eczema on large portions of your body. Your skin will thank you!Â
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the best vegan hand creams below. We cover everything from when to apply hand cream, natural exfoliators, and natural UV protection so that your hands stay soft and smooth.Â
Yes, everyday use of hand cream has been shown through clinical research to alleviate and prevent skin dryness. Excessive handwashing with soap can strip your skin of its natural oils. Using hand cream after washing your hands returns healthy oils to the skin to reduce or prevent dryness.Â
Yes, you can use too much hand cream. While it is essential to hydrate your skin after washing your hands and body, if you over-moisturize, your body will slow the production of the lubricating oils it needs.Â
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That said, over-moisturizing your hands and body is less likely to have harmful effects than over-moisturizing your face. Hand cream and body lotions are fast-absorbing, while face creams are typically slower to absorb for prolonged hydration and protection throughout the day.Â
Yes, if a hand cream is water-based, it will make your hands feel drier. The water inside of water-based hand creams evaporates when you apply them to your skin, leaving the skin feeling tight. Instead, choose an oil-based hand cream. The oil evaporates slower than water and leaves nutrients that soothe skin dryness.Â
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You may also experience drier hands after using some lotions because of artificial fragrances or synthetic chemicals.Â
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Chemicals and artificial fragrances can irritate the skin more than soothe it. Instead, choose a hand cream that uses natural ingredients and plant-based fragrances. Natural ingredients in hand creams return essential vitamins to your skin and leave them feeling softer than before.Â
Yes, you can use moisturizer as hand cream, but we would not recommend it outside of vacation when you need to travel really light.Â
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Your skin is the biggest organ in your body, and each part gets different exposure to the sun and elements, so each part of your body needs slightly different levels of UV protection.Â
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Face moisturizer works to protect the pores of your face, which see the elements 24/7.Â
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Most face creams include SPF. Since your hands also get a lot of sun exposure, face cream on your hands makes sense. However, many face moisturizers utilize ingredients that close pores and tighten the skin. These ingredients from face moisturizers could result in tightness and dryness of the hands.Â
Like all vegan products, hand cream is vegan when it does not use animal products in manufacturing. Vegan means no animal fats, milk, or even honey gets added to these hand creams. A vegan product must also not test its products on animals.Â
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Vegan hand creams indicate they are cruelty-free and plant-based on the packaging, usually with a symbol. You can also read the ingredients to determine if the manufacturer uses any animal products in their manufacturing.Â
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The best vegan hand creams use specific natural ingredients to return healthy oils to your skin and protect it from the elements like the wind and the sun. They also forgo the use of chemicals and additives that could have harmful effects when applied to your skin.Â
You should apply your hand cream at night. Throughout the day, you wash your hands and touch things that remove the lotion from your hands. Â
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A nighttime moisturizing routine will let the natural oils soak into your skin when you are not as likely to wipe it off. You can sleep and allow the hand cream to work its magic, improving the look and feel of your skin.
Yes, you should exfoliate your skin before applying hand cream. Exfoliation before using hand cream is a good practice for maintaining soft, hydrated, and nourished skin.Â
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Exfoliating is an easy way to remove dead skin cells that cause roughness. Dry skin occurs when the skin does not get adequate hydration due to the elements or excessive hand washing. By removing the old layer of skin, exfoliating exposes the healthier skin underneath. Apply hand cream after exfoliating to protect and nourish the new layer of skin.Â
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Some common vegan exfoliators are:Â
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Yes, you should wear hand cream with SPF or natural ingredients that protect your skin from sun and UV damage. Your hands get exposed to the sun regularly. Vegan SPF hand cream hydrates your hands and prevents your skin from drying.Â
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Natural ingredients that protect skin from sun and UV damage include:Â
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Vitamin D production starts when sun and UV rays touch our skin. While using SPF blocks the damaging properties of the sun, it also hinders vitamin D production. You should consider taking a vitamin D supplement if you wear SPF regularly. Speak with a healthcare practitioner first to determine if it is necessary for you.Â
It is not advisable to use hand creams that contain alcohol because excessive use of alcohol is known to harm your skin. Small amounts of alcohol in a hand cream are likely not a big deal, but if you have sensitive, eczema-prone, or dry skin, it could irritate you more than alleviate you.Â
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Vegan hand cream without alcohol uses natural ingredients to replenish the nutrients in your skin. Alcohol in hand creams strips your skin of nutrients and dysregulates natural oil production. The stripping leaves your skin with too much or too little oil.
Have soft, touchable skin by adding the best vegan hand cream to your skincare routine.Â
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These natural and plant-based hand creams are full of nutrients extracted from botanicals. These vegan lotions hydrate your skin, protect you from sun damage, and smell delicious.Â
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Whether you want hand cream to alleviate dry and cracked skin or maintain healthy, youthful skin, check out these five options for amazing vegan hand creams.Â
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