11 Best Cruelty-Free Hand Creams Of 2024: Recommended By An Esthetician

There is no better way to honor your furry babies and yourself than using the best cruelty-free hand lotions out there. When winters come around, they suck the moisture out of the air, leaving your hands dry and chapped. The perfect hand lotion will retain moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth. To help you out, we have created a list of the best cruelty-free hand lotions that have no animal-derived ingredients to make you feel good. These products are a compassionate choice as they are not tested on animals. Scroll down!

11 Best Cruelty-Free Hand Creams (Not Tested On Animals)

1. Best Non-Greasy:J.R. Watkins Hand Cream

4.4

Image: J.r. Watkins

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.99

The J.R.Watkins Hand Cream is a moisturizing formula made with 98% natural ingredients and no synthetic ingredients. It contains a plant-based formulation made with shea butter, avocado oil, and cocoa butter that has proven efficacy in nourishing the hands and keeping them hydrated. The cream heals cracked skin and reduces the signs of aging. It has a pleasant scent of lavender to relax the senses. Apply this cream liberally on the hands before hitting the bed for maximum benefits.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Cocoa butter, and Avocado oil

Pro Tip

Use J.R. Watkins Foaming Hand Soap to cleanse your hands before applying the hand cream for the best results.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

More than 7,241 Amazon users have vouched for this amazing product.

2. Best SLS-Free:Yes To Coconut Ultra Hydrating Moisturizing Hand & Cuticle Cream

4.5

BUY ON AMAZON | $14.99

The Yes To Coconut Hand And Cuticle Cream is apt for dry skin. The intense moisturization formula repairs dry, cracked, chapped skin without making it greasy. This professional-grade cream protects the cuticles from cracking and keeps the skin smooth and soft. The revitalizing formula contains shea butter and virgin coconut oil that nourish and protect the skin while preventing moisture loss. Hillary Clark, a beauty entrepreneur, celebrity makeup artist, and medical esthetician, says, “This product is great for feet too! You can use it as a foot mask with socks.” It is a personal care product that you can easily carry anywhere with you.

Key Ingredients: Passion fruit, Shea butter, Avocado oil, Grapefruit extract, and Coconut extract

3. Best Quick-Absorbing:Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream

4.4

Now 5% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $7.79

This hand cream from Cake Beauty has a tempting smell of baked goodies. It has an eco-friendly formula enriched with concentrated oat milk and marshmallow root extract that nourish the skin and keep your hands moisturized. The cream is slowly whipped to attain its rich, velvety, air-like texture. The vegan hand cream glides effortlessly onto the skin to reduce roughness and make the hands soft and supple. It also protects the skin and cuticles from dryness and chapping. Take a look at this video for an honest review of Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream and to know learn more about the product from the reviewer’s experience.

Key Ingredients: Oat milk and Marshmallow root extract

4. Best Vegan:Bliss Lemon & Sage Hand Cream

4.5

Image: Bliss

BUY ON AMAZON | $10.0

This vegan hand cream from Bliss is an ultra-rich moisturizer that is absorbed quickly into the skin. It makes the cuticles soft and moisturizes dry, rough skin. The non-greasy, hydrating formula is rich in shea butter, provitamin B5, macadamia nut, aloe extract, grape seed, and soybean oil that nourish and revitalize the skin cells. The sodium hyaluronate present in the formula prevents water loss and keeps the hands supple and moisturized. This replenishing hand cream comes in a refreshing lemon and sage fragrance. Hillary Clark, says, “This is a must-have product for estheticians and you if you wash your hands throughout the day.”

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Macadamia nut, Grapeseed oil, Soybean oil, Provitamin B5, Aloe leaf juice, and Sodium hyaluronate

Pro Tip

Apply this product to clean and dry hands and massage them over your cuticles to soften them. Use it multiple times a day for best results.

5. Best Long-Lasting: The Honest Company Moisturizing Hand Cream

4.3

Image: The Honest

BUY ON AMAZON | $8.99

The Honest Company Moisturizing Hand Cream is the perfect solution for those with dry skin. This luxurious softening cream is packed with antioxidants to help nourish and protect your hands from daily wear and tear. This moisturizing hand cream has a light texture that absorbs quickly into your skin without leaving behind any greasy residue or feeling heavy on your hands. The formula includes natural ingredients like shea butter, desert date oil, lemon peel, and omega fatty acids to provide rich hydration. Its hypoallergenic, allergy-tested, and dermatologist-tested formula makes it ideal for everyday use.

Key Ingredients: Desert date oil, Shea butter, and Upcycled lemon peel

6. Best Lightweight:Mademoiselle Provence Rose and Peony Soothing Hand Cream

4.3

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.99

This hand cream from Mademoiselle Provence is a hydrating formula with 96% natural ingredients. It is infused with olive oil and shea butter, rich in vitamins A and E and other antioxidants that nourish and moisturize dehydrated skin. Allantoin, wild rose, and peony extracts nourish the skin and keep it soft and smooth. The animal-friendly moisturizing formula maintains the skin’s natural pH balance and is dermatologically tested.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Peony extracts, Rose extracts, Allantoin, and Olive oil

7. Best Paraben-Free:Human+Kind Hand Cream – Watermelon With Cocoa Butter & Aloe Vera

3.4

Now 6% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.41

Human+Kind’s hand cream is a multipurpose moisturizer with a tempting watermelon fragrance. This animal cruelty-free hand cream repairs dry and chapped skin around the hands and elbow areas, making it soft and supple. The vegan hand cream is enriched with shea and cocoa butter that keeps the hands moisturized, while avocado oil and centella asiatica hydrate and nourish the skin. These ingredients possess anti-inflammatory properties, which help to soothe irritated, itchy, and sunburned skin. The cream is non-toxic, non-greasy, lightweight, and comes in a travel-size bottle.

Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, Cocoa butter, and Centella asiatica extract

Pro Tip

Use Human+Kind Hand Scrub to gently cleanse and exfoliate your hands before moisturizing them with the hand cream.

8. Best Non-GMO:Andalou Naturals Shea Butter + Cocoa Butter Clementine Hand Cream

4.5

Now 9% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.05

The Andalou Naturals Clementine Hand Cream is enriched with nourishing ingredients like sea buckthorn, shea butter, and evening primrose oil. The rich gentle formula softens dry, chapped, and sensitive hands and keeps them moisturized. This cream is scientifically formulated with Fruit Stem Cell Science that incorporates nature’s most potent bioactive ingredients like grape, argan tree, heirloom apple, Swiss Alpine rose, and hemp plant to restore the texture and radiance of the hands. The mesmerizing clementine fragrance refreshes your senses. Although it has no harsh preservatives if you have sensitive skin, a patch test is recommended before using it.

Key Ingredients: Organic sea buckthorn oil, Shea butter, and Cocoa butter

9. Best Refreshing-Fragrance:Awakening Hands Dead Sea Magnesium Hand Cream

4.7

BUY ON AMAZON | $28

This hand cream from Awakening is infused with myrrh extract and concentrated Dead Sea minerals. The intense Mineral Moisture Therapy hydrates the skin and soothes irritation. The magnesium fights the signs of aging by stimulating the skin cells, while the potassium keeps the hands hydrated. Natural ingredients like ginger and cinnamon extracts soothe irritated skin, and myrrh extract fights bacteria and heals cracked nails, fingers, and cuticles. This hydrating hand cream is the perfect recipe for healthy, soft, and supple hands. Hillary Clark, says, “It is ideal for those that garden or work a lot with their hands in water.”

Key Ingredients:  Myrrh extract, Concentrated Dead Sea minerals, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Myrrh

10. Best Lanolin-Free:DERMA.E Vitamin E Fragrance-Free Therapeutic Shea Hand Repair Cream

4.4

Now 5% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $7.52

This hand cream from DERMA.E is a skin repairing formula enriched with shea butter and vitamin E. It reduces dryness and rough patches, softens the cuticles, and makes the hands supple. The lightweight formula utilizes full-spectrum vitamin E to replenish the skin with antioxidants and nourish it from within. Click this video to check more about this vegan hand cream.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter and Vitamin E

11. Best Certified Organic:Peter Lamas Spa Sensuals Intensive Repair Hand Cream

4.4

BUY ON AMAZON | $24

The Peter Lamas Hand Cream provides long-lasting hydration to the chapped hands and makes them soft and supple. This intensive repair cream, enriched with vitamins and botanical extracts, nourishes the skin, and gives visible results by keeping it hydrated. The vegan hand cream contains shea butter, grapeseed oil, almond oil, and lavender oil that moisturize, nourish, soothe, and heal the skin.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, Grapeseed oil, Almond oil, and Lavender oil

Hands and neck are the first places you will start to see signs of aging. If you want your skin to remain youthful beyond your 30s, skin care should be a priority starting in your mid 20s. Investing in a good quality hand cream is one of the first steps you should take – and if it is cruelty-free, nothing better! The skin on our hands goes through a lot like frequent hand washing and other stressors and therefore starts to appear older quicker. However, with the help of an excellent hand cream, you may put off the onset of aging by ten years or more. Look for Leaping Bunny-certified or PETA-certified products. Before making a purchase, please consider the following guidelines.

Things To Consider When Purchasing A Cruelty-Free Hand Cream

Ingredients

When it comes to your skin, chemicals won’t do you any favors. Only use paraben-, silicone-, and sulfate-free products. Avoid purchasing any hand cream that contains mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, formaldehyde, paraffin, phenoxyethanol, EDTA, and silicone.

Skin Concern

An already damaged or cracked hand is evident by the presence of fine lines and saggy skin. Use a cruelty-free cream that has been scientifically formulated specifically for the purpose of reducing the appearance of aging. Go for deeply hydrating formulations if you have mature or sun-damaged skin.

Choose a hand cream that contains vitamins like E, A, or B to nourish the skin. If you only want to put the cream on before going to sleep and happen to sleep in an air-conditioned room, go for thicker formulas that prevent moisture from escaping the skin. It is an effective option for those dealing with environmental factors that affect their skin.

Fragrance

In terms of hand creams, you should prefer fragrance-free options. Because the main purpose of this product is the skin rejuvenation of your cracked hands. Unnecessary chemicals in the form of artificial fragrances are not required. However, you may get a lightly-scented one made with natural essential oils if you have no primary skin issues.

Price

It is not necessary to spend a fortune on a vegan hand lotion if you don’t have any serious skin issues. Something in the middle-price range would be just fine. However, if you want to get rid of fine lines or sagging skin, you may have to splurge on a high-quality, branded formulation.

Infographic: Key Ingredients To Look For In Cruelty-Free Hand Creams

Dry hands and rough skin can be caused by various factors, such as adverse weather conditions and handwashing with harsh soaps. A good hand cream may help restore your soft, moisturized hands – all thanks to the ingredients that condition, protect, and soften your hands. Check out the infographic below to know about the key ingredients in cruelty-free hand creams and their benefits.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cruelty-free hand cream good for eczema?

Yes, cruelty-free hand creams are good for eczema. Some of them contain petrolatum, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, which are known for combatting eczema signs.

How often should you put cruelty-free hand cream?

There is no rule for putting cruelty-free hand cream. You can use it once, twice, or as often daily as your skin requires.

How long do cruelty-free hand creams last?

Cruelty-free hand creams typically last for two years. However, avoid using them if they start smelling stinky even before expiration.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

Oyendrila Kanjilal is a certified skin care coach specializing in researching and reviewing skin care products. She has combed through various trusted websites and user reviews to compile this list of the best cruelty-free hand lotions that retain moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth. She has also highlighted the unique attributes of each product, along with their pros and cons, to help you buy the best product to obtain soft hands.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Hillary ClarkMedical Esthetician

     

Hillary Clark is a third-generation beauty entrepreneur, celebrity makeup artist, and medical esthetician with 21 years of experience. Her stints as the youngest Beauty Director for Nordstrom and West Coast Beauty Editor for Sephora provided ample opportunities for her to collaborate with some of the most popular names in the beauty industry, such as Dr.

Read full bio of Hillary Clark

Oyendrila KanjilalCommerce Writer

 

Oyendrila holds a master's degree in English Literature from the University Of Calcutta, West Bengal, and is a certified skin care coach. As a beauty and lifestyle writer with two years of experience, she writes about everything that the modern woman needs to know about grooming and self-care.

Read full bio of Oyendrila Kanjilal

Shiboli ChakrabortiCommerce Editor

Shiboli has a master’s degree in English literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and is a certified skincare coach with four years of experience. As a commerce editor, she guides her team members on the best practices to create crisp and authentic content.

Read full bio of Shiboli Chakraborti

Anjali SayeeAssociate Editor

Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.

Read full bio of Anjali Sayee