The best hand creams for gardeners in 2023

To help keep your hands in great shape we’ve put together a list of our favourite hand creams, ideal for keeping gardening hands nourished, soft and protected.

Whether you’re buying for yourself or searching for a great gardening gift idea, we’ve chosen a range of hand creams including scented and unscented options. There are simple, hydrating balms for those with sensitive skin, along with thicker shea butters and citrus-scented hand creams for a more luxurious feel.

If you’re interested in gloves, to put an extra layer between you and the soil, see our round up of 10 of the best gardening gloves and individual glove reviews for inspiration.

For help choosing other key kit see our guide to the best wellington boots and essential gardening tools for new gardeners.

From organic creams scented with essential oil to nourishing balms that create a protective barrier on your skin, browse our pick of hand creams for gardeners, below:

The best hand creams for gardeners

Bower Collective Rosemary and Geranium Hand Cream

We love the sound of this hand cream because it’s made by the Bower Collective, whose products not only look and feel good, but are sustainable and their packaging – a combination of dispensers and refills – are designed to help reduce waste around the home. They also donate a percentage of each purchase to the Marine Conservation Society. Try their own-brand Rosemary & Geranium Hand Cream, which is kind to your skin, as it uses beeswax rather than palm-oil, to nourish your hands, and is free from chemicals like the preservative, paraben and foaming agent, SLS.

Price: £8.49 for 250ml

Buy Bower Collective Rosemary and Geranium Hand Cream

Crabtree and Evelyn Gardeners Hand Cream

With a fresh, botanical fragrance this soft, buttery hand cream is rich in herbal extracts and contains macadamia and shea butter to help hydrate dry skin. Available in 25ml and 75ml tubes or a 250ml bottle.

Price: £20.69 (25ml)

Buy Crabtree and Evelyn Gardeners Hand Cream

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Recommended for ultra-dry hands this distinctively fragranced hand cream contains hemp seed oil to hydrate, soften and protect skin against further drying for 24 hours. Available in 30ml and 100ml aluminium tubes

Price: £7.00 (30ml)

Buy the Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Elegance Famous Gardeners' Honey Hand Cream

Helpful for sore, chapped and cracked skin the honey in this handmade cream has a natural antiseptic to soothe and moisturise. Available in 15g travel size and 100ml, 150ml and 250ml jars

Price: £14.20 (100ml)

Buy Elegance Famous Gardener’s Honey hand Cream on Amazon

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated Hand Cream

Rich in glycerine just one dab of this concentrated formula will help relieve dry, chapped hands. Available in scented and unscented formulas and in 15ml, 50ml and 75ml tubes.

Price: £3.99 (50ml)

Buy Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated Hand Cream from Boots

O’Keefe's Working Hands Hand Cream

America’s number one hand cream heals cracked, dry hands and creates a protective layer on the skin to keep them hydrated and moisturised. Available in 83g tubes and a 193g jar.

Price: £9.00 (193g jar)

Buy O’Keefes Working Hands on Amazon

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

With avocado, eucalyptus, sesame and olive oils this thick, rich salve will protect, condition and hydrate dry skin. Comes in 75ml and 150ml tubes

Price: £16.00 (75ml)

Buy Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Creme

A specifically formulated, non greasy cream to both repair and moisturise dry, itchy, cracked active hands. Fragrance free, in 80ml and 500ml tubes.

Price:£9.99 (80ml)

Buy Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream on Amazon

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

Nourish dry hands and keep them soft and hydrated with this rich cream containing 20% shea butter and a blend of almond, honey and coconut oils. Scented with jasmine and ylang ylang.

Price: £22.00 (150ml)

Buy L’Occitane Shea butter hand cream

Burt's Bees Almond and Milk Hand Cream

With community sourced beeswax to seal and protect and sweet Almond oil and Vitamin E to moisturise, this rich cream will keep your hands soft and nourished. Packaged in a glass jar, this product is free of parabens and phthalates.

Price:£8.62 (56.6g)

Buy Burt’s Bees Almond and Milk Hand Cream on Amazon

Neal's Yard Remedies Citrus Hand Softener

Simply packaged in a blue glass jar this organic lemon, grapefruit and orange scented cream is rich and thick to help keep hard working hands nourished and smooth.Available in a 50g jar.

Price: £15.00 (50g)

Buy Neal’s Yard Citrus Hand Softener

This Product Guide was last updated in January 2023. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.