A $45 hand cream and one from the pharmacy aisle can share half their ingredient list. Glycerin, shea butter and a handful of oils do most of the moisturizing in both. So what does the extra money buy?
We make a $45 hand cream, so this comparison has a point of view. Our facts on moisture come from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and some of them favor the drugstore.
The short answer
A luxury hand cream buys texture, fragrance and packaging more than moisture. Shea butter, glycerin, petrolatum and dimethicone, all on the AAD's list for dry skin, turn up at every price. If your hands are very dry or sensitive, the AAD recommends fragrance-free products, which usually means the drugstore shelf. If you want a cream you enjoy using after every wash, that is where luxury earns its price.
Luxury hand cream vs drugstore hand cream at a glance
Luxury hand cream buys feel & scent, not more moisture
- The moisturizers dermatologists name show up at every price
- You pay for texture, fragrance and a better bottle
- For very dry or sensitive hands, the AAD says go fragrance-free
A luxury hand cream and a drugstore one split on feel and scent, not on moisture. Pick the best luxury hand cream by one test: will you reach for it after every wash? How often you apply a cream matters more than its price.
Luxury vs drugstore, topic by topic
3 rounds, scored
Ingredients: Shea butter hand cream & botanical oils
For dry skin, the AAD recommends a cream or ointment containing one or more of jojoba oil, dimethicone, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, lanolin, mineral oil, petrolatum or shea butter. Several cost very little, so a good hand cream for dry hands need not be expensive.
A shea butter hand cream fits that list. In Homecourt Hand Cream, shea butter is the second ingredient after water, and glycerin is sixth. Its product page features shea butter to condition and soften skin, plus Australian hibiscus flower extract and fermented microalgae oil. We wrote more on why shea butter matters in a hand cream.
Reading hand cream ingredients tells you more than the price does. Look for an AAD-listed moisturizer near the top, and for fragrance near the bottom if scent bothers you. Ours lists fragrance second to last.
This round is a tie: both follow the same advice.
Texture: Non-greasy hand cream vs heavy balms
Texture is where a luxury cream pulls ahead. Carrying a non-greasy hand cream and applying it after each hand washing is the AAD's own tip for dry hands. Anyone shopping for a non greasy hand cream wants one they can wear while typing or turning a page, and that is a cream you will reapply.
Homecourt Hand Cream is velvety, and its product page describes it as non-greasy and quick to absorb. One pump covers both hands and cuticles.
Ointments and creams add more moisture to skin than lotions, the AAD says, and a thick ointment is the better choice at night, when greasy fingertips do not matter. By day, most people trade some of that weight for a cream that disappears.
Scent & the daily ritual
Scent is the clearest thing a luxury cream adds.
Our Hand Cream comes in Homecourt's signature fragrances. Cece, Courteney Cox's own, reads as cedarwood smoke, sweet cardamom, cinnamon and white leather. Pair it with the matching Hand Wash in the Hand Duo, $71 for both, and hand washing becomes a two-step ritual in one scent. Shopping for someone else? A luxury hand cream gift set does the choosing: browse a luxury hand cream gift set.
Dermatologists recommend fragrance-free products for dry, sensitive skin, per the AAD, which also lists fragrance among the ingredients to stop using if your skin is dry. A scented cream is a pleasure, not a treatment. If fragrance has bothered your skin before, skip it.
Is expensive hand cream worth it?
The best hand cream is the one you apply often. Moisturize after every hand washing and whenever skin feels dry, several times a day, the AAD advises. A cream that lives by the sink and gets used ten times beats a pricier one that sits in a drawer.
An expensive hand cream is worth it when it changes that habit. You are paying for:
- A texture you do not mind wearing.
- A scent you look forward to.
- A pump bottle that stays on the counter. Ours is 12 oz in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic with a reusable pump.
- Testing and formulation choices. Ours is board-certified dermatologist-tested.
Do not pay more expecting extra moisture. Moisturizing ingredients do not change much with price.
How to get more from any hand cream
These habits come from the AAD's dermatologists' tips for dry skin:
- Apply it after every hand washing, while skin is still damp.
- Wash with a gentle cleanser, and skip the thick lather.
- Wear gloves to wash dishes, garden or work in water, and in cold, dry air.
- Run a humidifier in the bedroom while you sleep.
If dryness does not improve, the AAD advises seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
Ingredients: Shea butter hand cream & botanical oils
Luxury 8Drugstore 8
What actually does the moisturizing.
Texture: Non-greasy hand cream vs heavy balms
Luxury 8Drugstore 7
How it feels five minutes later.
Scent & the daily ritual
Luxury 9Drugstore 5
The part you notice every time.
Luxury hand cream vs drugstore hand cream side by side
Feature by feature
| Feature | Luxury hand cream | Drugstore hand cream |
|---|---|---|
| Moisturizers | Often shea butter with plant oils and glycerin | Often glycerin, petrolatum or dimethicone |
| Texture | Velvety cream that absorbs fast | Anything from thin lotion to thick ointment |
| Fragrance | Layered, perfume-style scent | Often sold in fragrance-free versions |
| Very dry, sensitive hands | Fragrance can irritate | Fragrance-free creams fit AAD advice |
| Packaging | Pump bottle, ours in 100% recycled plastic | Tubes and jars |
| Price | $45 for 12 oz of ours | A fraction of that |
When a drugstore cream does the job
When the cheaper tube wins
For cracked, very dry or sensitive hands, a drugstore cream is often the right call. The best drugstore hand cream is usually a fragrance-free cream or ointment with petrolatum, glycerin or dimethicone, matching the AAD's checklist point for point.
Read "dermatologist recommended hand cream" carefully. As a nonprofit, the AAD does not endorse companies or products. What dermatologists recommend is a type: fragrance-free, a cream or ointment rather than a lotion, with an ingredient from the list above. Our Hand Cream is board-certified dermatologist-tested, which describes how the formula was tested, not a recommendation.
Choose luxury hand cream for
- The bedside or the sinkA pump bottle you are glad to see every time you wash.
- GiftsA scent and a bottle that feel chosen, not grabbed.
- Daytime wearA light cream that does not leave prints on paper.
Choose drugstore hand cream for
- Cracked or very dry handsFragrance-free, the way the AAD recommends.
- Sensitive skinFewer ingredients, no added scent.
- OvernightA thick ointment at bedtime, when greasy hands do not matter.
Hand cream FAQ
Quick answers before you buy
Does luxury hand cream work better?
Not at moisturizing. Shea butter, glycerin and petrolatum, all on the American Academy of Dermatology's list for dry skin, appear in creams at every price. A luxury hand cream works better at being pleasant to use: a lighter texture, a real fragrance and a bottle you keep by the sink, so you may apply it more often.
How often should you apply hand cream?
After every hand washing and whenever your hands feel dry, the AAD advises, adding that moisturizer works best on skin that is still damp. For most people that means several times a day. Homecourt's directions are one pump, massaged into hands and cuticles, reapplied whenever your hands feel dry.
Is shea butter good for dry hands?
Yes. Shea butter is on the American Academy of Dermatology's list of ingredients to look for in a cream or ointment for dry skin, alongside glycerin and petrolatum. In Homecourt Hand Cream it is the second ingredient after water. If your skin is very dry or sensitive, the AAD recommends a fragrance-free formula, whether you buy a luxury hand cream or a drugstore tube.
More Homecourt hand cream guides
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