It’s cold. Scratch that; it’s brutally, absurdly, unbearably cold. You can bundle up your head, your neck and your hands with a hat, scarf and gloves, but you’re still going to end up with hands in need of repair. Thankfully, there are plenty of brands making great lotions, salves and balms to help fix your hands in the long run.
O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
We’ll be the first to admit that we have quite a few different favorite brands when it comes to unique men’s grooming products. O’Keeffe’s has yet to be featured on one of those lists because they primarily focus on products to relieve severely dry, cracked skin. O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream heals, relieves and repairs all level of screwed up skin by creating a protective layer on the surface that’s concentrated, unscented, clinically proven and has a solid four-and-a-half star rating with almost ten-thousand reviews. Maybe it’s the bright green packaging, or the incredibly affordable price tag, but this is basically Turtle Wax for your hands. Who doesn’t want that? $6
Manready Mercantile Hand Salve
Manready Mercantile was started with a desire to take pre-existing products only marketed and sold to women and make them for men. Manready Mercantile has come a long way since they started almost a half decade ago, but their focus on making products really well, ethically and honestly has never waned. Specially formulated with oils, beeswax, bay laurel and mint, the 100% all-natural and nutrient packed Manready Mercantile Hand Salve is the perfect example of what they do. Like everything else the company makes, it’s designed for the guy that works hard and lives well. $10
Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles Hand Repair Balm
With a product list that includes everything from Bourbon Soap to Tactical Lip Protectant, Duke Cannon has an entire complement of men’s grooming products that are more than capable of tackling an average day worth of damage to your body. Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles Hand Repair Balm is no different, and it’s “formulated to repair the hands of workers, fighters and world champions” with its combination of lanolin, waxes and oils. If it’s good enough for fictional hero Duke Cannon after a day of brawling, it’s good enough for the rest of us after a day of bitter cold and keyboards. $15
AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream
All it takes to really get turned on to this hand cream from AHAVA is a quick look at the back of the container. Who doesn’t want to be moisturizing their grubby mitts with a “slew of nourishing Dead Sea minerals” on a regular basis? Throw in some Witch hazel extracts for sanitation purposes and allantoin for healing and prevention purposes and you have a recipe for a five-star hand cream that works flawlessly without leaving your hands feeling greasy or sticky. $24
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
Cards on the table, we were turned on to Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm because of a glowing recommendation from GQ. We haven’t looked back since. Descriptions and reviews throw around details like “fragrant botanicals,” “skin-softening emollients,” and “rich hydration,” which are all absolutely true, but don’t do this everyday use product justice. This rich, moisturizing hand balm works just as well after a day in the wood shop as it does after a quick dumbbell workout at the gym, and most importantly, it will leave your hands feeling as refreshed as they smell. $27
Kiehl’s Deluxe Hand & Body Lotion
Whether it’s shampoo or face wash, Kiehl’s is always one of our “not available at the grocery store” brand staples because of the way they combine high quality ingredients into products that are usable on a daily basis. When it comes to Kiehl’s products you’re definitely paying a premium, but it’s worth it in our minds when you get options like this Deluxe Hand & Body Lotion made with aloe vera and oatmeal. This lightweight and silky cream goes on smooth and leaves you with skin that’s soft to the touch with a faint hint of grapefruit that the better half is sure to enjoy. $35
Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer
Given the fact that you only need to squirt about a dime’s worth of Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer into your palms to fix all your problems, it should come as no surprise that a 16 oz. container is going to last you approximately an eternity. So why invest in that much, even at less than $3 an ounce? Because this stuff will repair a lifetime of damage in a few short week’s of use thanks to vitamins A and E and the Macadamia nut oil. Jack Black gets bonus points in the multi-use department because this stuff is also great on elbows, feet and knees. $45
