Best Hand Cream for Aging Hands (and Dark Spots): 7 Picks Reviewers Back

The best hand cream for aging hands is Nécessaire The Hand Retinol, which Yahoo's beauty editor named best overall, and the best drugstore pick for crepey skin is Gold Bond Age Renew Crepe Corrector, NBC Select's best overall. For dark spots, NBC Select's pick is Clarins Super Restorative, and for daytime sun protection it's Coola's SPF 30 hand cream.

Hands show age early because the skin there is thinner than on the face. NBC Select's dermatologist source says it has fewer oil glands. Creams can moisturize and make hands look smoother and more even, but you can't count on them to remove age spots, and the American Academy of Dermatology recommends daily sunscreen on the hands. Our picks come from named Yahoo and NBC Select reviews and the brands' own listings, not from testing. For gift ideas, see our hand cream gift sets.

Our honest pick: we haven't tested these creams ourselves, so this comes from the reviews and ingredient lists below. To start simply, choose CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream: it's an unscented drugstore cream with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide that you can use every day. If dark spots or crepey skin bother you most, Nécessaire Hand Retinol is the reviewers' top pick, but it costs more, takes time to show results, and means wearing sunscreen on your hands in the daytime.

Quick picks

Nécessaire The Hand Retinol

Best for: aging hands where you want a retinol-based cream and can wait for results.

What we love

• Yahoo's Jennifer Romolini named it best overall and wrote, "I loved how this cream made my hands feel — and look! — the best."
• She calls it "fast-absorbing, completely un-sticky and safe for even sensitive skin."
• Yahoo lists it as fragrance free, with 0.25% encapsulated retinol, glycolic and mandelic acids, niacinamide and peptides. NBC Select also named it its best retinol for hands.

Keep in mind

• Yahoo calls it pricey and notes that results take time.
• NBC Select notes that retinol can make skin more sensitive to the sun, so use sunscreen on your hands in the daytime.
• Retinol isn't for everyone. Ask your doctor first if you're pregnant or nursing.

Key ingredients: encapsulated retinol (0.25%, per Yahoo), glycolic and mandelic acids, niacinamide, peptides.

How to use: Use as the brand directs, usually at night, and apply sunscreen to your hands in the morning.

Evergreen alternative: Eucerin's Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream with Pro-Retinol, which Yahoo also lists (not technically a hand cream).

Check price on Amazon

Gold Bond Age Renew Crepe Corrector Hand Cream

Best for: crepey hands and a first anti-aging hand cream.

What we love

• NBC Select named it best overall in its top picks and describes the formula as one that "absorbs quickly and won't leave your hands feeling greasy."
• Yahoo's staffer Britt Ross says her skin "felt noticeably more moisturized and smoother just eight hours" after applying it.
• Yahoo lists it as unscented, with glycerin, omega fatty acids and antioxidants.

Keep in mind

• Yahoo notes some shoppers felt it needed frequent reapplication.
• Gold Bond sells several Age Renew products, so check you're buying the right one.
• It's a moisturizer for hand and body, not a spot product.

Key ingredients: glycerin, omega fatty acids and antioxidants (Yahoo); peptides and fatty acids (NBC Select).

How to use: Apply after washing your hands and whenever they feel dry.

Evergreen alternative: Our lotion for aging skin picks for arms and legs.

Check price on Amazon

Clarins Super Restorative Hand Cream

Best for: aging hands with uneven tone, and someone who likes a luxury hand cream.

What we love

• NBC Select named it its best dark spot treatment and says "the real star is Harungana extract," which the brand describes as brightening.
• The cream also has shea and mango butters, and the editor says "a little goes a long way."
• A luxury hand cream for a gift as well.

Keep in mind

• It's a cosmetic cream. It can help hands look brighter and more even, but it isn't a substitute for seeing a dermatologist about spots.
• NBC Select doesn't mention fragrance, so check the ingredient list if you're sensitive.
• It's the most expensive pick after Nécessaire.

Key ingredients: shea butter, mango butter and Harungana extract (NBC Select).

How to use: Massage a small amount into the hands and nails.

Evergreen alternative: A gentler cream like CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream, plus daily sunscreen.

Check price on Amazon

Coola Anti-Aging Hand Cream with SPF 30

Best for: daily use in the daytime when you want sun protection on the back of your hands.

What we love

• NBC Select named it best SPF for hands and notes "many forget the back of their hands needs sunscreen."
• Has mango seed butter, vitamin E and SPF 30, per NBC Select.
• The AAD says unprotected hands can develop age spots, roughness and wrinkles.

Keep in mind

• SPF wears off with washing, so reapply after you wash your hands.
• The AAD recommends broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher, so check the label for those words.
• NBC Select doesn't say whether it's fragrance free.

Key ingredients: mango seed butter, vitamin E and SPF 30 (NBC Select).

How to use: Apply to the backs of the hands before going outside, and reapply.

Evergreen alternative: Any broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen you like, per the AAD.

Check price on Amazon

Medix 5.5 Retinol Body Lotion Firming Moisturizer

Best for: someone who wants a retinol product for hands and arms.

What we love

• Yahoo named it best retinol hand cream and lists retinol, ferulic acid, vitamin E, shea butter, green tea extract, chamomile and aloe vera.
• It's a lotion for hands and body, so one bottle covers more than your hands.
• Yahoo's tester still named it the best retinol hand cream, despite the feel.

Keep in mind

• Yahoo's tester found it "just a touch greasier and less absorbent" than Nécessaire.
• She "didn't love the pump as much as I enjoy a tube," and some buyers reported trouble with the pump.
• It's scented, per Yahoo, and retinol raises sun sensitivity, so use sunscreen.

Key ingredients: retinol, ferulic acid, vitamin E, shea butter, green tea extract, chamomile, aloe vera.

How to use: Apply at night after washing hands, then use sunscreen in the morning.

Evergreen alternative: Nécessaire The Hand Retinol, if you prefer a tube and a fragrance-free formula.

Check price on Amazon

CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream

Best for: frequent hand washers and anyone who wants a no-fuss daily cream.

What we love

• Yahoo lists it as unscented with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides.
• Dr. Sonia Batra says "it absorbs quickly and can be used throughout the day after handwashing without feeling greasy."
• A drugstore cream that suits keeping by the sink.

Keep in mind

• Yahoo notes some shoppers say it needs frequent reapplication and is thinner than rival creams.
• It isn't an anti-aging active product. It's a moisturizer.

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides (Yahoo).

How to use: Use after every hand wash.

Evergreen alternative: Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream, a thicker, fragrance-free option on Yahoo's list.

Check price on Amazon

Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream

Best for: sensitive or very dry hands, and anyone who wants no fragrance.

What we love

• Yahoo lists it as unscented and free of fragrance and masking fragrance, with petrolatum and glycerin.
• Dr. Batra says "though this is thick, it absorbs quickly."
• A good overnight cream with cotton gloves.

Keep in mind

• Yahoo says it "feels more like an ointment than a cream."
• It's a moisturizer with no actives for spots or fine lines.

Key ingredients: petrolatum and glycerin (Yahoo).

How to use: Apply a small amount after washing, or a thicker layer at night.

Evergreen alternative: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, in our hand cream gift sets.

Check price on Amazon

How to choose a hand cream for aging hands

Best hand cream for dark spots on hands

Look for brightening ingredients like vitamin C or Harungana extract (the Clarins pick), and for retinol (Nécessaire and Medix 5.5). These are cosmetic and work gradually. Yahoo notes that results take time. A board-certified dermatologist can lighten or remove age spots with procedures or lightening creams, according to the AAD.

Best hand cream for crepey skin

Crepey hands need moisture and a smooth feel. Gold Bond's Age Renew is the drugstore choice. A rich cream at night and a lighter one by day works for many people.

Retinol hand cream for aging hands

Retinol is a common anti-aging ingredient, and two picks here contain it. It can make skin more sensitive to the sun, as NBC Select notes, so use sunscreen on your hands every day. Ask your doctor before using retinol if you're pregnant or nursing.

Don't skip sunscreen

The AAD advises a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on any skin not covered by clothing, including the hands (AAD). A hand cream with SPF, like Coola's, is easy to keep by the door.

Moisturize after every wash

The AAD says to apply a hand cream after washing your hands and any time they feel dry, and to wear gloves for dishes and gardening.

For smoother arms and legs, see our lotion for aging skin guide. For a gift, see beauty gifts for her.

Comparison table

FAQs

What is the best hand cream for aging hands?

Nécessaire The Hand Retinol, named best overall by Yahoo's beauty editor, if you want retinol. Gold Bond Age Renew Crepe Corrector is the best drugstore pick and was named best overall by NBC Select.

What is the best hand cream for dark spots on hands?

NBC Select's best dark spot pick is Clarins Super Restorative, which contains Harungana extract. Creams are cosmetic and work gradually, and the AAD recommends daily sunscreen on the hands.

What is the best hand cream for crepey skin?

Gold Bond Age Renew Crepe Corrector, which both NBC Select and Yahoo recommend, with a thicker cream like Vanicream at night.

Is retinol hand cream good for aging hands?

Retinol is a popular anti-aging ingredient, and two of the picks include it. It can make skin more sensitive to the sun, so use sunscreen, and ask your doctor first if you're pregnant.

Can a hand cream remove age spots?

Not on its own. A cosmetic hand cream can help hands look smoother and more even. The AAD says a board-certified dermatologist can lighten or remove age spots, including with skin-lightening creams.

Do I need sunscreen on my hands?

Yes. The AAD advises SPF 30 or higher on any skin not covered by clothing, including hands. A hand cream with SPF is an easy way to remember.

How often should I use hand cream?

After every hand wash and whenever your hands feel dry, according to the AAD, plus a richer layer at night.

Pick one cream for daytime with sun protection and one richer one for night, and your hands will look better and feel better by spring.