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Baby-soft hands, coming right up!

Has incessant hand washing and use of sanitizer dried out your hands? If so, you're definitely not alone. The pandemic has left all of our hands (including my own!) in dire need of repair. But with so many hand creams and lotions on the market, it might be difficult to gauge what works and what doesn’t.

That’s precisely why I spoke with a few experts who told me which hand creams and lotions are the best, and what exactly makes them so good. Dermatologist and author of Beyond Soap, Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, MD explains that a good moisturizer, whether for the hands or full body, needs humectants or emollients to be hydrated. If you're not super familiar with those terms, humectants and emollients include ingredients you're probably already super familiar with, like honey, aloe vera, shea butter, and squalane, just to name a few.

Basically, reading ingredients labels carefully is the key to finding an ideal hand cream, explains Rachna Bhandari, MD. She emphasizes that ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid are great at hydrating the skin, while petrolatum and oils lock in that moisture. After you find the right hand lotion, Bhandari's biggest tip to maintain soft hands is to always keep some cream on you—ideally, you're using it after every hand wash.

All of the products below tick the boxes for the ingredient must-haves stressed by both Skotnicki and Bhandari. See below for the best doctor-approved hand creams and lotions in 2022—welcome to the baby-soft hands of your dreams!

Though Bhandari did say it's important to moisturize after every time you wash your hands, La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast hand cream claims to actually be resistant to washing, providing 48 hours of hydration thanks to shea butter and glycerin (those humectant and emollient ingredients that Skotnicki loves!).

Avene's products have gained a serious cult following in France for featuring gentle, effective ingredients, and the Cicalfate hand cream is no exception. Designed to heal irritated skin, it features nourishing beeswax, which is both a humectant and emollient.

I, like many other people with sensitive skin, have loved and used Cerave's fan-favorite cleanser for years. According to Bhandari, the glycerin in this hand cream immediately hydrates the skin and continues to work throughout the day. Skotnicki recommends this to those with eczema, too.

Not only is this minty fresh lotion great for the hands, it can also be used anywhere on the body, including the face.

The combination of organic jojoba oil and coconut oil is ideal for sensitive, dry, or rough skin, and the handy pump formula is perfect for sitting right on your bathroom or kitchen counter.

Made with a blend of healing botanicals, rich butters, and emollient oils, this one's great for locking in moisture on extra dry skin. It's also fragrance-free, making it great for sensitive types.

Those with sensitive noses (and hearts!) will seriously appreciate this cruelty-free hand cream by Evolve Together. Blended with cardamom, violet, vetiver, and cedwarwood oils, the minimal scent is just enough to smell nice without being overpowering.

Thought avocado only belonged on toast? Think again. Kiehl's ultimate strength hand salve features a rich formula made with Bhandari-approved avocado oil, eucalyptus oil, and sesame seed oil to lock in moisture, leaving dry skin feeling buttery (or, avocado-ey) soft.

In a world in which instant gratification is a thing, I'm super grateful for how quickly and efficiently Uriage's hand cream absorbs in to my skin, leaving cracked skin moisturized in a pinch.

One of Skotnicki's recommendations, it's even water-resistant and made with polymers that work to protect the skin from environmental aggressors.

Grown Alchemist has a huge following in Australia, but its positive impact on the hands is global. This super lightweight, non-greasy formula has five different light scents, each of which features antibacterial cedarwood.

A female, minority-owned brand, Urban Hydration uses part of their proceeds to build wells providing clean water in Kenya. The two-pack of sweet-smelling hand creams makes the perfect gift to yourself and your socially-conscious loved one.

Made with shea butter, acacia honey, and rose water, this hand cream feels and smells just as rich as it sounds. It's the luxury lotion you'll want to keep in your "special occasion" purse.

Ishga's Hydrating Hand Cream features some of the most reliable ingredients you can count on in skincare, from moisture-locking argan oil and hydrating aloe vera to sweet-smelling rose and mandarin.

O'Keefee's Hand Cream features over 20,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, mostly from weight-lifters and those who do regular manual labor. Bhandari recommends this to anyone with extremely dry and cracked hands due to the soothing paraffin in it.

Biossance's squalane hand cream features a near-watery texture that melts in to the skin super fast. The lightweight consistency of vitamin E, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants all work together to comfort hands that aren't too dry or cracked.

Ok, so these technically isn't a hand cream. But, if your hands are looking for a little extra TLC, slip them in to these shea butter and collagen-infused gloves.