Once a seasonal essential, hand cream has become an everyday must-have, boosted by TikTok and the beauty industry trend of ‘skinification’
Every autumn, hand creams quietly make their seasonal return, tucked into handbags and desk drawers as a small but satisfying piece of armour against cold-weather dryness. Colder air, indoor heating and even hard water can strip moisture from the skin faster than you think, making hands one of the first places to feel the change in seasons.
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm. Photo: Handout
On TikTok, Gen Z and millennials have turned hand care into a ritual that’s part skincare routine, part sensorial indulgence and part lifestyle flex. Feeds are filled with swipes of silky creams, close‑ups of pillowy textures melting into skin, and packaging so chic it practically begs to be photographed. Think Chanel La Crème Main with its glossy egg‑shaped container, or Aesop Aromatique Hand Balm with its sleek amber bottle, each blurring the line between daily essential and design object.
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Some of this revival stems from the Covid-19 pandemic, when constant handwashing and sanitising left skin dry and in need of relief. Creams quickly shifted from being used occasionally to becoming an everyday staple, and even as hygiene requirements eased, the habit and comfort they brought remained.
Grown Alchemist Hand Trio. Photo: Handout
For all the fresh hype, the importance of hand care resonates now for the same reason beauty professionals have warned about for years: hands don’t get the same daily attention we give our faces, and it shows – literally. “Hands will always show the first signs of ageing because they are neglected when it comes to daily care,” says Stephanie G. Laynes, a licensed esthetician based in Texas, and founder of the wax brand Se‑Brazil. “Yes, we wash our hands regularly; however, [most of us] don’t moisturise or protect them on a daily basis.” Laynes notes that even with thousands of hand creams on the market, the real challenge is consistency, as reapplying after every wash sounds simple but is a habit few manage to keep.
It’s a shift fuelled by a larger trend of “skinification” – the application of skincare principles, ingredients and formulations beyond the face. In the case of hand cream, what used to be a utilitarian afterthought is now formulated with the same level of complexity and marketing muscle as a prestige face serum.
Jisoo from Blackpink is a fan of Christian Dior Le Baume. Photo: Handout
And the numbers back it up: Jarsking’s 2025 market analysis shows the hand-care category is far from slowing down, with sales climbing from about US$7.8 billion in 2024 to an estimated US$8.53 billion this year, and on track to reach US$13.3 billion by 2029. Luxury houses like Dior and Chanel continue to hold the crown when it comes to high-end appeal, but newer entrants such as Soft Services Theraplush, with its refillable sculptural vessel and retinol‑infused formula, are capturing attention from skincare purists and TikTok audiences alike.
Las Vegas-based certified dermatologist Dr Jason Stevens notes that today’s hand creams have moved far beyond basic moisturisers. “These days you’ll often find barrier-repairing ceramides, plumping peptides, brightening niacinamide and antioxidant vitamins, all teamed up with heavy-hitting hydrators like shea butter, glycerine and hyaluronic acid,” he says. Some formulas multitask to promote nail health with strengthening keratin or calcium complexes, while others fade sunspots with gentle exfoliating acids, or boost radiance with fermented extracts you’d normally expect in a luxury face mask.
