Five Post-Swim Handcreams for Keeping your Skin Soft Through Winter

Winter brings with it many things including, if you’re anything like us, cracked hands that get dry far too quickly. Regular swimming (especially in chlorinated water) can exacerbate the effects of cold winds and wet weather on your hands, so we recommend using a good handcream or moisturiser to keep them super soft.

Here are five of our favourites:

Nivea Moisturiser

• A face, hands and body moisturiser, we love the thickness of this cream – you can almost feel the water re-entering your pores as you apply it. Handbag sized and perfect for popping onto dry lips too, this is a handbag faithful.
• Fun fact: our Founder Rosie has been using this moisturiser since she was a child. About ten years ago there was brief rumour that Nivea were pulling the product from their portfolio. Rosie missed a university lecture to get to the local boots to stock up, only to realise the rumour was unsubstantiated. Still working through that supply today…
• £1.39 per 50ml 

Oliver Bonas Sea Salt & Crushed Mint 

• Oliver Bonas make lovely handbag sized handcreams that come in a range of flavours to suit your preference.
• We love this grease-free Sea Salt & Crushed Mint edition which leaves hands feeling lovely and soft.
• £9.50 for 60ml

Aesop Resurrection Hand Balm

• Is there anything more indulgent than an Aesop toiletry – whether it’s a handwash, body scrub or their brilliant hand balm? We absolutely love their Resurrection Hand Balm – and like all Aesop products it’s not designed for either gender, so you can apply liberally to your other half’s creaking hands without them complaining about smelling too floral.
• Warning: removing this item from your handbag in front of other friends is likely to result in using up lots of the cream very quickly. Best applied in private.
• £19 for 75ml 

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment

• A moisturiser and nail strengthener, this hand and nail treatment cream is a perfect choice if you're someone who also suffers from brittle nails from all your swimming. 
• Long lasting and only a very small amount required to fully moisturise your hands.
• One of our more expensive recommendations, this cream is a good one for the Christmas list if not as a self-present.
• £22 for 100ml

Nutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream

• The original hand cream, loved by those plagued with dry hands long before it was common practice to carry a pretty little tube in your handbag. Containing a robust-sounding "Norwegian Formula" this cream is a serious re-hydrater.
• Perfect for particularly dry skin although warning: you don’t need to use much at all or you risk dropping everything you carry for the rest of the day as objects slide out of your well-oiled fingers.
• £2.66 for 50ml