O'Keeffe'sO'Keeffe's Working Hands CreamGlycerin-rich concentrated creamBest for: cracked, working handsWatch out: Stings on open cracksHands tell the story first: washed all day, protected almost never, and one of the exact sites the Nambour sunscreen trial measured. Lips have no oil glands at all. Both deserve a system, not an afterthought.
Hands — the system
Hand routine
- Cream after every wash — keep a tube by the sink
- SPF on the backs of hands every morning; reapply after washing (do not store it in a hot glovebox all summer)
- At night for cracked hands: ointment plus cotton gloves
- Urea creams help rough hands; concentrated glycerin creams are dosed in dabs, not dollops — a small tube can be correct value
| Product | Format | Key label facts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Keeffe's Working Hands Cream | Concentrated cream, jar/tube | Glycerin-rich | The cracked-working-hands benchmark. Stings on open cracks — you were warned |
| CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream | Cream, tube | Dimethicone skin protectant + ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide · Fragrance-free | The sink-side and purse tube; dimethicone helps it survive light contact |
| Aquaphor Healing Ointment | Ointment | 41% petrolatum | The night treatment, paired with a daytime cream — greasy by design |
| Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream (Fragrance-Free) | Concentrated cream, small tube | Highly concentrated glycerin | Specify the fragrance-free version. A dab is the dose |
O'Keeffe'sO'Keeffe's Working Hands CreamGlycerin-rich concentrated creamBest for: cracked, working handsWatch out: Stings on open cracks
CeraVeCeraVe Therapeutic Hand CreamDimethicone + ceramides · Fragrance-freeBest for: a daily sink-side tubeWatch out: Reapply after washing — no hand cream survives soap indefinitely
NeutrogenaNorwegian Formula Hand Cream — Fragrance FreeConcentrated glycerin, small tubeBest for: readers who judge by tube sizeWatch out: A dab is the intended doseSearch products Links open Amazon search for the product named — check the current price and formula there. Plenishing lists no prices here, because prices change.
Lips — day is SPF, night is petrolatum
| Product | Format | Key facts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquaphor Lip Repair | Ointment tube | Petrolatum-based, fragrance-free | The healing default. Separate SKU: Aquaphor Lip Protectant SPF 30 is the daytime outdoor version — do not merge them |
| Vaseline / 100% petroleum jelly | Jelly | 100% petrolatum (pure jelly SKU) | The simplest occlusive in this entire site — and we say so plainly. No SPF; a night seal |
| La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips B5 | Repair balm, tube | Panthenol (B5), shea butter · Fragrance-free line | For persistently chapped, retinoid-dry lips |
| Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 | Balm stick | SPF 25 + shea / vitamin E type base | The 'actually carries SPF' outdoor row. ⚠ Flavoured versions exist — check fragrance if sensitive |
AquaphorAquaphor Lip RepairPetrolatum-based · Fragrance-freeBest for: night healing and retinoid-dry lipsWatch out: Buy the SPF 30 protectant SKU separately for daytime outdoors
VaselineVaseline Lip Therapy / Pure Petroleum Jelly100% petrolatumBest for: the simplest, cheapest seal there isWatch out: No SPF and no actives — that is its virtue at night
La Roche-PosayCicaplast Lips B5Panthenol B5 + sheaBest for: lips that stay chapped despite plain petrolatumWatch out: Small tube, face-only economicsSearch products Links open Amazon search for the product named — check the current price and formula there. Plenishing lists no prices here, because prices change.
Neck note: the neck irritates before the face does. Take sunscreen and moisturizer down the neck and chest daily; take retinoids there slowly, at lower frequency, or not at all if reactive.