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Hand creams have had a makeover. Dior’s recently launched Le Baume comes in a distinctive pebble-shaped pod, similar to Glossier’s popular palm-sized design. Brands from emerging markets — such as Haan from Spain, as well as Amuse and Gentle Monster-owned Tamburins from South Korea — have also introduced trendy, portable versions.
It’s a noticeable shift from the plain tubes consumers are used to, and reflects a change in skincare priorities since the pandemic. Once largely overlooked, in the era of stringent handwashing, hand cream has become a status symbol.
Growing consumer interest makes hand creams and lotions an attractive category for brands. Sales in premium handcare jumped to $724 million in 2022, up 23.5 per cent from $586 million in 2019, and is expected to reach $813 million in 2025, according to the latest data from Euromonitor. A similar picture is emerging for the mass handcare market, which had sales of $2.9 billion in 2022, up 11.5 per cent from $2.6 billion in 2019, and is forecast to grow to $3.2 billion in 2025.
The pandemic significantly altered consumer behaviour and the handcare sector is poised to benefit, believes Euromonitor’s senior research analyst for beauty, Connor Spicer. “Although consumer hygiene habits aren’t as strong as they were during the height of the pandemic, they remain significantly stronger and improved compared to pre-pandemic, particularly from a global outlook. As such, consumers looking to treat themselves to handcare is a more prominent thought than historically.” The shift ties in with the “skinification” trend, where shoppers give the rest of their body — such as their scalps — the same amount of attention as their face, says Spicer.
Hand creams represent a small fraction of the overall skincare market (worth $151 billion in 2022, according to Euromonitor), but the category’s significance is rising as it becomes a new entry point for luxury, says WGSN’s beauty strategist Pia Fisher. “We’re seeing the lipstick effect (where consumers spend more on affordable luxury items while pulling back on bigger ticket buys) expand to broader categories as ‘treat culture’ emerges. Hand creams offer the perfect buy-in opportunity for luxury, giving consumers micro-moments of joy.”
Price and sizing are important factors. Dior’s Le Baume, which is made from a recyclable mono-material branded with its hallmark Dior Oblique motif, costs $60. It rivals the hand cream of luxury peer Chanel, whose $63 egg-shaped La Crème Main launched in 2017, and remains a popular mainstay in many beauty editors’ handbags.
“Premium hand cream is not cheap, [especially] when compared to other beauty categories per ml. However, this is offset by hand cream commonly being sold in small [product sizes] as consumers want to carry it around,” says Spicer. “In a shop or online, the category appears more affordable than other products. The Gen Z theory ‘Girl Math’ can be applied here, as hand cream is seen by consumers as somewhat of a bargain.”
New criteria for innovation
Unlike traditional hand and body creams that are usually kept at home, not very inspiring and viewed as disposable, brands have evolved their offering to include eco-friendly packaging, better-for-you formulations, and a more memorable and unique design.
Tamburins launched its first hand cream, Nude H, in 2017. Described as hand cream “dressed as a clutch” and “Korean fashion meets skincare”, it has a distinctive chain handle. The brand has since expanded its range across multiple different products — including a new scented offering, the Shell, which today is a top seller. Elsewhere, Amuse’s playful packaging, featuring contrasting bright colours, has made it a favoured purchase for tourists visiting South Korea.
Instant visual appeal was important for Glossier, too. “When we set out to create a hand cream, we wanted to make something that inspired connection — something displayed on your desk and shared with co-workers or carried in your bag and doled out to friends,” says chief marketing officer Kleo Mack.
Natural and cruelty-free ingredients are another feature some brands are banking on. Chanel’s La Crème Main is created with May rose wax and iris pallida, obtained from the French luxury house’s Pégomas gardens in Grasse. Glossier’s hand cream boasts a nutrient-rich formula that contains ingredients like meadowfoam seed oil, coconut fruit extract, echinacea and rosemary, enabling it to “hit the sweet spot” between a lotion and a thicker cream (suitable for different skin types), says Mack.
Recent interest in the skin microbiome (the ecosystem of bacteria on the skin’s surface), and “free-from” preferences driven by the clean beauty movement, have prompted brands including Gallinée and Amorepacific-owned Mamonde to avoid preservatives, alcohol and essential oils by developing products with gentle ingredients and appropriate concentrations. Haan’s hand creams, with their unique packaging inspired by creamy popsicles, are packed with prebiotic superfood ingredients that also come in refillable sachets. With hands often exposed to potentially harmful ingredients, Euromonitor’s Spicer predicts that consumer demand for microbiome-friendly handcare will grow.
WGSN’s Fisher observes niche trends such as “hand-drenching”, which follows the “slugging” skincare craze using a hydrating serum to flood the hands and nails, followed by an oil-based ointment to seal and nourish; and “nail cycling”, where regular salon-goers are prioritising nail health at home with hand masks, nutritious creams and other products, following recent increased awareness of methacrylate allergies. While celebrities such as Hailey Bieber and artists like Zola Ganzorigt popularised stylised manicures among millennials and Gen Z in recent years, young consumers haven’t prioritised nail health. The tide may be changing as consumers who once used too harsh products on their skin shift their focus to healing the skin barrier.
Perhaps the multi-step routine that was once popular in skincare will extend to other parts of the body, Fisher muses. “In China, on social platforms like Red and Douyin, we see users share gua sha and exercise routines for their fingers, as well as 10-step salon-grade handcare and [makeup tricks like] applying blush on knuckles to achieve elongated fingers,” she says. “We’re looking at our hands more than ever.”
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