I used to have soft hands and felt naked if the nails weren’t painted. But for the past 18 months I have been renovating my home. The floorboards have been lovingly restored, the bathroom tiles are perfectly aligned and the pink flamingo wallpaper makes me smile. But I now have hard working hands from hours spent stripping wallpaper, painting doorframes and grouting tiles.
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I can’t remember the last time I applied a glossy colour to my nails, my cuticles haven’t seen an orange stick for months and the skin is rough and dull. They need help. Thankfully hand creams have evolved from simply moisturising, they now contain ingredients to protect from the sun, remove dead skin cells and strengthen the nails. Here are 5 of the best hand saviours.

Glamour Gloves by Bliss, £36, www.blissworld.com

This is a hardcore treatment for seriously damaged hands. Once you’ve slipped on the bright blue gloves the grapeseed oil and ceramide rich gel inside reacts with the heat from your hands. It’s a bit like doing the washing up wearing some yellow marigold gloves with Vaseline on your hands, only far more luxourious and you mustn’t wash the dishes wearing these, sit and watch the TV instead while someone feeds you chocolate. They feel a bit slimy initially but after 20 minutes your hands come out seriously soft and plumper. The gloves contain olive and jojoba oils to condition and protect, anti ageing vitamin E and soya bean extract to increase skin elasticity. They can be used up to 50 times and if you think that’s not very hygienic you can wash them with a mild soap and they’re almost as good as new. If your hands are in need of extreme help then you can wear the gloves overnight, although mine strangely ended up on the bedroom floor as I’d removed them during my slumber.

Caresse Mains Moisturising & Repairing Hand Cream by Lancome, £17.50, available nationwide

This rich cream is instantly absorbed, feels light as a feather and has the delicate scent of vintage talcum powder. The formulation is so light that I didn’t think I was applying enough when I first used it, but the cream is extremely hard working and penetrative to the extent that it continues to moisturise even after you’ve washed your hands. Not only does it moisturise with a rich blend of shea butter and soy bean oil, but it repairs the day to day damage we subject our hands to with a blend of hydration increasing ceramides . It also contains a patented fortifying complex that nourishes the cuticles and strengthens the nails. The tube is a little large to carry around on a day to day basis, but if you incorporate the cream into your morning and night-time skincare regime your hands will thank you for it.

Global Anti-Age Hand Care by Sisley, £84.50, www.sisley-cosmetics.com

If I could afford to spend this amount of money on a hand cream then I could afford to pay a handy man to decorate my home, then my hands wouldn’t be in the state they are. However when purchasing this little tube of exquisiteness you get some fine ingredients to wage war on ravaged hands. It contains the usual suspects; shea butter and sunflower oil to moisturise and vitamin E to tackle the signs of ageing. It also contains a concoction of intelligent ingredients. Nasturtium petal extract works on lightening the areas of the skin that show age spots, apple seed extract actively helps to prevent further signs of ageing while licorice extract soothes the delicate skin on the hands. If that wasn’t enough pro-vitamin B5 increases the moisture levels in the nails and an SPF 10 prevents age spots and further sun damage. The most interesting ingredient is harpagophytum extract, derived from a South African plant that professes to ease rheumatism. As I don’t suffer with the aforementioned affliction I can’t confirm the claims, but this is certainly a delicious smelling, seriously smoothing and richly moisturising product that is worth the splurge.

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment, by Origins, £16, www.origins.co.uk

This cream has a warm yet zingy fragrance and when applied is richly gooey, feeling the most moisturising out of all the creams trialled. It’s a clever mixture containing Origin’s star ingredient, the Rose of Jericho, derived from a plant that can survive drought like conditions then return to life unscathed when hydrated, corn sugar which helps to bind water to the skin, Sea Haricot extract to help the skins’ elasticity and Chinese clary sage which improves the skin’s natural moisture barrier function. A blend of kokum, mango and cupuacu butters help moisturise the skin, while essential oils of orange and bergamot soothe irritated skin. A delicious cream that instantly makes hands feel they are on the road to recovery.

Best Defence Hand & Nail Cream by Leighton Denny, £8, www.leightondenny.com

Leighton Denny and manicures go hand in hand like peanut butter and jam. Mr Denny was the winner of the British Nail Technician Award for 4 years in a row and he performs his skills on celebrities including Joan Collins and Kate Moss. If he can’t concoct a good hand cream then no one can. This one is a multi-action formulation that comes in a handy tube that will fit neatly in your handbag. It contains a strong SPF to protect against sun damage and AHAs to remove dead skin cells, revealing fresher looking skin. The white mulberry extract lightens those pesky pigmentation marks, lavender extract helps to stimulate cell regeneration while chamomile oil helps to hydrate and sooth the skin. It’s a fragrant and thick cream rich in essential oils of geranium, cedarwood and bergamot, but it doesn’t leave a greasy residue and easily absorbs into the skin. If it’s good enough for Joan then it’s good enough for me.