Hand creams are the most common types of creams you will come across. So, it’s no surprise that there are a whole range of aloe vera based hand creams on the market. Actually there are an astronomical number of hand creams containing aloe vera but they are not, in my mind, aloe vera hand creams. To be an aloe vera hand cream, it must contain at least 50% aloe vera, preferably more like 95%.

So what distinguishes aloe vera hand creams from other hand creams? Well, as you probably already know if you have read our article on Aloe Vera Creams (in general), one of the best qualities of aloe vera is its ability to be absorbed so quickly and (more importantly) deeply into the skin.

One thing that will turn me off from any sort of hand cream is if it takes too long to absorb. I love the moisturizing properties of all kinds of hand lotions but I *hate* that lingering wet feeling you get from using them. For me, a super absorbent hand cream is essential. You might not care so much about that though but everyone benefits from the deep penetrating action of aloe vera.

Like other types of hand cream, aloe vera hand cream is well known for having lots of exotic and interesting additives. Of course you can find aloe vera hand creams with all the common hand cream ingredients; various types of herbal extracts, vitamins and moisturizers (like lanolin) all of which will improve the effectiveness of any cream (where it is aloe vera based or not).

One of the more interesting elements of aloe vera hand creams is that they often take this concept a bit further and include ingredients like; minerals from the Dead Sea, coconut extract, berry wax and beeswax. They can also include relatively unknown ingredients from the Far East as well (Ylang Ylang, for instance). The actual usefulness of any of these is purely dependent on how your particular body reacts to them. Never-the-less they are there for a reason and you would be wise to read up on exactly what the “special ingredients” actually do in any Aloe Vera Cream you buy.

As a final note, aloe vera based hand creams are the only type of cream I have ever seen that claims to be vegan friendly. Of course, this only applies to hand creams which actually say that they are “vegan certified”.