This ‘Skin Food’ With a Cult Following Is My Go-To Hand Moisturizer

I could fill a whole drawer with products that I’ve bought in my life claiming to calm dry, chapped hands. I’ve tried them all, from super-expensive department store balms in tiny glass jars to cheap drugstore buys that beauty bloggers swear by. Most rarely work, or worse, they irritate my skin even more. But a couple of years ago, my sister-in-law gave me a neon green tube of something called "Skin Food," and it changed my life. OK, maybe not my life; it’s just lotion. But it’s helped me get through dry winters, long flights and constant hand washing and hand sanitizing.

Created by eco-friendly company Weleda in 1926 — yes, 1926! — the Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream is made from a plant blend that includes violas, calendula and chamomile, and it smells like a super-fancy spa. The cream is pretty thick as the base is made from beeswax, but it’s not greasy. I put it on at night and wake up with smooth, hydrated skin.

The magic comes at a price. It’s not crazy expensive, but a 2.5-ounce tube is about $20. However, one tube will last a while because a dab of this stuff goes a long way. If you’re not ready to commit and just want to test it out, there’s a travel-size tube for less than $5. If you’re ready to go all-in, there’s also a Skin Food Body Butter for dry legs and arms and a Skin Food Lip Butter for super-chapped lips.

And I'm not the only fan at HGTV. HGTV editors Laura James and Molly Miller swear by it, too.

"As someone who has had eczema my whole life and tried a lot of hand lotions, I can't get enough of Weleda's Skin Food," Laura says. "I like it so much that I frequently give this magical moisturizer as a gift."