8 Best Moisturizing Gloves According to Dermatologists
The Best Moisturizing Gloves and Hand Masks are:
- Cara Overnight Moisturizing Gloves (Ideal for aiding the absorption of any type of cream or oil)
- Malcolm’s Miracle Gloves
- Epielle Hand Masks (A brand that offers a wide variety of high-quality moisturizing hand masks)
- BodiPure Hand Mask (Uses a Keratin-infused lotion to help promote stronger nails)
- Aveeno Hand Mask (Uses a lotion with Shea Butter & PreBiotic Oats)
- NatraCure Gel Gloves (Washable and very durable gloves that contain an all-natural moisturizer)
- Codream Fingerless Moisturizing Gloves (Fully touchscreen compatible)
- Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Glove Set (Ideal as a Gift)
What are Moisturizing Gloves and Do they Really Work
Moisturizing Gloves maximize the amount of lotion or oil that is absorbed into your skin making your hands feel softer and smoother.
They work by trapping and keeping either the lotions or oils on your hands. Thus preventing them from being lost by evaporation or from being rubbed off on other surfaces.
There are two types of moisturizing gloves:
1- Moisturizing Gloves that just aid with the absorption of any type of oils, creams, or other forms of moisturizers into your hands – these gloves do not come with their own moisturizers.
Moisturizing gloves that don’t have any built-in moisturizers are generally reusable and washable. They are more suited for those that already have their own hand creams or oils and just want to make them work better by sealing the moisturizers in.
2- Moisturizing Gloves that contain their own creams, oils, and other moisturizing agents that are rubbed into your skin as you wear them. Citation.
Gloves that come with their own moisturizers are either disposable gloves which are usually single-use hand mask but there are some new ones that are reusable and washable.
The gloves that come with their own moisturizers, in my opinion, do the best job at moisturizing your hands, especially over a long period of time like during the night. Citation.
1- Cara Hypoallergenic Overnight Moisturizing Gloves
Cara Moisturizing Gloves are simple 100% pure cotton gloves that aid with the absorption of creams, oils, ointments, or any other type of topical lotion applied to your hands.
Cara Gloves are sold by Cara Incorporated based in Rhode Island, USA. Citation.
Pros of Cara Moisturizing Gloves
1- Very Effective at Moisturizing You Hands
Cara Cotton Gloves help to hold any type of hand lotion such as hand creams or oils onto your skin so that it can be absorbed easier and faster.
By doing so increases the moisturizer’s or lotion’s strength and overall effectiveness which makes your hands feel super smooth and soft.
Also, these gloves prevent the wastage of your moisturizer since a fair amount of lotion is naturally lost by simply rubbing your hands on other surfaces or by evaporation.
By wearing the cotton gloves help to trap the cream as its being evaporated and also prevents the lotion from being rubbed off onto other surfaces.
Instead, it keeps excess lotion or cream in the fibers of the gloves and as the cream is absorbed into the skin the remaining lotion on the gloves will then gradually start to percolate into the skin as well.
2- Safe For Your Skin
One of the best things about Cara Gloves is that they are hypoallergenic which means the chances of having an allergic or skin reaction from them is very rare.
This makes them very safe to use for individuals who have extra sensitive skin or skin conditions such as eczema.
Cara Gloves are even approved by the National Eczema Association.
3- Looks Good & Can be Used For Different Purposes.
Cara Gloves have a neat, clean white appearance and a soft texture allowing them to be very versatile which means that they aren’t only limited to working just as moisturizing gloves.
They are also perfect at:
- Helping to conceal skin disorders without aggravating the condition further.
- Protecting the hands of individuals who have very sensitive skin such as suffering from eczema whilst they go about every day activities. Citation.
- Handling fragile artwork, and inspecting jewelry and silver coins without damaging them.
4- Very Durable, Washable & Reusable
Cara Cotton Gloves are completely reusable and are easily washed. Plus they very durable so much so that they are capable of being machine washable.
On average they can be washed 4-5 times before becoming too thin to be usable.
Now you should always wash these gloves before reusing them because the cream or oil that you use can be left in the fibers of the gloves and go rancid when exposed to air for a long period of time.
And spoiled or rancid oil or cream can affect your skin health. Citation.
5- Very Comfortable & Easy to Use
Cara Cotton gloves are ultra soft, super lightweight, breathable, making them very comfortable to wear.
You won’t even feel like you are wearing anything – think of how comfortable your cotton t-shirts are.
These gloves are also very easy to use, just apply your skin lotion onto your hand as you usually do and then put on your gloves.
For the best results you should leave the gloves on overnight.
6- Perfect Overnight Moisturizing Gloves
Since these gloves are made of cotton they will still allow some air to circulate around your hands so your hands won’t get too hot and sweaty, allowing you to easily wear them for a long period of time. Citation.
Even though there are gloves that are more effective at moisturizing, cotton gloves, in general, are the best gloves to wear overnight.
This is because they are breathable and very comfortable that they won’t affect your sleep pattern.
7- Very Popular
Cara Cotton Gloves is one of the most popular brands of moisturizing cotton gloves on the market – this is a testimony to how effective they are.
8- Affordable
These gloves are very budget-friendly, they are so affordable that I don’t even reuse them, once I have used one I usually discard it.
9- Well Packaged
They also come in a neat well-packaged box – very similar to how latex gloves come in. This allows the gloves to be stored in a safe and hygienic manner.
Cons of Cara Moisturizing Gloves
1- Requires You to Use Your Own Moisturizer
The biggest drawback with Cara Gloves is that they don’t have any built-in moisturizers either infused in the fibers of the gloves or in the form of a gel lining on the inside.
Cara Gloves are plain cotton gloves meant to be used in conjunction with your own skin cream or essential oil.
This means that these gloves are only as effective as your skin lotion so if you use a lackluster cream you are not gonna get amazing results. But rest assured that these gloves will make whatever cream you use work better.
2- Not Very Stretchy
These gloves won’t have any give, so if they are too small for you they won’t stretch to fit your hand instead you need to order the correct size.
So my advice is to know your measurements before ordering – but when in doubt go a size larger since they tend to be on the small size in comparison to the conventional sizes used for regular latex gloves.
But if you want to be certain you are gonna need to measure the circumference of your palms. You could do so by wrapping a measuring tape around your palms just below the knuckles. Gonna leave the measurements of the gloves below.
By doing so affords you an exact and comfortable fit.
On average the size extra-large will fit most hands.
Size | Measurements for Palm of Gloves |
X-Large | 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 inches |
Large | 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 inches |
Medium | 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches |
Small | 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches |
3- Needs to be Washed Often
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with moisturizing gloves is not washing them after using them.
By washing your gloves after using them removes any leftover moisturizers and kills any bacteria or germs found in the gloves.
Leftover moisturizer might sound harmless but most types of oils and creams once exposed to air for a long period of time will eventually go rancid – moisturizers that have gone bad can cause severe skin reactions.
Where to Get Cara Moisturizing Gloves
You can get these gloves at really good prices on Amazon, click to see the current price there for a box containing 24 pairs of gloves.
And you can click here to see the price for a pack which includes two pairs at Walmart.
Gaxcoo Cotton Gloves
Gaxcoo Cotton Gloves are very similar to Cara Gloves they are both made of 100% pure cotton and work the same way by aiding the absorption of moisturizers. Citation.
Pros and Cons of Gaxcoo Gloves
Now Gaxcoo Gloves are premium cotton gloves being thicker, more durable, and more expensive than Cara gloves.
Added to that they tend to stay on your hands a bit better than Cara gloves. This is because they have a wristband to keep them from coming off easily.
The fact that they are more durable and stay on your hands better makes them ideal for wearing during the day and when you have activities to do.
But for me, the main drawback with Gaxcoo Gloves is that they are thicker and heavier which makes your hands get hot and sweaty faster so for me they are not as good for sleeping with compared to Cara Gloves which are very lightweight.
But if you don’t mind this and you are looking for a durable cotton glove they are well worth a look at. You can click here to see the current price for a box containing 7 pairs of gloves on Amazon.
Or you can get them on Walmart, click here to see the current price there.
2- Malcolm Miracle Gloves
Malcolm Miracle Gloves work the same way as Cara or Gaxcoo gloves in that they are used to aid with the absorption of moisturizers, they don’t come with their own built-in lotions or oils.
Pros of Malcolm Gloves
Except Malcolm Gloves are not pure cotton gloves instead they are made of 94% cotton and 6% spandex.
The spandex component of the gloves make them:
- More Durable – they can last for months if not years if properly cared for.
- Washable – capable of handling being washed numerous times.
- Stretchable which allows them to stay on your hands a lot better.
- Thin and Comfortable – these gloves are very lightweight and won’t have your hands feeling hot and sweaty.
Malcolm Miracle Gloves are also 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and they are made in the USA, in comparison to most other gloves made abroad. Citation.
Cons of Malcolm Gloves
The main problem with these gloves is that they are very expensive. They cost almost five times the price of most other moisturizing gloves. I don’t think that the price is justifiable even with all the advantages.
Now the gloves are marketed as being able to last for 2 years though I have only been using them for a month now (for researching this article) so I can’t attest that they will last so long.
But so far they have managed to handle washing several times without the seams damaging – most other plain cotton gloves would have fallen apart after being washed 5 or 6 times.
Where to Get Malcolm Gloves
You can get these gloves on Amazon, click here to see the price for a pair.
And you can click here to see them on Walmart.
3- Epielle Moisturizing Hand Masks
Hand Masks are basically disposable gloves that contain moisturizers and when you put them on the lotion or oil seeps into your skin.
In my opinion, they are one of the best gloves to moisturize your hands.
There is a wide array of different brands of hand masks and each one of them tends to have a different specialty. Some hand masks are good at healing your skin whilst some are more focused on hydrating and moisturizing.
Now the brand of hand mask that I use the most is Epielle.
Epielle specializes in various skin products from moisturizing gloves and socks to face wipes and masks. They are well known for high-quality products. Citation.
Pros of Epielle Hand Masks
1- Very Good at Moisturizing Your Hands
From my experiences, most brands of Hand Masks tend to contain a lot of lotion or oil within them. And as soon you put them on you can feel your hands being soaked with the moisturizer.
Now each brand of gloves will use a different oil or lotion so the benefits of each hand masks will vary dramatically.
But with Epielle Gloves in my experience from just wearing them for 20-30 minutes and your hands will feel smoother and softer.
To maximize the effect of hand masks after you put them on you should massage your hands together so as to get the moisturizer more into your skin.
Or alternatively, you can wear a cotton glove over them to make the hand mask cling to your skin more so that the moisturizer can get on your hands better.
Hand Masks can also be worn overnight the longer your wear the better.
2- Fits Most Hand Sizes
One of the best things about hand masks is that they are one size fits most – this is because they generally come in large sizes to fit almost everyone.
3- Won’t Fall Off Easily
Now because these gloves tend to be larger than most gloves they won’t fit you directly and because of this, they can easily come off.
But to prevent this Epielle Hand Masks have an adhesive tab on the wrist of the gloves that you have to wrap around your wrist to keep them in place.
You can see how to use them in the Video below
4- Easy to Use & Lightweight
Hand Masks are very easy to use all you need to do is put them on and then wrap the tab around your wrist to keep them in place.
Plus they are super thin and almost weightless.
5- Touch Screen Compatible
Epielle Hand Masks are touch screen compatible so you can still use your phone or tablet whilst wearing them.
But not at all brands of hand masks can work with a touch screen so if this is an important feature for you make sure you check for it before buying.
Cons of Epielle Hand Masks
1- Not Durable
Hand Masks are generally made of a paper and plastic-like material and won’t last long. They are easily damaged so I won’t advocate doing a lot of activities when wearing them.
Even when I sleep with them on, sometimes I would wake up with them being torn.
A great tip to make these gloves last longer and amplify their moisturizing ability is to wear them under a cotton glove.
By wearing a cotton glove over your hand masks protects them from being damaged and also presses the masks closer to your skin allowing the moisturizers to more easily seep into your skin.
2- Cannot Be Reused
Hand Masks are disposable gloves and can’t be washed or reused. Now this means that even though individually they are very cheap – the cost for them will add up over time.
But the fact that they can only be used one time makes them more hygienic and this is why a lot of spas use them.
3- Not Very Comfortable
At first for me the Paper and Plastic like material that these hand masks are made with make them feel somewhat strange and uncomfortable.
I prefer gloves that are more fabric-based, but you will get accustomed to them. And if you want, you don’t have to wear them too long, 20-30 minutes is more than enough to moisturize your hands thoroughly.
Where to Get Epielle Hand Masks
Epielle comes in packets that each contain a pair of gloves. And they are usually sold in combo sets rather than individual packets.
They currently have three great types of hands masks:
1- Shea Butter, Jojoba & Vitamin E
This is one of my favorite hand masks from Epielle it contains an oil comprising of Shea butter, Jojoba Oil, and Vitamin E. Citation.
This mask is very effective at moisturizing your hands since it works with your body heat to open up your pores which allow the oils to be more easily absorbed into your skin.
And both Shea Butter and Jojoba oil are amazing moisturizing agents as well with each having a lot of natural benefits.
2- Sunflower, Avocado and Vitamin E
This Hands Mask uses a lotion that contains Sunflower Oil, Avocado Oil, and Vitamin E. Citation.
Sunflower Oil and Avocado Oil are easily absorbed into your pores and are packed with antioxidants making it a great source of nutrients for your skin. Citation.
You can click here to see the price for 6 pairs of these hands masks on Amazon.
3- Coconut oil, Milk Extracts, and Hyaluronic acid
Epielle’s Coconut oil-based hand mask is focused on repairing skin cells that have been damaged. This makes it perfect if your hands are damaged and peeling from being chronically dry or exposed to intense sunlight. Citation 1.
You can click here to see the price for 6 pairs of gloves on Amazon.
Spa Life Moisturizing Hand Mask
SpaLife Moisturizing Hand Masks are another great brand of hand masks they contain a rich lotion made of Almond, Oatmeal, and Honey. Citation.
You can click here to see the price for 8 pairs of SpaLife Moisturizing gloves on Amazon.
4- BodiPure Hand Masks
BodiPure Hand Masks are not the best for moisturizing or hydrating your hands but they are one of the best if you want stronger nails and skin.
This is because they contain a Keratin-based lotion and keratin is one of the main proteins found in our skin and nails.
Now by using a lotion infused with Keratin can help to dramatically strengthen our skin and nails. Citation.
Stronger nails are less likely to break and stronger skin cells are less prone to wrinkles.
You can click here to see the price for 12 pairs of BodiPure Keratin based Hand Mask Amazon.
5- Aveeno CICA Hand Mask
Aveeno has a great Shea Butter and Prebiotic Oat based hand masks.
They are one of the most popular hand masks on the market, they are widely available in stores and pharmacies. This is because of the well known and strong reputation that Aveeno has for high-quality products. Citation.
Now Aveeno currently only offers the one type of moisturizing gloves, you can click here to see the current price on Amazon for a set with 5 pairs of hand masks.
You can also get them at Walmart, click here to see the current price there.
6- NatraCure Moisturizing Gloves
NatraCure Gloves are one of the best washable moisturizing gloves that have their own built-in moisturizer.
These gloves have a gel lining on the inside which contains a great moisturizer made of mineral oil, Jojoba oil, grape seed oil, and olive oil. Citation.
This assortment of oils is released into your skin when the gel lining warms up from your natural body heat.
Pros Of NatraCure Gloves
1- Comes with its own Effective Built-in Moisturizer
NatraCure gloves come with a gel lining on the inside that contains a combination of very effective oils. These oils are slowly released onto your hands as the gel lining heats up from your body’s natural heat.
This slow release of the moisturizer prevents your hands from being oversaturated and feeling too oily and sticky.
Now as soon as your skin has enough oil the gel lining stops releasing more oil – but as the oil is absorbed into the body more oil is released to replace it.
Now each one of the oils used in the gel lining has amazing properties.
1- Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is not really an oil, instead, it is actually a wax ester which means that it has a very different composition to regular oils. Citation.
Jojoba Wax Ester is almost identical to sebum which is our body’s natural moisturizer. This amazing similarity causes our skin to easily absorb Jojoba oil in comparison to other oils which has to rely on slow diffusion into our skin.
Jojoba oil is also a carrier agent meaning that it can hold and transport nutrients with it into your skin.
Now along with being easily absorbed into our skin, and being a carrier agent for nutrients, Jojoba oil is packed with antioxidants and vitamins, making it great to treat skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis and even acne.
2- Grape Seed Oil
Grape Seed Oil has a lot of benefits but the two mains ones are:
1- Being Antimicrobial – which allows it to kill bacteria and other microbes that could potentially cause your skin to have an outbreak
2- Having a strong anti-inflammatory effect – allowing it to soothe and heal damaged or inflamed skin due to skin ailments like eczema or from being sunburnt. Citation.
3- Olive Oil
Olive oil is also one of the main moisturizers found in NatraCure Gloves and it too has many benefits.
But what olive oil is most well known for having an absurd amount of antioxidants which has been shown to reduce or even reverse the aging of your skin. And by doing so it can stop your hands from getting wrinkles and even prevent the formation of skin cancer. Citation.
Now this combination of jojoba oil, grape seed oil, and olive oil makes the moisturizer stored in NatraCure Gloves gel lining a very effective and healthy moisturizer that will leave your hands feeling soft and smooth.
2- Reusable and Washable
NatraCure gloves can be reused many times – this is because the gloves are easily washed without losing its ability to moisturize your hands.
You see the gel lining in the gloves won’t be washed away or dissolved in water instead the moisturizer would only be released when heated.
And because of this NatraCure Gloves should only be hand washed with room temperature water.
3- Very Durable
NatraCure Gloves are very thick and made of 98% polyester and 2% spandex making them very tough.
You should be able to use them for 60-70 times before they start to fall apart.
4- Affordable
In my opinion, these gloves are very budget-friendly and the fact that you can use these gloves several times makes them a bargain.
Cons of NatraCure Gloves
1- Not Breathable
The gel lining within these gloves is very thick and won’t allow air to pass through it. This makes your hands become hot and sweaty if you wear them for an extending period of time.
So I won’t recommend sleeping with them on, and to be fair NatraCure recommends that you just need to wear them for 20 minutes for the gloves to thoroughly moisturize your hands.
2- Not Very Comfortable
In my opinion, these NatraCure Gloves are not very comfortable in comparison to other gloves.
Firstly NatraCure gloves are heavier than most other gloves.
And the inside of these gloves which is the gel lining has a tough rubbery texture which for me feels strange.
Now because of the extra weight and strange texture NatraCure gloves would take a bit longer to get accustomed to.
3- Lack of Dexterity
The thick padded gel inside these gloves prevents you from being able to move your fingers and hands around as you usually would.
So you won’t be able to have full usage of your hands whilst wearing NatraCure Gloves.
And I guess that’s why NatraCure Gloves are meant to be worn for 20-30 minutes max and not for extended periods of time.
Who Should Get NatraCure Gloves
NatraCure Moisturizing Gloves are not the most effective gloves to moisturize your hands this is because they rely on your body heat to slowly release the oils onto your skin which depending on your body heat might take awhile.
That’s why in my opinion, disposable hand masks are better they contain more lotion and they work faster.
But because NatraCure gloves are reusable makes them more cost-effective than using disposable moisturizing gloves.
Also, if you have your own assortment of lotions and oils for your hands – then using cotton gloves is probably a better alternative – but you can also use your own moisturizer along with NatraCure Gloves too.
So if you are on a budget the NatraCure is a great way to moisturize and treat your hands but if you already have your own cream use cotton gloves or if you are looking for really strong moisturizing gloves then invest in hand masks.
Where to Get NatraCure Gloves
You can get them on Amazon at really good prices you can click to see the current price for a pair there.
They also have a moisturizing glove and sock combo, the socks work just like the gloves – with a gel lining inside the socks slowly releasing the moisturizing oils on your feet.
So if you want to moisturize both your hands and feet you can click here to check the combo out.
7- Codream Fingerless Touchscreen Moisturizing Gloves
Codream Fingerless Moisturizing Gloves are very similar to NatraCure Gloves.
Pros of Codream Gloves
Except Codream Gloves are fingerless moisturizing gloves which makes them perfect if you want to keep your hands moisturized whilst on your computer, tablet, or on your phone. Making them great to use whilst at the office.
Now Codream Gloves just like NatraCure have a gel lining inside them that contains a moisturizer that is released onto your hands as you wear them.
The gel lining within the gloves only releases the moisturizer when it is heated and your body’s natural heat causes the moisturizer to be let out.
Codream Gloves are completely washable and reusable and the moisturizer won’t be washed away since it is only released from the gel lining when heated.
This means that the gloves should only be hand washed with room temperature water and using a mild detergent.
The moisturizer used in Codream Gloves is made of Rose Oil, Jojoba Wax Ester, Olive Oil, Grape Seed Oil, and Vitamin E.
This combination of oils makes it a very effective moisturizer.
Cons of Codream Gloves
The main drawback of Codream Gloves is that they are not so durable in comparison to NatraCure Gloves.
Codream gloves are made mostly of cotton so after washing them a few times they will start to fall apart but atleast they are a bit cheaper.
And also since these gloves are finger less they won’t moisturize your cuticles and the ends of your fingers.
Where to Get Codream Gloves
You can get these gloves on Amazon, you can click here to see the current price there.
Earth Therapeutics Aloe Moisturizing Gloves
Earth Therapeutics Gloves are washable and reusable moisturizing gloves that have an infused Aloe Vera moisturizer inside them. Citation.
They are very similar to NatraCure Gloves except the Aloe Vera Moisturizer washes away after a few usages but then these gloves can still be used with other lotions or oils like a cotton glove.
Earth Therapeutics actually works best when you rub extra moisturizer on your hands before wearing them to get that soft skin.
You can get them on Amazon, click here to see the current price there.
8- Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Glove Set
Burt Bees has a great moisturizing combo set for your hands that comes with:
- A pair of Moisturizing Cotton Glove,
- A great Almond based Hand cream
- A Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream
- A Lemon based Cuticle Cream
Burt Bees has been around since 1984 and they are a well-known and reputable brand that generally has good quality natural products. Citation.
Their combo set, in my opinion, would work perfectly as a gift set, and also they are very affordable. You can click to see the current price of one on Amazon.
References and Citations Used
Types of Moisturizing Gloves and How they Work