Working with the soil? Whether you’re a landscape gardener, a horticulturist, a groundskeeper or simply love to tend your garden at home, don’t put up with rough gardeners’ hands!
Discover tips for keeping hands healthy when gardening as we show you how to build a gardener’s hand care routine with natural and organic hand wash, hand scrub and hand cream.
Key points
- Working with the soil can leave hands feeling dirty, dry and rough
- To avoid rough hands, gardeners need non-drying hand care that’s rich in ingredients known to support skin barrier repair
- We recommend Green People’s Soothing Hand Essentials Set, which contains 3 mini organic hand creams that are soothing and kind to skin
- Don’t forget to apply sun cream when working in the garden
What is a good gardener’s hand care routine?
To avoid rough gardening hands, all gardeners need to take good care of their hands.
If you love to garden, ensure you have these hand care essentials in your gardener’s hand care kit.
- Hand wash
- Hand scrub
- Nail brush
- Hand cream
- Cuticle balm
- Sunscreen
Best hand wash for gardeners
Soil has an annoying way of working its way into gardening gloves, meaning a good gardener’s hand wash is a skin care staple.
Gardening can leave hands rough, so opt for a hand wash without drying alcohols, skin-stripping soap and SLS.
All Green People hand washes are free from these ingredients, and we also never use artificial fragrances in our natural and organic formulas.
Gardeners love our Manuka & Lemon Tea Tree Hand Wash, which uses the natural antibacterial properties of Manuka, Tea Tree Leaf Extract and Lemon Tea Tree Oil to leave hands feeling deeply clean and invigoratingly fresh.
Manuka & Lemon Tea Tree Hand Wash 300ml
Powerful organic hand wash for kitchen and bathroom
£16.00
“I have bought this product for the first time and both myself and my husband like it. It's kept by the kitchen sink. I like it's smooth texture and I feel my hands are being moisturised as well as cleaned. Useful after spending time in the garden. Again, worthy of recommendation" Verified buyer
Here are a few of the plants we use to make this gardener’s hand wash so special. Do you have any of these in your garden?
- Aloe Vera: The nutrient-rich juice from the inner leaf of this succulent naturally soothes and hydrates skin and hair.
- Tea Tree: Also known as Melaleuca Alternifolia, it is an evergreen with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Its extract has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
- Manuka: We use an extract from the leaves of the Manuka bush, which has antibacterial properties. Native to New Zealand, this plant produces nectar foraged by bees, who produce the famously antibacterial Manuka honey.
Best hand scrub for gardeners
Looking for a hand gardener's hand scrub?
Rough gardeners’ hands need gentle care, so don’t scrub too hard with your gardener’s nail brush! Instead, reach for our Exfoliating Hand & Body Scrub to lift stubborn soil without irritating your skin.
Exfoliating Hand & Body Scrub 200ml
Treat your skin to berry bliss with this invigorating hand and body scrub
£19.50
Bursting with Wild Berry aromas, this skin-kind scrub uses Bamboo and the gentle exfoliating action of Pineapple Enzymes to lift away dirt and dry patches effortlessly.
If your hands feel rough after gardening, massage them between your palms, and your skin will feel softer in no time.
Have itchy hands after gardening? Some plants can irritate the skin, leaving it feeling slightly tingly or itchy. If your skin feels irritated after gardening, wash your hands and then monitor the reaction. Always contact a health professional if you feel unwell after gardening.
Best hand cream for gardeners
Now that your hands are clean and dry, apply your gardener's hand cream.
Protein-Boost Hand and Body Lotion is the perfect product to restore dry gardeners' hands and lock in hydration using the plant-based power of organic Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, and Squalane from Olive.
Protein-Boost Hand & Body Lotion 200ml
Lock in hydration as you nourish dry skin with this natural body lotion
£28.00
Rich in Quinoa Protein, reparative Perilla and calming Calendula, this is the hand cream we reach for whenever gardening leaves our hands feeling rough.
Gardening hand care gift sets
Looking for a gift for a gardener? They’ll love our gardener's hand cream gift set.
Soothing Hand Essentials Set
Revitalise, soften and nourish with our organic hand cream trio
£25.00
Best balm for gardeners
Cracked cuticles are another everyday gardener’s complaint and can feel sore and uncomfortable.
To soothe your green fingers, reach for ONE Balm, our multipurpose balm. Rich in reparative Rosehip, a little of this gardener’s hand balm goes a long way. It can also be used as lip balm, on cracked knuckles, and on dry skin anywhere.
Best of all, its biodegradable pot can be composted after use. That's good for you and your garden!
ONE Balm 30ml
Use this organic multi-purpose beauty balm to soothe lips, cuticles and dry skin
£15.00
Best SPF hand cream for gardeners
The final step of your routine, sunscreen, is another gardener’s hand care staple.
A skin care non-negotiable to protect your skin from age spots and sunburn when gardening, you need to apply SPF whenever you’re in the greenhouse, potting shed, or garden.
There’s no need to buy a separate hand cream with SPF; our natural and organic sunscreens can protect you from head to toe.
SPF15 gives medium protection and is an excellent choice for gardening on overcast days.
Edelweiss Sun Cream with Tan Accelerator - SPF15 200ml
Enhance your tan naturally with this SPF15 + tan accelerator
£30.00
“It's the best sun cream I’ve ever used. I love this product. It works effectively. It is long-lasting. Protects my burn-prone skin. It goes on evenly with no white cast. Smells lovely, but not too strong, and has the added bonus of keeping insects away from my skin when I am in the garden working.” Sara W - verified buyer
On warm, sunny days, you should apply a minimum of SPF30 to protect your skin from 97% UVB rays while you plant.
Scent Free Sun Cream SPF30 200ml
Protect sensitive skin naturally with our best-selling SPF30 sun cream
We hope you have found our guide to gardeners' hand care helpful. For more information, head to our natural hand and body care products or contact our friendly UK customer care team on 01403 740350 or @GreenPeopleUK.
REVIEWED BY CHARLOTTE, FOUNDER OF GREEN PEOPLE
This blog post has been reviewed by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has 25+ years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry.
A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty.
A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals.
If you wish to republish this content, please credit Green People as the original creator with a link to "Hand cream & scrub for gardeners." Do not use an affiliate link.
