Flu Season Comforts

The UK’s leading health and beauty retailer, Boots, revisited its archives to revive a few of the brand’s old skincare formulas. This hand cream ($7.99) combines lavender, rose oil, patchouli, Italian lemon and several other enticing scents. And who can resist the vintage pink packaging?

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This Chanel cream ($48) is a little pricier than the others, but it’s well worth the few extra dollars. The light lotion soaks into skin in seconds, and the fresh, clean scent won’t stink up your office. This is the perfect for solution for someone who doesn’t like a lot of frills with their hand cream.

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It’s easy to forget about your nails with gloves covering your hands, but nails and cuticles suffer during the winter as well. This iconic Clarins treatment ($30) will bring nails back to life as the myrrh and phospholipids strengthen and stimulate growth. The tube is perfect for storing at work.

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This company takes a holistic approach to skincare starting at the soil their plants grow in. This daily moisturizer contains plant oils and beeswax to support skin renewal, and the mild scent is just right for an every day cream ($24.95).

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This hand serum ($75) stimulates the cell renewal process overnight all while firming and toning your skin. Use a pearl-sized drop before you go to sleep and wake up with silky, younger looking hands.

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Some creams feel great on your skin for an hour or so, and then your knuckles return to the chapped, cracked skin you thought you conquered. If you’re looking for a cream that will last all day, check out this Elizabeth Arden lifesaver ($17). The eight-hour cream comes in a fast-absorbing gel that immediately relieves cracking and dry skin. This product has been around since 1930—clearly a keeper.

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The brainchild of an Olympic gold medalist and an esteemed magazine editor, Hissyfit’s products offer everything a mid-life woman is looking for in skincare. Handy Work ($29) boasts an SPF of 30 while offering intense moisture and a fresh scent of orange and peppermint, and did we mention how much we love the brand’s name?

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Kiehl’s has given this longtime customer favorite a makeover—for a cause. In support of World AIDS Day on December 1, Kiehl’s will introduce the limited edition version of its Ultimate Strength Hand Salve ($12.50). Amazingly, 100 percent of net profits will be donated to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Reasearch. Not only will you be making a great donation, you’ll also be investing a product that offers a “glove-like” protective barrier against moisture loss.

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*The amfAR edition is not available until 12/1, on World AIDS Day.

You won’t find these unusual ingredients in the other creams on our list: Rose of Jericho, trehalose, sea haricots and oceanic flora. This dermatologist-tested cream ($19.50) rehydrates dry skin and repairs damage from UV exposure.

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As we all know too well, hands are one of the first parts of the body to show age. Estee Lauder’s new cream ($45) fights the effects of the sun by helping to fade discolorations. Mulberry root and grape extract work together to brighten your skin.

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The combination of shea, mango and cocoa butter has made this little tube ($15) such a big seller. The formula melts into your skin without leaving a greasy feeling.

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If heavy scents and floral creams irritate your skin, this hypoallergenic Dermud cream ($26) offers a great alternative. The beige cream feels thick and heavy when first coming out of the bottle, but once you lather the cream onto your skin it instantly lightens up and offers fast relief.

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This luxurious hand cream ($10) offers a light, non-greasy relief to winter-abused hands. It’s available in three scents: green tea, lemongrass sage and mango peach. We recommend the lemongrass sage for its citrus, summery notes. All three scents provide protection in the form of vitamin A, E and D.

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Trying to fight cracked and damaged skin? This Aveda cream ($7.50) offers just the relief your hands need. The meadowfoam seed oil provides hydration while the licorice extract acts as a skin clarifier. Indulging in an at-home manicure? This cream is sure to repair your cuticles.

Buy it here.

Next: Fight the Flu With These Luxe Soaps