6 Hand Lotions to Apply Before a Mani (or Whenever Your Hands Need a Boost!)

At-home manicures are no easy feat. There’s a good chance you’ve experienced a nail polish fail at one point or another. The whole process (i.e. shaping your nails, pushing back your cuticles and painting) leaves a lot of room for error. A simple way to prep prior to getting down to business is to take care of your hands on a daily basis. 

“Every time you wash your hands during the day, you should be applying a lotion to your hands, in addition to whenever they feel dry or dehydrated,” says celebrity manicurist Skyy Hadley. “This may sound like a lot of product application each day, but it will enhance your skin’s elasticity and moisture levels, while protecting against chapping and cracking.” During your actual at-home mani, you should apply lotion after your nails are done being filed, your cuticles have been cut and cuticle softener has been applied.

According to Hadley, ingredients to look for in your hand lotion include vitamin C, shea butter, essential oils and glycerin for moisturizing benefits. But with so many hand creams on the market, it can be hard to differentiate the average from the life-changing. We’ve taken out the guesswork with some picks for every budget below.