Does Hand Cream Keep Your Hands Looking Young?

Many women spend a fortune and a lot of time caring for the skin on their faces, whilst hardly ever bothering with their hands. But in fact, your hands can give away your age just as easily and there is nothing as unsightly as leathery, spotted, wrinkled hands.

Your hands are probably one of the most used body parts and suffer a lot of exposure, to the elements, to chemicals and to general wear and tear. It is not surprising that they start showing signs of ageing, such as dry, thin, wrinkled, veined or dull skin long before you would consider yourself “old”.

The good news is that these common signs of neglect can be rectified and prevented with some regular hand care and regular application of a good hand cream. The skin on the back of our hands can definitely benefit from some TLC and the regular application of hand cream, both for moisture and protection, can have a significant anti-ageing affect on our hands.

Hand Creams to Moisturise

Dry skin on the hands can make them look much older than they really are. Keeping your hands moisturised is the most effective anti ageing treatment you can apply. Make sure that you choose a cream especially designed for the skin on your hands and not just any body lotion.

There is now a wide variety of hand creams and lotions designed to tackle specific issues, although most good moisturisers will contain shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba, aloe and other natural ingredients which promote hydration, as well as anti-oxidants like Vitamin E and other natural extracts. Apply your hand cream just before bedtime, so that the cream can condition your hands while you sleep and for an extra-intensive treatment, consider wearing gloves to bed after applying the cream, to help seal the moisture in.

In some cases, if your hands are showing advanced signs of ageing, you may like to consider using hand creams which contain the same retinol (vitamin A) products that you might use on your face as an anti ageing treatment. Retinol has been shown to rebuild collagen and reduce age spots. However, it is also known to cause skin thinning and irritation, as well as increased sensitivity to UV light so apply with care.

In addition to moisturising, it is a good idea to gently exfoliate your hands every so often as removing the top layer of dead skin cells can help reveal younger looking skin, reduce the appearance of age spots and also enable the skin to better absorb any hand care products.

Hand Creams to Protect

As important as moisturising your hands is protecting them. Like the skin on your face, sun damage can cause significant ageing to your hands so it is vital to include them in your sun protection regime. Apply sunscreen to your hands when you’re applying it to your face and the rest of your body, especially if you’re planning to be outdoors for any length of time.

Don’t forget the times when you are driving and your hands could be exposed to UV radiation while resting on the steering wheel on a daily basis. Buying a hand cream with a combined waterproof SPF can help greatly in keeping your hands moisturized and protected at the same time.

Other Tips for Younger Looking Hands

Aside from protecting your hands from the sun, it also pays to protect them from the elements and from harsh household chemicals. The wind and dry outdoor air can strip moisture from your hands, so always wear protective hand cream when spending time outdoors – ideally one high in humectants, like shea butter and glycerin, which form a protective barrier on the skin to help retain moisture - and also gloves if possible.

Household chemicals, such as cleaners, can also dry hands so it is a good idea to always wear gloves when doing general cleaning and washing up. In fact, applying a rich hand cream just before putting on the gloves means that your hands can get an extra-beneficial conditioning treatment while you’re completing the household chores!