We take such great care not to let our age or stress show on our faces — from trying 10-step Korean skincare routines to using the best products in the market. Unfortunately, we often neglect caring for a body part that can give away our secrets: our hands.
It doesn’t matter whether our work has us indoors most of the time or outdoors. Dry, wrinkly, or old-looking hands can make us appear “wiser” than our age.
Don’t worry, though. With a few simple additions to your everyday routine, you could have hands as beautiful as any hand model’s.
Keep Calm and Moisturize
Frequent washing and using rubbing alcohol can suck up all the moisture in your hands. A tiny amount of rich moisturizer does wonders for chafed or cracked skin. It locks in moisture and helps diminish the appearance of wrinkles, too.
Make a habit of keeping a small bottle or tube of hand lotion in your bag, so you can moisturize wherever you go. For the best moisturizing effects, choose creams with dermatologist-recommended ingredients, such as shea butter, jojoba oil, or hyaluronic acid.
The Hand and Nail Perfection Cream from Origani’s Total Care Kit for Nails and Hands, for example, contains shea butter and other moisturizing ingredients like argan oil and avocado oil. The kit’s Body Nourishing Cuticle Oil, meanwhile, has jojoba oil to keep your cuticles hydrated and healthy.
Cuticle Care 101
Moisturizing your cuticles with oil or cream helps prevent cracking, which, in turn, helps protect your nails. If you’re used to cutting (or picking on) your cuticles, stop right now! Your cuticles protect your hands and nails from possible infections. Dermatologists actually recommend not trimming your cuticles to avoid hangnails and bacteria from entering your body.
If you’re used to wearing nail polish, push your cuticles back gently instead of cutting it to make your manicure look nicer.
Sunscreen is a Must
You all know how important sunscreen is to anyone’s daily skin care regimen. (And if you don’t, well, it’s not too late to educate yourself.) It should come as no surprise that your hands need some SPF, too.
Sunscreen is your all-around defense against the signs of aging. Too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays is one of the culprits behind premature signs of aging, in fact. Sun spots or liver spots are one of the obvious giveaways of your age, so make sure to apply a generous amount of sunscreen on the backs of your hands to help prevent its early appearance.
You don’t even have to buy a special sunscreen for your hands. Just spread the remaining product you use for your face onto your hands, and you’re good to go.
Treat Yourself
There are a lot of easy DIY treatments for soft and smooth hands. Pro tip: If you’re using a facial scrub, use the excess product to exfoliate your hands, as well.
Still, it’s hard to beat getting pampered at a nail spa, especially when you’re too tired to even lift a finger. Remember to treat yourself to a professional manicure (with a matching hand massage) every once in a while. You deserve it after working so hard.
Like any beauty routine, hand care doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is to understand the basics, discover what works well for you, and keep doing it for consistent results.