Even after I started doing my best to take really good care of my skin {thank you to my 30th birthday for making me realize I am not getting any younger}, and especially taking focus on the care of my nails, I didn’t initially see the point in using a hand cream. I thought, “IF applying moisturizer to my hands {because, I’ll be real with you, I didn’t make a point to do it much at first}, can’t I just use any ol’ lotion?”
However, after using a moisturizer specifically for my hands, and seeing what a difference it really does make, I am not sure I will ever be able to go back to using just any ol’ lotion on my hands. Plus, I now see the benefit of using a hand cream, multiple times throughout the day, to ensure that my skin is properly cared for. I can tell, very clearly, when I haven’t used a hand cream in a while as my hands begin to feel dry.
The type of skin your hands have
Did you know that the skin on your hands is one of the first places you will show signs of aging?
Take a look at the skin on the back of your hand. It is literally some of the thinnest, most fragile skin and one of the first places you will get wrinkles. There are also very few sebaceous glands on the back of your hands meaning it can dry out much more easily than other skin.
Now look at the skin on the palm of your hand. As you can probably see, it is decidedly different than the skin on the back of your hand. Your palms are offered a bit more protection with thicker skin, but this means that it is much more difficult for a moisturizer to penetrate.
Things that are impacting your hands
Just in general, the skin on your hands is much more exposed to the environment than other parts of your body.
Every day tasks, even something as simple as washing dishes, really adds to the damage that can be done. In the case of washing dishes, the continued exposure to water is actually drying your skin on top of the chemicals that can be found in most dish cleaning solutions.
And do not even get me started on the sun and chemicals that your hands are exposed to much more frequently than say, your legs.
The type of moisturizer that is best for your hands
You want a moisturizer that is chock full of beneficial nutrients to help keep the top of your hands from beginning to show the signs of aging, but you also want the moisturizer to be rich and thick enough so that it has the ability to properly moisturize the palms of your hands.
During the day, I would suggest finding a hand cream that has SPF and sinks into the skin quickly as you should apply moisturizer to your hands multiple times per day {and if the moisturizer doesn’t sink in quickly, you’ll end up trying to do things with slick hands…and that is no bueno, my friends}.
At night you can probably better afford the time to apply a moisturizer that may not sink in as fast, therefore this is when I would suggest applying a hand cream that is meant for anti-aging and deep moisturizing treatment.
Take it even one step further by putting on a soft pair of gloves after you apply your night time cream and leave them on for 15 minutes. This will give your hand moisturizer time to sink in without being rubbed off. I bought a simple pair of fuzzy mittens from the Dollar Tree to use for this. I was literally shocked at how soft my hands felt after using this glove technique!
Ingredients you should seek out in your hand cream
Ingredients such as Vitamin E, Shea Butter, essential oils, and glycerin will all be added moisturizing benefits. Look for ingredients such as antioxidants, biotin, and alpha hydroxy acids to help boost collagen {and therefore plump your skin} as all these have anti-aging properties and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles or dark spots.
So, go ahead, get yourself a dedicated hand cream and give your hands the care they deserve. Adding one product to your daily skin care routine can literally make a world of difference!
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