Hands are constantly exposed to external aggressions and should be treated with the same care as the face and the rest of the body.

As we age, we lose fat, in our hands too. The collagen and elastin production decreases and our hand’s skin loses elasticity. The use of harsh detergents or liquid shops not only contributes to the loss of moisture and lipids and harms the skin but also may give rise to dermatological issues.

Hands liquid soaps contain surfactants, chemical or natural compounds that eliminate dirt and oils from the skin. The natural ones are generally gentler to the skin. However, a liquid soap tends to dehydrate them.

Environmental factors such as wind, cold, heat, sun may lead to dry and irritated skin.

Exposure to chemicals such as detergents can cause skin irritation and dehydration.

Our hands dry out and age faster. Cracked hands’ skin is prone to infections and needs to be repaired .

What you should do

Moisturize and nourish your hands with a hand cream every single time you wash them. The formulation of a hand cream is generally thicker than a face cream and contains emollients. They are easily absorbed unless you use a big quantity (as I often do). A good hand cream needs to contain natural oils rich in fatty acids, ceramides and emollients. This step is essential if you want to protect the skin barrier.

Exfoliate your hands. You may use a commercial hand scrub or homemade scrub that consists of brown sugar and oil. I usually make one with brown sugar, ghee butter and cold pressed almond oil. Do not exfoliate if your hands are irritated or cracked. They need to be damp and your motions gentle.

You may apply the active ingredients, Vitamin C for instance , to your hands. However, if your hands are cracked, you should avoid any active substance that could further irritate and dehydrated them.

Apply sunscreen to your hands as you do for the rest of your body or your face. The same rule applies in case that you regularly do semi-permanent manicure cured with UV or LED lamp. Those lamps can cause severe damage and premature aging of the hands.

Apply a hand cream formulated to address dark spots. Dark spots need patience, persistence and regularity in the use of the product.

Wear rubber cleaning gloves whenever you clean the house. I always do it to protect my hands from the harsh cleaning detergents.

If it is cold outside, use gloves but don’t skip the cream.

If your hands are cracked, apply a repairing cream especially before going to bed. This is the best time of the day to leave the cream to work. I usually apply a repairing cream even if my hands are not irritated or chapped.

Replace the liquid soap with a bar soap. I often purchase Marseille soap (Savon De Marseille in French), a traditional French soap that you probably know. I also use a donkey milk bar soap.

Sometimes I use pure cocoa and shea butter (I always have at home, I apply them on my body) mixed with organic cold pressed almond oil. It does wonders for my hands!

The moisturising and healing ingredients a hand cream needs to have (probably not all of them)

Glycerine, shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter), lanolin, urea , vitamin, almond oil ,allantoin ,beeswax, ceramides.

The bottom line:  taking care of your hands is of primary importance. It is not only a matter of good skin health but of a good impression too. Moisturized and nourished hands maintain skin elasticity, they are protected from the environmental aggressors and show less signs of aging.

Special thanks to pexels.com for the free photos download as well as to the creator of this specific photo.