Noticing lines, wrinkles, or dark spots appearing on your hands?

Or maybe the skin on your hands just isn’t quite as tight as you would like…

This is surprisingly common, and there’s a good reason for it. In addition to having to deal with the general effects that aging has on the skin, your hands also experience more wear and tear than any other part of your body. This can start to become visible frustratingly early in life, but an anti-aging routine dedicated to your hands is something that could help.

Aging Hands

The hands are often a giveaway when it comes to a person’s true age.

Ever wondered why this is?

Well, while the skin on the palms of your hands may be thick and well-padded, the skin on the backs of your hands is quite different. Here, the skin is noticeably thinner, and has a lack of fatty tissue.

The fact that there is very little hair on the backs of the hands also points to a lack of sebaceous glands. These glands produce the sebum that helps to keep the skin moisturized, meaning that, without it, the skin becomes drier much faster.

If all of that wasn’t enough, the pH of the skin on your hands is also quite different to the skin everywhere else on your body. Your hands are more alkaline, which can be a problem since the natural acidity experienced everywhere else on your skin offers up a form of protection. The alkaline nature of the hands compromises the skin’s natural protective barrier, leaving the hands looking dry and dehydrated.

With the skin on the hands being so vulnerable, it isn’t surprising that the first visible signs of aging are usually spotted in this area. The skin here isn’t able to properly defend itself against all of the environmental causes of aging, and the added dryness means that lines and wrinkles become so much more noticeable.

Hand Washing

With the Coronavirus pandemic still being rife in many areas, hand washing multiple times a day has become the norm. While this may be a great way to protect yourself and others from the virus, it isn’t doing the skin on your hands any favors…

Washing your hands actually causes the skin here to dry out even further. When those water molecules evaporate off your skin, they take some of your skin’s natural moisturizing oils with them, leaving your skin drier than before.

The fact that your hands are also constantly being exposed to harsh cleansers, along with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, doesn’t help with protecting the skin in this area either. Many of those ingredients, especially alcohol, are known for their drying effect.

What can you do about this?

Even if you don’t want to put together an anti-aging routine for your hands, it is still so important to moisturize every single time you wash your hands.

Try applying your moisturizer while your hands are still damp – this ensures that all of those extra molecules are then locked down beneath the layer of moisturizer, forcing them deeper into your skin rather than allowing them to evaporate into the air.

You should also avoid washing your hands with hot water. This will strip away those natural oils even more – opt for lukewarm as much as possible.

How to Put Together an Anti-Aging Hand Routine

While slathering on some moisturizer each time you wash your hands will help to counter the dryness to a certain extent, it’s not going to have a noticeable effect on any fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and sagging skin.

In order to deal with these, you need the right products and the right ingredients.

Start with a Gentle Cleanser

You may already be washing your hands multiple times a day, but pick a milder, gentler cleanser to use when carrying out an anti-aging routine.

Dedicated cleansers for the skin on the hands don’t really exist, but a facial cleanser that’s been designed for use on sensitive skin work just as well. Look for one that contains humectants – these are ingredients that absorb moisture from the air, helping to keep the skin hydrated and soft.

Exfoliate Your Hands 1-2 Times a Week

You may already treat your hands to a quick exfoliation when doing your face or body, but it’s time to make sure that every inch of skin on your hands has been taken care of.

Although you may be regularly washing your hands, this doesn’t do much to remove the dead skin cells that build up on the surface of the skin. It’s those skin cells that give the skin a rough and dull appearance.

Most recommendations out there call for a physical exfoliant to be used on the hands.

However, just like when it comes to the delicate skin on the face, a chemical exfoliant is actually much gentler. Look for one with a gentle alpha hydroxy acid, such as mandelic acid, which is derived from apples, and use it in the same way you would on your face.

Use a Dark Spot Treatment on Your Hands

If you’ve noticed dark spots starting to appear on the skin on the backs of your hands, now is the time to do something about these.

What causes dark spots on the hands?

They are due to sun damage, with this having accumulated over time. This makes sense when it comes to the hands – they’re often exposed to the sun throughout the year, without frequent applications of SPF to protect them.

How do you fade dark spots on your hands?

There are a few ingredients out there that have been proven to be effective when it comes to lightening areas of excess pigmentation. These are:

• Retinoids
• Vitamin C (in the form of ascorbic acid)
• Azelaic acid
• Licorice extracts
• Kojic acid
• Niacinamide
• Soy

Look for a serum that contains one or more of these ingredients in a high concentration. Serums are one of the best ways to deliver ingredients deep into your skin, due to their thin and lightweight consistency.

Apply a Hydrating Serum to Your Hands

Chances are that when applying a serum to your face, you try to get as much of it as possible on your actual face, not wanting to waste any on your hands.

Well, your hands deserve some of that TLC too…

Most hands that are displaying the visible signs of aging could do with some extra hydration. This means a serum containing humectants and rich plant oils would be really beneficial.

The 24K Rose Gold Age Glow Duo would be ideal – it is formulated with multiple humectants and plant extracts, along with a hefty dose of rose hip seed extract, an ingredient known for its hydrating and moisturizing properties.

Finish Off with a Hand Cream

Hydrating serums are great for giving the skin an added boost of moisture, but to really keep those hands feeling nourished, you need a good moisturizer.

While your facial moisturizer would likely work well on your hands, you may find that this leaves your hands feeling too sticky or greasy. Many prefer to go with a lighter formula for their hands, which makes the 24K Classic Hand and Body Cream perfect. It’s silky, non-greasy, and will leave those hands looking beautifully conditioned.

If you really want to enhance the feeling of moisture…

Try applying your hand cream right before going to bed, and then wearing a thin pair of cotton gloves. This increases product absorption – when you wake up, your hands will feel softer and smoother than ever!

Treat Your Hands to a Mask

Ever used a hand mask before?

If not, now is the time to start.

The concept is the same as a face mask – a hand mask is designed to be a deep treatment for the hands, providing a strong dose of vitamins and antioxidants to enhance long-term skin health.

Look for a mask that contains some of the brightening ingredients mentioned above, along with vitamins and botanical extracts and oils. A good mask to start with would be the 24K Multi-Vitamin Hand Mask. Some of its standout ingredients include:

• Vitamins A and E
• Plant oils (jojoba and sunflower)
• DMAE
• Plant extracts (ginkgo biloba, ivy leaf/stem, aloe leaf, birch bark, and sage leaf)
• Dead Sea mud

Simply apply it to your hands, leave it on for 15 minutes, and then rinse off.

Don’t Forget the SPF!

Most people choose to carry out a hand care routine at night, but this means that SPF during the day is often forgotten.

However, the sun is responsible for the majority of the lines and dark spots you see appearing on your hands. There is no point putting the effort into reducing these if you’re going to allow the sun to continue worsening them, making sunscreen a must.

SPF is something that you should be using on exposed skin throughout the year, even in the winter.

If you find that sunscreens tend to leave your hands feeling greasy for a little while afterwards, look into SPF powders instead. These can be quickly brushed on for a few hours of sun protection.

Your Cuticles May Need Some Attention Too

Neglected cuticles can make your hands look much older than they really are, making it worth spending a little bit of time focusing on those cuticles.

This doesn’t need to take long – a simple cuticle oil will instantly hydrate your skin, making your cuticles look so much healthier.

Go the Extra Mile with a Hand Massage

Hand massages are more to ease the tendons and muscles in the hands, relieving any pain. However, a massage of any sort also boosts skin circulation in that area, which means brighter and more vibrant skin.

A hand massage will also:

• Relieve anxiety
• Reduce pain
• Improve your mood
• Increase your quality of sleep
• Give your grip more strength

There are many different hand massage techniques out there – start with something simple and then have a look at more complex routines. Ideally, you should be massaging your hands for about 15 minutes a day for best results. The perfect time to do this is during your anti-aging hand routine – your serums and creams will make that massage feel even better!

Stay Hydrated from Within

One last thing to remember…

Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water!

When your body is dehydrated, this quickly shows up in your skin. You will notice a general dullness, dryness, and lack of elasticity. This will accelerate your skin’s overall aging process, meaning that you should be trying to keep your body as hydrated as possible in order to keep aging at bay.

If you prefer drinks with a little more flavor, try fruit-infused waters – ones that you make yourself rather than the prepackaged versions filled with artificial sweeteners. Avoid making fruit juices your main drink of choice, as these are packed with sugars that will end up doing more harm than good to your skin.

Tea is another good alternative, especially if you opt for a green or herbal tea. These will contain added antioxidants that will help to counter your skin’s aging process.

There are also plenty of water-rich foods out there. Many don’t realize that these can have a significant effect on body hydration levels. A few hydrating foods to incorporate into your diet include:

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Melons
• Brussel sprouts
• Oranges
• Apples

Again, these will also contain additional nutrients that will do your skin so much good!

Nobody wants their hands to look old before their time, making it important to put the effort into hand care before it is too late. An anti-aging hand routine may not have been something that you would have previously considered, but it can really go a long way in terms of keeping your hands looking youthful.