Tips for Youthful Hands

They say that one way of really telling a woman’s age is by looking at her hands. While your face and neck get meticulous cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection—in addition to treatments like peels and microdermabrasion—the hands are often forgotten when it comes to skin care. And constant washing, sun exposure and dryness make the hands your real age giveaway.

Luckily, if you start treating your hands the way you do your face, you can reverse time and reveal hands as youthful as you feel. Here’s what to do:

1. Moisturize. And moisturize multiple times a day. The skin on your hands is some of the driest skin on your body. Though moisturizing won’t get rid of wrinkles, it will soften your hands, making them look younger. Slather on the hand cream in the morning, evening and after washing your hands.
2. Protect. The same way you carefully apply sunblock to your face and neck on a daily basis, do the same for your hands. Apply SPF 30 or higher to the backs of your hands and forearms, and reapply after you wash your hands. These areas get more incidental sun exposure (like when you’re driving) than any others.
3. Prevent and Repair. To prevent wrinkles and thinning of the skin on your hands, do the same as you would for your face: apply a retinoid to even out skin tone and stimulate collagen production. If you’re already seeing signs of aging hands, antioxidant serums that contain high levels of Vitamin C will smooth hands. Apply the retinoid at night and the Vitamin C serum in the morning, after washing your hands. Don’t forget to follow up with sun block in the morning.

Follow these tips for baby soft (and baby smooth!) hands.