It’s no secret that your hands and neck age the fastest of any other part of your skin. However even with knowing this information many people (including me) still don’t pay enough attention to our hand care as we should be. But you can hardly blame us, facial skincare is talked about so much that other forms of skincare get neglected. Not only do they age faster and easier our hands are also exposed to the same elements as our face but with less care and protection. Luckily it’s not too late to start taking care of your hands (no matter how old you are).
Even though we may not hear about it as much there are many different hand care products and routines to help keep your hand in tip top shape.
- Try a DIY hand mask
Masks have become super popular not just face masks but also hand masks. To make a DIY hand mask all you need is 1 avocado (ripe), 2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then put all your ingredients into a blender and blend it until it’s smooth. After you apply it to your hands you can put your hands into plastic bags or gloves to preserve the moisture better. After 10-20 minutes you can take your hands out of the bag and wash off the mask.
- Use cuticle moisturizers instead of cuticle cutters
Cutting cuticles may seem like a good idea for pretty hands but it can actually make cuticles more rough and jagged. Since the cuticle is basically the root of the nail it’s super important to care for your cuticles. Instead of trying cuticles cutters try using creams or moisturizers instead. Cuticle creams lock in moisturizer and combat dryness by acting as a barrier. Some of our favorite ingredients to look for in creams are jojoba oil and vitamin E.
- Always wear SPF
SPF is a must in everyone’s face care routine but the same goes for hand care. Our hands are super prone to sun damage and aging. Not to mention our hands are almost always exposed to the sun for example when we’re driving. It’s important not only to apple SPF in the morning but also reapplying during the day is important especially if you’re doing something where your hands will be exposed a lot.
- Use daily moisturizers
Moisturizers are super important for achieving smooth and moisturized skin. Especially during winter it’s super important that you keep your hands moisturized. Not only are dry hands unappealing but they can also allow bacteria and germs to get inside your body. It’s best to apply hand cream after washing, sanitizing your hands or anytime your hands are feeling dry.
- Invest in a nicer soap
As you may assume a higher quality soap is better for your hands. Better ingredients cause less drying and more effective soap. It’s also important to moisturize your hands after washing them to make up for any natural oils stripped from the water and hand soap.
- Exfoliate your hands
You’ve probably heard of exfoliation for your face but you can also do it on your hands. Just like your face dry skin can build up and clog the pores on your hands. How you want to exfoliate your hands is completely up to you. First of all you could use a dry brush. Dry brushing has been shown effective to not only exfoliate the skin. Dry brushing improves blood circulation and cell regeneration which promotes detoxification. Detoxification can cause smoother skin, less fat/cellulite and reduce toxins in the skin.
Another way to exfoliate your hands is by a mechanical exfoliation product or a scrub. While we don’t recommend chemical exfoliation on your face it is much better on your hands because the skin is a lot less delicate. The last way is by using chemical exfoliation which is what we recommend for the face but it also works on the hands. Ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are really good for this.
- Use a hand sanitizer that uses moisturizer
Hand sanitizers are one of the many things that are great at drying out our hands. While hand sanitizers are hard to avoid because they are so important for our health (especially during covid) the best thing you can do is find a hand sanitizer that has moisturizing ingredients so it’s less drying on your skin.
- Try essential oils
Essential oils are super effective in many different aspects. They are super helpful for regenerating skin cells and balancing skin. Whether you want to diffuse them into the air using an essential oil diffuser or use them directly on your skin the benefits are super powerful. It is important however to always dilute essential oils if you’re using them directly on your skin.
- Use a skincare friendly diet
Diet is super important when it comes to skincare even more than you may think. Not only does eating healthy help your skin to glow from the inside out but it can also help improve nail growth. Eating healthy helps nails to stay strong and healthy while also producing more cell growth in our nails.
Some of the best foods for your skin include
- Carrots
- Leafy greens
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Nuts
- Salmon and fatty fish
- Beans, lentils and peas
Some of the best foods for your nails include
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Leafy greens
- Whole grains
- Fruits and berries
- Avocadoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Always use gloves when washing dishes
Unfortunately washing dishes is a daily task for most people. Even more unfortunately it can have a negative effect on our skin and nails. That much exposure to water can cause your skin to be dry and cracked and your nails to be frail and brittle. But wearing rubber gloves is the simple solution to this problem as it block the water from your skin and nails.