Your Hands Are Aging—Here's What You Should Do ASAP

There are certain areas of our bodies that are more susceptible to visible signs of aging than others—and believe it or not, one of those spots is our hands. That’s right, your hands are a dead giveaway! Especially since the year 2020, where Covid had us doing tons of hand washing and using sanitizer galore, it’s no wonder that our hands are dry, cracking, and aging as a result. 

For me, I’ve noticed that washing my hands so much has made my hands look older. While hand washing is obviously necessary, this is an unexpected side effect that I don’t love. Just as we care for our faces every day and use specific products to address skin concerns, we must pay attention to the skin on our hands. Aside from regularly cleaning them with soft soap (aka nothing too harsh), we must also make sure to moisturize them, protect them from the sun, and repair damage that’s already been done to them. 

Luckily, there’s an easy way to accomplish all of these goals and combat hand aging… hand cream! I’m not talking about just any hand cream, though—there are specific ones that fight off aging better than others. Not to worry, I have tried tons and narrowed down my favorites to a list of five all-around amazing hand creams.

1. Retinol Anti-Aging Hand Cream

Retinol is a powerhouse anti-aging ingredient that accelerates the turnover of old cells and promotes the generation of new, younger cells. We typically find retinol in facial skincare products, but its power holds true for our hands, nails, and cuticles. This hand cream will help reduce fine lines and wrinkles on your hands—thanks to other rockstar ingredients like vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, and green tea—while also evening out your skin’s texture. It’s a must-buy for anyone with aging hands. 

2. Vaseline Clinical Care Dark Spot Rescue Moisturizing Hand Cream

Next up: My favorite drugstore hand cream for dark spots and age spots. I have tried a LOT of dark spot creams in the past, but none of them have been as effective as this one. Vaseline’s Dark Spot Rescue Hand Cream makes the skin on my hands look plumper, more supple, and super soft. Like any product, you’ll get the best results with consistent use, but at this price point, I don’t shy away from applying it all the time! Plus, it’s suitable for sensitive skin. 

3. Salcoll Collagen Anti-Aging Repair Hypoallergenic Hand Cream

If you’ve been following the PJW blog for a while, you know how much I love collagen. I think we should ALL be using it for anti-aging, whether that’s as a supplement, powder, or in a product. Spoiler: This hand cream is an easy way to add more collagen to your skincare routine. Perfect for dry, chapped, and/or wrinkled skin, this cream boosts skin regeneration and gives your skin the nourishment it needs to repair itself. I like using this cream before bed so my hands have all night to soak up the formula and focus on healing. The price point is a bit higher because the ingredients are potent, but you don’t need much of the product to see results!

4. CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream

Much of the time, signs of aging on our skin are due to a lack of moisture. While yes, most lotions and hand creams will give you moisture, those with very dry skin or rapidly aging skin are going to need something stronger to restore hydration to their skin's natural barrier. That's where this CeraVe cream comes in. Packed with ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone (a skin protectant), this hand cream effectively hydrates and softens even the most sensitive skin. Not to mention, it's fragrance free, so it contains zero drying or irritating ingredients and will keep your skin soothed and supple all day long.

5. Aveeno Repairing Cica Hand Mask With Prebiotic Oat & Shea Butter

We use hair masks and face masks all the time… so why aren't hand masks more of a thing?! This is one of my favorite products ever, and let me tell you, the results are stellar. The way you use this "mask" is by putting on gloves that have the Aveeno product in them, wearing the gloves, and then taking them off and rubbing in any leftover product. If you've ever gotten a manicure or pedicure and had gloves or boots put on you, it's a similar experience. This mask is incredibly hydrating, and it's a fun self-care activity to do while you watch a show or wind down for bed.

At the end of the day, aging is completely normal and should be celebrated. I mean, how lucky are we to have more years on this Earth and the opportunity to live? Aging isn't something we should take for granted. That said, skincare IS self-care, and taking time to care for your skin (including your hands) is guaranteed to make you feel better. A healthy lifestyle isn't just about eating well and working out—skincare, self-care, and mental health maintenance are all part of the equation. 

I hope you'll give these products a try and let me know what you think. If you found this blog post helpful, I hope you’ll consider joining The Pure Joy Squad—my membership-based community of women over 50! Squad Members get to see EVERY piece of content I put out, plus they get exclusive access to me and our PJW experts (think dermatologists, psychologists, sex experts, menopause doctors, and more)!

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Own your age,

Renata