How To: Maintain Youthful Hands
How To: Maintain Youthful Hands. Best advice from professionals on what to do and what to use.
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When it comes to the hands, most people don’t realize that they need just as much care and attention as the face. We do everything with our hands; we wash them regularly; we peel potatoes and cook with them, we brush our hair with them; we greet people; change diapers with the same hands. If you look at it, there are very few activities that do not involve hands. Even when they are not directly involved, the hands still seem to play a role.
Have you ever looked at someone’s hands and wondered why they look so awful? Veins here and there, skin drawn, color of the hands seems lifeless. There is a lot that goes on with the hands. By no means am I a doctor. If you have a condition, that is a different story. This post is about healthy skin and hands that do not require special medical treatment. If you would like to learn how to keep your hands looking young for a very long time, then read on.
The Secrets No One Tells You
When it comes to the hands and youthfulness, there is one key component that no one seems to talk about. It is this: once your hands get old, that’s it. There is very little you can do to revive them. You can certainly make them look better, so don’t give up, but to bring back youth – unfortunately when it comes to the hands there is no Botox, plastic surgery, or an elixir of youth.
You cannot do any of that with your hands.
The best way to keep your hands looking young is to take care of them early on.
So here are the secrets that I have learned from the professionals. You would never guess their age just by looking at their hands. Those women truly know what they are talking about.
Basic Break Down
If you set aside any preconceptions you might have and think about it, you realize that there is a lot that goes on with our hands on a daily basis. Here I will break it down for you so that you can start looking through your day and learn to keep your hands in mind. Once you do this a few times, it becomes natural and you won’t think twice the next time you take a few moments to take care of your hands.
1. When you wake up in the morning and brush your teeth, wash your face, take care of your hair, do you think about taking care of your hands? Do you take care of your hands right before you leave the bathroom? If so, do you do it daily?
2. What do you do for your hands throughout the day? For example, what do you do for your hands when you wash the dishes, rinse a cup, while you are cooking, when you go to the bathroom, etc? Do you stop and think about taking care of your hands right afterwards?
3. When you are out in the cold or in the heat of the day and your hands are exposed to the environments, do you do anything to take care of them during and before you expose them to the outdoors? And if so, do you do it on a daily basis?
4. Do you think about the sun hitting your hands/arms the same way you think about your face? Do you protect your hands from the sun?
So What Do You Do and What To Use?
It might seem overwhelming at first, but trust me, it will become second nature by the time you do it a few times. Also, once you prioritize your hands as much as the rest of your body, and know how to care for them it won’t be a challenge.
Let’s go over what you need to know and what to use. We will start from the morning and go throughout the day until the evening so that you have a clear picture of what to do.
1. Morning Hands Care Routine
When you wake up in the morning and take care of the usual business, you are ready for your hands.
NOTE: You are ready to take care of your hands once you no longer have to wash them.
Step One - Sunscreen
Elta MD Skincare UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 Facial Sunscreen is ideal sunscreen. This sunscreen won’t clog the pores. It also contains anti-aging ingredients. This means that you are helping your skin to stay looking young longer when you use this particular sunscreen. I am so glad that my dermatologist recommended this sunscreen to me.
Once you no longer have to wash your hands or do anything else that requires you to wash them, you apply the sunscreen on the back of your hands. This is the same sunscreen I recommend for your face.
NOTE: There is no need to put sunscreen onto the palms of your hands. Just pump some out onto the back of your hands. Then rub the backs of your hands together to spread it around.
Step Two - Hand Cream
Grown Alchemist Hand Cream: Vanilla & Orange Peel is a rich, intensively hydrating hand cream designed for dry, malnourished skin. This cream is excellent for rough skin, cuticles and nails. May be used all over the body as an extra rich body moisturizer.
Ingredients are:
- Grape Seed, Wheatgerm and Rosehip Oil. These are rich in free radical fighting antioxidants leave skin looking smooth and radiant.
- Cold pressed Orange Peel Oil contains powerful antioxidants that leave skin looking supple and toned.
- Rosehip and Camellia Seed Oil noticeably improve skin hydration. And also help to repair the appearance of skin damaged by oxidative stress, noticeably increasing smoothness.
- Polysaccharides from Aloe Vera help the skin appear de-stressed and soothed.
- Vanillin from Vanilla provides uplifting and calming aromatic properties.
- Flavonoids and Omega 3 and 6 from Sea Buckthorn Berry visibly improve skin elasticity and softness.
TIP:
Apply the hand cream only after you have applied sunscreen. Do not apply hand cream first and then the sunscreen because just like with the face, each layer has its application purpose and builds on top of the next. Otherwise, you don’t get the same results.
2. During The Day Hand Care Routine
So you have applied the sunscreen and the hand cream to your hands in the morning. Is that it? Well, that depends. If you don’t wash your hands at all during the day after you put on the sunscreen and the cream, then yes.
Chances are, you will wash your hands when you go to the bathroom next time. Then probably you will wash an apple or something else. Then you might do something else that gets your hands wet.
IMPORTANT: Every time that you wash your hands, or get them under water, you need to reapply the hand cream. Every single time.
You might not realize that your hands get a lot of stress from the chemicals in the soap every time you wash them.
Once your hands get old, there is no plastic surgery to fix that. Start taking care of your hands now.
Also, you might not realize that you wash off that sunscreen whenever you wash your hands next time. If you are indoors and aren’t planning to be going outside, then you can just apply the hand cream next time.
But if you are going to be going outside, driving and your hands are going to be exposed to the sun while you are driving and holding the wheel, etc. then you need to try to apply the sunscreen then the hand cream.
This really is less than two minute process. You might not be used to doing it so it might seem like a lot. But, really, it is very fast and you can do this on the go most of the times.
Usually, we go to the bathroom before we leave a place. You are going to wash your hands afterwards anyways so why not take about a minute to apply the sunscreen and the hand cream onto your hands?
3. Daily Chores Hand Care Routine
I highly recommend that you use these products in your daily house chore routines. Then, after you are done, wash your hands and apply the hand cream to your hands. Consider it to be a part of whatever routine task you are doing.
1. Use These Gloves When Washing The Dishes
When you’re washing the dishes, even if you are just rinsing them to put them into the dish washer, your hands get a lot of exposure to the harsh water and soap. I recommend these gloves. I keep mine hanging on the sink, or if people are coming over, I just hide them below the sink.
These are great because they last me quite a while and are appealing to look at. They are latex free and don’t have powder inside of them so you won’t get that weird powdery residue on your hands after you take them off. They are also extra long so you have less chance of getting the water in them.
Once you are done washing/rinsing the dishes, just wash your hands with water and soap, and apply the hand cream.
Click the picture below to view the gloves.
2. Use These Gloves When You Are Cooking
You might not realize it, but our hands get a lot of water and food exposure. The best way to protect them is by using cooking gloves. I love these. They are great for food, and you just dispose of them once you are done.
These are powder free, so you don’t get that wacky feeling of powder on your hands after you take them off; they are food grade so you are good to go making food with them. They are easy to handle food with and don’t get in the way. I use these every time I cook. Just keep them under the sink or somewhere down there so that they are easy for you to get every time you’re ready to cook.
NOTE: These gloves offer fingertip sensitivity so that you can have full range of motion as if you do not have gloves on. Helps when you are trying to chop up something finely. These are also perfect for handling spicy foods like jalapenos and habaneros.
Once you finish, just apply the hand cream onto your hands.
Click the picture below to view the gloves.
3. Use These Gloves When You Are Cleaning
These are great for cleaning the house. They are attractive, last me a long time, non-slip. They are also powder free inside so you don’t get the powder on your hands after you take them off.
Once you are done cleaning the house, wash your hands, and apply the hand cream onto your hands.
Click the picture below to view the gloves.
4. Evening Hand Care Routine
By the end of the day, your hands are just as worn out from the stress of the day and the external environments are your face. After you are done showering and washing your hands, don’t forget to apply the hand cream.
This time, you can apply it all over the hands and the palms, too, since there is no need for you to keep the palms of your hands free of cream before going to bed.
Let me know what you think! I love to hear from you. Share with family and friends and subscribe to my newsletter to get more tips and personalized advice.
Examples
Below are a few examples from one of the ladies that taught me how to care for my hands. I am not at liberty to reveal her age. She is ageless.
Here is the link for the nail polish you see on the pictures below, or you can click on the nail polish tube picture below.
This is such a wonderful insight , and as i do a lot of diy my hands do take a lot of battering – sadly they are not is as nice condition as yours are , but i try my best to look after them
Hi Pati,
Thank you for your comment. There is no better time to start than now. You can get your hands to a better condition and then keep maintaining them with these products and making sure you wear gloves for anything and everything that you can. Then your hands will stay looking young and well cared for for many years to come.
These are some good tips that might help someone, I’m going to share it. Thank you for writing it, good.
Hello Paolo,
Thank you! I am very glad I could help. Let me know if there are other topics you, guys, would like me to cover and I will do my best.
Thanks for your insight! I had never thought about wearing gloves while cleaning as a way to maintain my healthy hands. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Erin,
Thank you for your comment! I am very glad I could help. Yes, there are many things just don’t think about but they make a big difference in the long run.
Thank you so much for sharing these helpful tip. My hands need these
Hello Armelle,
And thank you for your comment. I am really glad to help. Yes, this is how I keep my hands young and this really works. Silky and smooth hands are possible!
I like to use the gloves. I am allergic to a lot of lotions.
Hi Jenne,
Yes, definitely use the gloves. No sense in making life harder for our hands. I understand. I personally have a very sensitive skin and many products do not work for me. There is really no way to know if you are allergic to these products without trying them. If you would like, I can see if I can get a few free samples for you to try. Can’t guarantee that I will be able to, but it is worth a shot. That way you will see if you are allergic to these or not. I highly doubt it because this is a very clean line and almost medical in its ingredients. Let me know and I will see if I can get some for you. Thank you for your comment!
Great and informative post. I need to share this with my wife as she constantly complains of her hands after much cooking
Hi Matthew,
Oh, yes, this will definitely help. I love to cook, personally, so I can understand your wife firsthand. And if I don’t use the gloves and then don’t apply the products afterwards to rebuild the moisture balance, then my hands let me know right away. Once she has this system down, then it will be really easy to maintain her hands and keep them looking young for many years to come.
Some great tips and advice here – I really should take this on board for 2019, my hands are so dry right now! Here’s to a better, happier, healthier year 🙂 x
Hi Becca,
Thank you! Yes, let’s all go for a better and healthier new year 2019! Let me know if there are any other topics you, guys, would like me to cover and I will see what I can do. I look forward to hearing from you again!
This is some great information. I am constantly battling dry hands and would love to fix it.
Hi Shannon,
Thank you for your comment! I am really glad to help! Yes, it will definitely help with dry hands. Also, once you start paying conscious attention to caring for your hands then you will maintain that balance so that your hands are not only feeling and looking better, but are properly cared for to pay off in the long run as well. Please subscribe, share and like if you enjoy my posts. It really helps me to know that you, guys, want me to keep growing my blogs.