We spend a pretty decent amount of time and money preserving, correcting, beautifying and protecting the skin on our faces. This is often in attempt, as we mature, to hide or conceal that very fact that we are aging. We cleanse, we tone, we pluck, we exfoliate, we moisturize; we even peel layers of dead skin off like reptiles and shoot lasers at our faces in an attempt to maintain that dewy 20-something-year-old looking glow.
But, is that what people actually notice first when we meet? Or, is there another area of our body, oftentimes neglected, letting the cat out of the bag first without us even knowing?
Unfortunately, the answer is almost always, yes. Think about it. When you meet someone new, what do you do? You reach out your hand, and shake theirs, to introduce yourself. Or, do you often glance at someone’s hand to see if they are wearing a ring, or notice watches or jewelry?
Yes, everyone does it, and because of that, these overused underrated parts of your body are really giving your age away to everyone without your consent.
Look at your hands. Notice how much thinner the skin on your hands is than on other parts of your body. There’s really no comparison. Those two hands are busy all day completing tasks for you without much thought or recognition from you ever.
Whether it is sending emails, answering calls, cooking dinner, bathing the kids--the list could go on forever. And, living in the time of a pandemic, you are undoubtedly washing and applying hand sanitizer to your hands, which by the way, drastically dries out your skin, making them look older than you really are, over and over again, throughout the day.
That is why it is time to launch the no hands left unmoisturized campaign, and start caring for these tools we could not get by without but pay so little attention to when it comes to skin care. It is time to start moisturizing and hydrating this area of our bodies, and to do that properly you need a product with the right ingredients.
Read on for the five must have ingredients to look for when shopping for your next hand cream.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil, harvested from the meat of the coconut palm, is a popular super ingredient in many skin care products. It is packed with fatty acids, antioxidants, and Vitamins like A and E, which make it a great ingredient to use when trying to add moisture to your skin, hair, and even nails. Your skin will undoubtedly stay soft and smooth because of this super antioxidant ingredient.
Fatty acids help maintain the skin’s natural oil barrier, and are responsible for keeping the skin hydrated, and giving you a younger more buxom glow. An added bonus of using coconut oil on the hands is that it can also help repair dry and cracked cuticles. When applying your hand cream, rub a little extra into the base of the nail onto the cuticles as a treatment.
Argan Oil
Argan Oil has been used for centuries as a way to moisturize and replenish hair, skin and nails. It has been known to help keep your skin looking younger with its deeply nourishing properties. That is especially important when it comes to the thin skin on your hands. It is also a powerful skin health booster because it is composed of many vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, like Vitamin E.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant when used in skin care products that is easily absorbed by the skin. It helps to reduce the appearance of damage caused by UV rays from the sun. Vitamin E also nourishes the skin and protects it from environmental stressors. The Vitamin E contained in Argan Oil also helps prevent nails and cuticles from appearing discolored and breaking.
Argan oil is a great additive in hand cream because of how effective it is at restoring the firmness and resonance of the hands. It is sometimes called “liquid gold” and nature’s “superfood'' because of its natural ability to moisturize dry skin on the body and hands due to its high volume of fatty acids.
Rosehip Oil
When the petals fall off the rose bush, small fruits are left behind. Those small fruits are then harvested and pressed and an oil is extracted. That oil is known as rosehip oil, and can be used by itself or added to different skin care products, such as a hand moisturizing cream.
Rosehip oil has long been known for its vast beneficial properties, especially in the area of skin care and repair. That is perhaps because it is packed with soothing nutrients and powerful antioxidants like Vitamin E, A, C, F, and fatty acids like omega 6 and 9. It also contains the carotenoids lycopene and beta-carotene, which naturally promote skin health, and trans-retinoic acid, or tretinoin, which is a derivative of vitamin A.
Rosehip oil also contains a high volume of Vitamin C, which plays an important role in boosting your skin's complexion, meaning a more youthful appearance, which in turn means younger looking hands.
The fatty acids in rosehip oil do many things like keep skin moisturized and help keep the thin skin on the hands plump and soft resulting in a more filled out appearance. The linoleic and oleic acids contained in rosehip oil can increase the skin's permeability, and act as natural skin barriers and help hold onto water and keep skin moisturized. Lastly, the trans retinoic acid in the oil will help to reduce the appearance of sun damage, and also boost firmness. Rosehip oil can also be used to help dry and cracked cuticles and help strengthen nail beds.
It is great when combined with other antioxidants in skin care products or used individually as an oil on dry or damaged skin. It absorbs quickly and does not leave behind a greasy residue. It works naturally and does not usually produce any irritation on sensitive, dry or even oily skin.
Pomegranate
Ok, this might surprise you but pomegranates are way more impressive than just being a fun and healthy snack. Pomegranates are definitely known for being a super food because of the high concentration of vitamins, like vitamin C, and other antioxidants contained within the seeds, so it makes sense that they would not only benefit the insides of our bodies, but also would provide tremendous gifts to the biggest organ on the outside which is of course our skin. When used in a hand cream there is nothing better to aid in the moisturizing of dry and cracked skin, and so much more.
The Vitamin C and antioxidants in pomegranates can help your hands in many ways. One important effect it can have is that it can drastically reduces the appearance of dark spots. Nothing shows our age more than dark spots. The polyphenols, which are micronutrients, aid in this process by reducing the appearance of unwanted pigmentation, wrinkles and photoaging caused by sun damage. The antioxidants found in the seeds of the pomegranate are also said to have the ability to ultimately keep skin looking tighter and firmer.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is made from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis plant. The oil acts as an occlusive agent locking in moisture on the skin, and can help to naturally soothe and calm dry and irritated skin, as well as reduce the appearance of redness and dark spots on sun damaged skin. Jojoba oil is non-comedogenic and will not clog your pores like some other occlusive oils.
JoJoba oil also contains many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as some fatty acids. It is known to actually mimic the sebum, the natural oily substance found on our skin, which gives it the distinct ability to penetrate below the top layer of our skin called the dermis. This helps it provide a deeper layer of moisture to the skin. It can also be used to treat dry and cracked cuticles.
Picking the Right Hand Cream
Now, you have just read a ton of information about five preferable botanical and all natural ingredients that will both smooth and nourish dry, cracked, prematurely aging hands.
If you can only find a cream that has two or three of the ingredients, that’s ok. You can always add an individual oil separately. Rosehip oil, for example, is available from companies like goPure and can be used to supplement a cream that's missing the ingredient. You can also purchase a vial of organic Argan Oil to add to your hand care routine. You can take the same approach for whichever ingredient is missing in the hand cream you choose (though we do offer a hand cream with most of the above nourishing ingredients!).
Read the ingredients label and always consider staying away from products that use any toxins, chemicals, or artificial fragrances or colors in their ingredients list. Always avoid products containing parabens, which are basically just chemicals that broaden the shelf life of individual products. Do not buy creams containing phthalates, which are also chemicals, that change the pliability of elastics used in some beauty products. Stay away from any unneeded fillers or unnecessary additives, too. Why put toxins on your skin when you don’t have to?
Hand Masks to Help Boost Hydration
Rub a dollop of plain coconut oil onto your hands and nails, and then wrap them in a small heated towel. Let your hands sit like this for five to ten minutes, and then wipe off any remaining oil, but avoid washing your hands with soap. Your hands will feel soft and smooth after this treatment.
Try an at-home intensive hydration mask by applying hand cream, and then wearing gloves or putting plastic bags over your hands. Wear them for as long as you like, or sleep with them on to wake with extremely hydrated hands!
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Hopefully, this information has answered any questions you had, and opened your eyes to what kind of ingredients you should be looking for in moisturizing products like hand creams. Always look for ingredients you can find in nature and stay away from harmful chemicals. Start taking care of your hands, and make it a part of your everyday skin care routine.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-839/rose-hip
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/vitamin-c-serum-benefits
https://www.codeeight.com/blog/diy-hand-masks-to-make-at-home