Ever since becoming a mom I’ve become aware of my, well, old hands.
It’s not that my hands are aging faster than I am elsewhere, it’s just that when you have a baby you’re constantly washing your hands (CONSTANTLY), and as a result, drying them out daily. Just like dry skin shows age, so too do dry hands. But no matter the reason, your anti-aging routine should include your entire body. So don’t disregard your hands.
What Causes Your Hands to Look Old and What Can You Do About It?
There are a number of reasons why it looks like you have old hands. Some are within your control and others are not. But at least once you know the reason you can do something about it.
1. Veiny hands
If the veins on your hands seem large and in charge, they can make your hands look older than your years. The blueish tint is likely the most apparent during the winter months when your skin is so pale that they appear even more prominent. The bad news is that you can’t get rid of the veins without having them surgically removed, which seems a bit extreme unless you’re a hand model. The good news is that you can use hand and leg concealers like Dermablend to hide the veins.
Another tip for brightening up your hands and hiding bluish veins is choosing the right nail color. A pop of color, especially orange and reddish tones, can make your hands look younger, while blueish tones can actually make the veins on your hands stand out more. If you’re uncomfortable with bright tones, choose a nude color with a red or orange undertone so your hands don’t look gray and dull.
2. Scaliness
If your hands look like the scales of an alligator, take steps to bring back the soft and supple hands of your youth. This moisturizing hand soak may be just the thing:
Homemade Milk Hand Soak
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1 Tbsp. fine sea salt
2 Tbsp. whole milk
Directions
Whisk ingredients together. Massage the combination into your hands and let sit for ten minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Further moisturize your hands with coconut oil.
This hand soak is not only deeply moisturizing, it also exfoliates the skin, which is really important to making flaky and dull skin look vibrant.
3. Brittle Nails
A deficiency of biotin, as well as exposure to certain chemicals, can cause brittle nails. Take a 2.5 mcg dosage of biotin daily to combat brittle nails. Additionally, if you want to strengthen your nails, make sure to avoid alcohol-based hand sanitizers. And take a holiday from using nail polish all the time, which can suffocate your nail surface making it thin and unhealthy.
4. Sun spots
If you forgot to spread the UVA/UVB love to your hands, you could end up with age spots that make your hands look older than they should. Use creams that contain naturally active ingredients for lightening dark spots like citrus ushiu peel extract, licorice extract, and niacinamide. And then ensure that you avoid any further damage by wearing a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen on your hands.
5. Generally dry hands
This is especially true if you wash your hands often. In the winter time, the hands can also get extremely dry because there’s not as much moisture in the air. Keep a deep moisturizer by the soap in the bathroom and at the kitchen sink. That way you’re replenishing moisture every time you remove it. Great moisturizers include Cleure Body Lotion, Better Botanicals Kohum Butter Body Balm, and Andalou Naturals Cooling Aloe Mint Body Lotion.
You could also use organic coconut oil as mentioned above. It’s inexpensive, deeply moisturizing, and you know exactly what’s in the product. Generally speaking, moisturizers with ingredients like shea butter, vitamin E, olive oil, and macadamia nut oil are good natural ingredients that are deeply moisturizing to your hands.
Additionally, protect your hands whenever possible. When you’re cleaning the house or washing dishes, wear gloves to protect your hands. In the winter time, when it’s cold and gusts of dry air can damage your skin, make sure you wear gloves or mittens to protect them.
How do you keep your hands in tip-top condition? What are your favorite tips for keeping your hands looking young? We want to know! Drop us a line via Twitter @EcoSalon.
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