Beauty And The Blog

The first thing other people notice about us is our face. And I have spent a good deal of time here addressing how to take good care of your face and keep those wrinkles from creeping up on you. And to minimize, reduce the appearance of the wrinkles you may already have.

Want to know the second thing that gets noticed? Your hands. Our hands get more attention than you think. We use our hands in so many ways that we are not even conscious of. We use our hands to gesture in anger and excitement, to add emphasis to nearly everything we say. Our hands convey feelings of love and comfort when we caress or touch a loved one.

We use our hands in many ways every day. Our hands actually take quite a bit of abuse. Because we cook, clean, do projects such as crafts, painting, sewing, gardening, the list goes on and on. That can mean that our hands begin to look old and weathered sometimes even faster than our faces! Take a look at your hands right now, what are they telling you?

Are they screaming “old” at you? Hands age, lose elasticity and dry out just like our faces. Ever heard it said that you can tell a woman’s true age by looking her hands? It’s true. We just don’t lavish the same care on our hands as we do on our faces. We seem to forget them altogether when it comes to anti-aging. And we shouldn’t. Our hands do all the things I mentioned above, plus get abused by the environment in extreme cold weather or very dry heat.  Hot water, cleaning solutions, all manner of things affect the skin of your hands.

What about the sun? Think about how often you drive. Your hands on that steering wheel are exposed to a lot of sunlight that is magnified by the glass of your windshield. Are you using sunscreen on your hands daily?

Yes, of course everyone will notice if you care for you fingernails, a great manicure is a nice look. But what about the skin of your hands? You can take wonderful care of your face with great products, protecting it from premature aging, wrinkles and dryness, from the sun and free radicals. We moisturize, use specialized treatments, masques and sunscreen. We have so much concern for our faces, which is a good thing when it comes to looking youthful and fresh. But we should also be considering other parts of our selves when it comes to anti-aging.

So, how to keep your hands looking as youthful and fresh as your face? Pretty much the same thing you do for your face. With one exception. We can put gloves on our hands to protect them from damage caused by cleaning and other projects as well as from extreme cold weather( you could wear one of those knit ski caps that cover your face as a face glove I suppose, but then you most likely will be mistaken for a bank robber) . But that is only one step in the care for your hands.

Try exfoliating your hands with the product you may now be using to exfoliate your body. They will be smoother immediately. Absolutely invest in a good hand cream that has an SPF, contains antioxidants like vitamins C, A and B, and good quality moisturizers such as Shea Butter, Hyaluronic Acid, Cocoa Butter, Olive Oil, Jojoba, and Aloe, to name a few. Use it daily. And if you wash your hands frequently (flu season requires that!) reapply that cream. If the skin on your hands is losing elasticity try a product that will restore that, maybe the one you are using on your face. There are products that can lighten dark spots that show up on the hands as well. You could also use a facial serum on your hands. Warning: that could get pricey, yet worth it if you can swing the cost. If you select a good hand cream with the above stated ingredients, and your hands are still in rather youthful shape that shouldn’t really be necessary.

With a little extra TLC you can maintain gorgeous, expressive hands that will work hard for you. And be  welcomed in a loving or comforting caress!

This photo I just fell in love with, so I had to post it! Isn’t it great?