More than almost any other part of our bodies, our hands give a glaring reflection of the hard work we do each day. We generally work to pamper our faces while our hands are often neglected. Proof of this lies at “Guess Your Age” booths at local fairs. Professional “age guessers” look over your neck, face and eyes as they work to determine our approximate age, and they always, always grab your hands.
Our hands, often without the gentle daily care we work so hard to give our faces, take the brunt of the punishment of our hardworking days. There are ways, however, to undo the damage that time, hard work and sunshine do to your hands.
1. Help for Wrinkling Skin
Collagen works in our body to keep our skin firm and moist, but sunlight and wind can deplete the hands of collagen, leaving the skin looking thin and wrinkly. Natural ingredients such as organic virgin coconut oil and shea butter can restore new life to time-worn hands.
2. Help for Dry Hands
Hands that don’t carry enough moisture often look older than they are. In order to replenish the moisture that our hardworking hands so desperately need, try adding these two simple steps to your beauty routine:
- Drink more water to moisturize your hands from the inside out.
- Do a once or twice weekly homemade hand scrub that will remove dry, dead skin cells and replenish your hands with much needed moisture. Read below for one of my favorite moisturizing hand scrub recipes.
All-Natural Moisturizing Hand Scrub Recipe
- 1 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar or children’s play sand
Mix the two ingredients, and rub thoroughly into your hands for several minutes. Rinse your hands under warm water, add a pump of all-natural hand soap, lather fully and rinse well. Pat dry with a clean towel. Using an all-natural, moisturizing hand scrub at least once a week will help keep your hands looking younger and also help keep wind and water damage at bay.
3. Help for Sunspots
Brown sunspots on hands that come as a result of excessive UV ray sun exposure can make hands look older. To prevent new sunspots, use a safe zinc-based sunscreen or a homemade one.
To repair damage caused by existing sunspots and minimize their appearance, try mixing ½ teaspoon of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, applying the mixture to your hands with a cotton ball each evening. Leave on overnight for best results, diluting with water before applying if you have extra-sensitive skin. The naturally-occurring alpha-hydroxyl acids in the ingredients will help lighten sunspots and give your skin a healthy glow, while at the same time helping to naturally rebuild lost collagen.
4. Help for Prominent Veins
Prominent veins also have the ability to make hands look older than they truly are. By following the remedies mentioned above to improve moisture, skin elasticity and overall hand health, protruding veins will automatically diminish in appearance.
By taking special care of your hands via following the above recommendations, and by minimizing water contact with dish-washing gloves and work damage by wearing work gloves, you can have younger looking hands that will look and feel healthy for years to come.
