Style Beauty These Products Can Help Your Hands Age Gracefully, According to a Skin Expert Aging just like a fine wine. By Emma Phelps Published on October 8, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Getty Images When it comes to skincare, we all tend to focus on the neckline and above, but we can't forget about the real worker bees: our hands. Your hands do a lot for you, so it only makes sense to create a routine for them. There's a slew of anti-aging hand creams on the market these days, so we spoke with Maria Semykoz, the co-founder of whatsinmyjar.com – a skincare community platform focused on providing easy-to-understand analyses of product formulas – to learn how to best care for our hands. Semykoz's expertise in data analytics is supported by dermatologist Dr. Sandy Skotnicki to help consumers answer questions like: "What active ingredients am I paying for?" and "Can a skincare product deliver on its promise?" Here are the main things you should consider when caring for your hands: Moisturize "In a moisturizer, look for glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or urea," Semykoz says. "Glycerin is actually a great ingredient - it's just not seen as very sexy, but it is as effective as hyaluronic acid." Such ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin. You also want your moisturizer to have emollients and occlusives like shea butter, mineral oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, or squalene in them, Semykoz adds. You may find moisturizers with ceramides, colloidal oatmeal extract, or niacinamide in them, which are great additions to any formula but not essential. If you're looking to really lock in moisture, you can use any moisturizer as an overnight hand mask, Semykoz says. Just apply a thicker layer of moisturizer at night. To make the effect even stronger, you can wear a pair of cotton gloves on top of the moisturizer. Protect Mama wasn't kidding when she told you to wear SPF. Sun protection is just as crucial for hands as it is to your face and the rest of your body. Be sure to check that a sunscreen offers broad spectrum sun protection against UVB and UVA rays, Semykoz says. UVA rays are aging rays that can lead to age spots and hyperpigmentation – they don't burn like UVB rays. You can use any normal sunscreen on your hands if you don't want to purchase a separate product. Sanitize, and Repeat. "Washing hands regularly and thoroughly is crucial, but every time we wash our hands we challenge our natural skin barrier," Semykoz says. Choosing a gentle hand wash that's fragrance-free and soap-free can help prevent your hands from drying out. When a soap's pH is too high, it interferes with the acid mantle on our skin, which leads to dryness and increases the potential for irritation, Semykoz explains. "It is actually easier to find gentle washes in the body or baby wash category than in hand washes," she says. "You can absolutely use them to wash your hands, they are as effective in removing dirt and microbes." If you're out and about, choose a fragrance-free hand sanitizer that's alcohol-based or includes Benzalkonium Chloride. There you have it, a hand routine that's as simple as your ABCs. If you don't already have go-to moisturizers and SPFs in your makeup cabinet, Semykoz recommended the following products. As with any skincare routine, you don't have to purchase expensive products to have great results – but hey, treat yourself where you want, we don't judge. Our Top Picks CeraVe Moisturizing Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Aveeno Skin Relief Intense Moisture Hand Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Eucerin Urea Repair Plus 5% Urea Hand Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Avene Restorative Hand Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Palmer's Cocoa Butter Intensive Relief Hand Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Vaseline Dry Hands Rescue Hand Lotion at Amazon Jump to Review Eucerin Daily Hydration Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Mineral SPF Jump to Review Baby Dove Tip to Toe Baby Wash and Shampoo at Amazon Jump to Review Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash at Amazon Jump to Review CeraVe Moisturizing Cream 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Ulta With beneficial ingredients like glycerin and ceramide, the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream received a 100% on What's In My Jar's "Promises Fulfilled" scale and is low in potential irritants. Aveeno Skin Relief Intense Moisture Hand Cream Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Bed Bath & Beyond For those especially cold fall and winter days, protect your hands with a layer of intense moisture repair before heading out the door. Eucerin Urea Repair Plus 5% Urea Hand Cream Amazon View On Amazon Urea and ceramide combine for a soothing formula that will leave your hands feeling soft and replenished. Avene Cicalfate Restorative Hand Cream Amazon View On Amazon This creamy non-greasy formula promises to leave your hands nourished for up to five washes. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Intensive Relief Hand Cream Amazon View On Amazon Enjoy the natural scent of cocoa butter while treating your hands to a strong relief cream. Vaseline Clinical Care Dry Hands Rescue Hand Lotion Vaseline Clinical Care Extremely Dry Skin Rescue. View On Amazon View On Target Trusted for ages by mamas everywhere, Vaseline's glycerin formula delivers moisture while restoring your skin's natural barrier. Eucerin Daily Hydration Cream SPF 30 Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walgreens There are plenty of moisturizers on the market that also offer SPF protection. This Eucerin broad spectrum formula protects your hands from UVB and UVA rays. Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Mineral SPF 45 Body Butter Amazon View on Ulta View On Amazon View On Sephora Looking to really pamper yourself? This ultra-light formula will feel oh-so-soothing on your hands. It's also reef-safe and cruelty free so you can feel good about having this as a go-to product in your beauty cabinet. Baby Dove Tip to Toe Baby Wash and Shampoo 5 Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Bed Bath & Beyond Be sure that your hands are getting the care they need from a hand wash as well. Baby wash formulas are especially sensitive for the skin's natural barrier and are just as effective as other hand soaps. Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash 4.4 Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target Avoid the itchy feeling that your hands can get after too many washes by using Aveeno's soap-free and fragrance-free body wash formula. Buttah Egyptian Coco Shea Body Wash 4.5 Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Ulta You can use this wash in the bath, shower, or at the sink as a hand wash. Its all-in-one formula is nourishing and leaves your skin with the subtle scent of musk, vanilla, and rose. Babyganics Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer Babyganics View On Walmart View On Riteaid.com Some people prefer a hand sanitizer formula with Benzalkonium Chloride, which can be gentler on especially sensitive skin. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit