3 Easy Hacks For Aging Hands You Shouldn't Ignore, From Beauty Pros

You may know your hands are one of the first places to show signs of aging—and still, you may not stick to a multistep healthy aging routine for your hands. It says nothing about your own commitment to skin longevity; it's just very easy to forget about those paws! Your face, after all, is more forward facing and thus receives most of the care. 

Many follow the "two-finger rule" when it comes to sunscreen, but a derm once gave me this brilliant tip: Use the back of your hand as a palette for your SPF. That way, once you've covered your whole face, you can easily rub the excess into your paws. 

It may sound simple, but you'd be surprised by how many people forget to slather sunscreen on the backs of their hands or ignore the extra protection for the sake of time. By applying SPF on your hands to begin with, you'll always remember to shield them from those strong UV rays. And sun care is one of the most vital things you can do for your skin in terms of preventive aging since 80% of aging skin1 happens due to UV damage. 

The solution? Make it a ritual by leaving it in plain sight. For instance, it's important to seal your skin with moisture before bed, as your skin barrier is more permeable at night. So I always keep mindbodygreen's postbiotic hand cream on my bedside table, right next to my ring dish and hydrating lip balm. As soon as I tuck into bed, I massage in a dollop before turning off the lamp.

First things first: If you don't already use dishwashing gloves, please go ahead and snag yourself a pair. Not only does soaking your nails in water cause them to expand and contract, thus making them brittle and weak over time, but a hot water temperature can strip the skin of its natural oils and lipids. And with a compromised barrier, cracked, scaly, crepey hands tend to crop up way faster. 

But if you want to crank the hand care up a notch, why not moisturize your paws at the same time? If you have some extra cooking oil, try slathering it on your hands before pulling on your gloves. Any organic, unrefined oil will do, but some of our favorites include extra-virgin olive oil, which contains a high dose of vitamin E2; coconut oil, which can help your skin boost collagen production3 and can help improve4 moisture levels and barrier function5; and avocado oil, which contains oleic acid and monounsaturated fats.