Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

How 4 Beauty Experts Treat Fine Lines & Dark Spots On Their Hands  

Alexandra Engler
Author:
March 13, 2023
Alexandra Engler
mbg Beauty Director
By Alexandra Engler
mbg Beauty Director
Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Image by Marc Tran / Stocksy
March 13, 2023
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

The skin on your hands is some of the most vulnerable. While the skin itself is durable and resilient, it's simply more exposed to environmental stressors than skin elsewhere on the body. Hands are often met with unprotected UV exposure, drying hand soaps, and just general physical wear. 

Because of this, lots of folks start to see signs of aging pop up here way earlier than other places: Fine lines, crepiness, and dark spots are common hand concerns well before they become issues on the face, neck, or body. Here, how beauty experts deal with it. 

A beauty director uses this daily, antioxidant-rich hand cream. 

I have several tubes of hand cream scattered around my house, office, various purses, totes, and luggage. As a beauty director, I try a lot of products (tough gig but someone's gotta do it!), but the one I use the most is mindbodygreen's postbiotic hand cream.

Sure, I'm biased—but I really find the formula to be the best one for consistent daily use. The texture is rich yet fast-absorbing. Read: no greasy residue—I can use my computer immediately after without the risk of oil smears on my keyboard. No matter how good a hand cream's ingredient list is, I simply won't use it if I don't like the texture. 

And the benefits are felt immediately (instant hydration) and long term (loaded with ingredients that support the health of your skin over time). The aloe, shea butter, and oat oil base feeds the skin nutrients, lipids, and hydration, so the skin looks supple and vibrant. Then the antioxidant-rich extracts (such as our fruit complex, CoQ10, and moringa seed oil) help protect the skin from free radical damage, which leads to fine lines and dark spots. This robust, botanical formula works together to keep skin looking vibrant. 

A dermatologist sticks to a hand care ritual.

Recently I was speaking with board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D., for my podcast Clean Beauty School. Throughout the episode, she noted how her top-notch skin care routine isn't just for her face, but she uses the products, "on my face, neck, chest, and the backs of my hands." It's a fairly easy habit to adopt, as you're already doing your twice-daily skin care routine—just extend the usage below the chin, too. 

Most notably, she encourages people to make sure that these places are protected with sunscreen: "These are the most critical places." Here, a few of our favorite mineral sunscreen options to try. 

A dermatologist's tip for upcycling face products.

At some point or another, most beauty fans will experience this frustrating situation: You purchase a product you're excited to try, only to find that you're not completely enthralled. Maybe you don't love the way the texture feels on your face, how it fits in with the rest of your routine, or maybe it even causes your other products and makeup to pill. 

Well, don't discard it so fast: Just use it as your hand and decolletage treatment! As dermatologist Camille Howard-Verovic, D.O., founder of Girl+Hair, shared in a TikTok video: "I think you should use it on your hands."

A dermatologist is diligent about microbiome care and post-wash hydration. 

There's a reason skin care pros encourage you to hydrate post-shower posthaste: The longer you wait, the more susceptible your skin becomes to irritation, dryness, and transepidermal water loss. By trapping in moisture immediately, it will help keep skin hydrated and supple long term. 

Well, the same goes for your hands. According to board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., any time under two minutes can lock in the moisture—just don't put it off any longer than that. "If you wait too long, you miss that narrow window of opportunity to really trap and seal those nourishing ingredients in the skin before all the water evaporates off the surface, further compromising your skin," she told us about caring for your skin microbiome. This is especially true if you're washing your hands with hot water, which evaporates faster

Read: Keep a hand cream, well, handy. 

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Lifestyle
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.