I Apply This Cream All Day Long To Hydrate My Crinkly Hands — Let Me Tell You Why

How many times a day do you apply a hand cream? The answer might be zero (no judgment—well, kind of). Or you could be like me and the answer is "more times a day than you can count, and even if you could you wouldn't want to." 

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: My hands are wrinkly and crinkly. They look much older than their actual 30-some-odd years. (I've written about my lifelong struggle with what's legally and scientifically called "old-looking hands" before, should you be curious about my struggles.) Thanks to my, ahem, situation, I am superhumanly diligent about hydration.

While it's not a magical solution that erases my wrinkles forever, regularly applying a conditioning hand cream at the very least keeps my skin supple and plump. And in the long term, it helps my aggressive premature aging from getting worse. 

We've all spent the last several years belaboring the importance of proper hand hygiene, so I'll spare you a lecture here about how it's important to wash your hands throughout the day. 

However, I will share the important caveat that hand washing has the potential to strip skin of its natural oils. This is especially true with many of the run-of-the-mill hand soaps, which often use harsh, irritating surfactants. When your lipid barrier is continuously compromised, cracks and scaly, itchy skin tend to follow suit. That's why restoring those lipids is crucial. Hello, hand cream! 

And it's not just the act of doing it. Timing plays a role, as we've learned from board-certified dermatologist and mindbodygreen collective member Whitney Bowe, M.D.

When that water evaporates, it creates the opportunity for transepidermal water loss1, a phenomenon in which water literally evaporates from the epidermis into the air around you. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this will leave your skin even drier than it was before—especially if you rinse with hot water, which evaporates faster. 

Her ideal timing is anytime under the two-minute mark. Rather than setting a stopwatch, just have your cream handy and apply it as soon as you can. "I carry a hand moisturizer with me at all times and apply it within moments of washing or sanitizing my hands throughout the day," says Bowe.

I'm a fan of mindbodygreen's postbiotic hand cream, which may not come as a surprise. But I wouldn't use it (or make it!) if it wasn't good. 

This formula supports the skin barrier, keeps you hydrated, and will help with the appearance of fine lines. This is all thanks to the innovative blend of antioxidants, lipids, and biotic ingredients. 

It contains biotech pre- and postbiotics shown to improve skin firmness, help with wrinkle prevention and reduction, as well as support epidermis framework regeneration. That's not all: It contains the wrinkle-reducing coenzyme Q10 for antioxidant support and a robust assortment of plant-based extracts for extra skin-support nutrients.

The base is a deeply hydrating blend of shea butter, oat oil, aloe, and cold-pressed moringa seed oil. I'd be remiss not to highlight the addition-worthy texture: This whipped-thick hand cream is the perfect balance between dense and non-greasy.