If the eyes are a window to our souls, our hands can be a dead giveaway to our age. They need special care of their own and this is most apparent in winter. The cold and wind really do a job on them. Read on for tips to help prevent dryness and keep your digits in top shape this season.
Wear gloves
It’s cold out; keep those hands warm and protected from the elements with gloves. Put them on every time you go outside. For even more hand help, slather on hand cream and let it sink in, and then put on the gloves. While you’re making the morning commute or going to the dog run, your hands will take in all that extra moisture.
Use moisturizing hand soaps
Antibacterial soap is harsh and tends be drying. Kill germs and get moisture with creamy hand soaps like Bath and Body Works Moisturizing Antibacterial ($6) soap or Kiss My Face Moisture handsoap ($7) which uses olive oil and aloe to keep hands from getting chapped.
Don’t forget your nails
Nails get drier in winter too. While all hand creams will benefit them, some include nail care ingredients, and using something specially made for cuticles/nails will do even more good. Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment ($24) is a lightweight lotion that gets the job done with retinol and licorice root extract for hands while using botanical extracts and oils to make nails look shiny and healthy and reduce peeling and splitting. Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream ($6) is a citrus smelling, easy to use balm that whips cuticles into shape and Eve Lom’s Cuticle Cream ($24) does a great job strengthening nails as well as promoting growth.
Use a thick hand cream
Pick a thick, hydrating hand cream and apply and re-apply often throughout the day and night. Some of the best include Aveda’s Hand Relief ($20), a thick but easily absorbed, long lasting cream with almost no scent that really hydrates thanks to exfoliating fruit acids and vitamins A and E. Essence of Beauty at CVS ($5) is the bargain hand cream that will surprise you by how well it works. Using shea butter and aloe, it compares to many higher end brands and comes in a wide range of pretty scents like Jasmine Ginger and Tropical Papaya. Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Hand and Nail Cream ($56) is another twofer for hands and nails. It’s full of botanicals and antioxidants and targets age spots and sun damage while conditioning cuticles and nails.
More in winter skin care
Ultimate winter hydrators
Happy cooler weather, now take care of your skin
Tips for keeping skin soft in the winter
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