Skincare for your hands

Did you know that your hands are amongst the first parts of your body to show visible signs of aging? 

We all have elaborate skincare routines for our faces but we often forget to take care of the ones that really put in all the hard work; our hands. 

Our faces are the most prominent feature of our body and are immediately noticed by people, making us spend hours perfecting our look. However, we sometimes forget that our hands are also immediately noticed when we go in for a handshake or just a friendly wave to a friend of an acquaintance. And just like the skin of our face, the skin at the back of our hands is equally fragile and thin and can easily be damaged if not taken care of. 

Our hands are also constantly exposed to factors such as harsh soaps, cleaning products and the harmful UV rays which directly fall on them, especially when we’re driving, taking a toll on them and in turn leaving them dry, dull and flaky. They take a beating daily, with all the lifting, washing, scrubbing and folding they do. And  with time, they lose their youthful appearance and become nothing short of not only wrinkly but also unkempt. 

A proper skincare routine for your hands is therefore essential if you want your hands to look and feel smooth and youthful. So keep on reading if you want to find out how to build a routine that will work best for your hands! 

How to take care of your hands? 

• Keep them clean: One of the fundamental hygiene practices is to keep your hands clean all the time. Our hands come into contact with several things during the day that harbor too many germs which makes washing the hands a must! However, make sure you are using the right products when washing your hands. If you have dry skin, use humectants or ceramides to keep your hands from drying out. 

• Avoid going overboard: While keeping the hands clean is of utmost importance, one can go overboard with washing, resulting in dry and flaky skin, especially if one uses hot water to do so. Instead, try to limit hand washing and stick to gentle products. If your hands are more likely to get cracked or look parched, avoid antibacterial soaps as they can be quite stripping. Also, if you can’t find water, or are on the go, the Leovard Hand sanitizer is a perfect option. It contains silver ions to ward off bacteria as well as hyaluronic acid, doubling as a hand cream.  

• Don’t forget to exfoliate: Exfoliation is the process of removing the dead skin cells to expose the fresh skin cells underneath. Exfoliating your hands is as important as exfoliating the rest of your body. However, try to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week only as frequent exfoliation can cause the skin to get irritated. 

• Moisturize: Our hands are one of the most exposed areas of the body, which causes your hands to shed skin cells faster than usual. This is where moisturizing comes in. It is best to moisturize your hands right after you wash them to prevent the handwash and water to strip off the natural oils. Religiously moisturizing your hands will help them in retaining their suppleness and youthfulness. Try to use moisturizers that have shea butter, hyaluronic acid or aloe in them as they are ideal for skin that gets dry and chapped easily. The Leovard Multi Cream is a lightweight and effective moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid and organic aloe vera that will lend your skin the hydration and nourishment it needs to make it throughout the day.

• Protect your hands from the sun: We all use sunscreen for our faces and neck, but our hands are often left unprotected from the sun and its harmful UV rays. Applying sunscreen on the hands is the most vital part of any hand care routine because their exposure to the sun can lead to premature aging, sun burns and hyperpigmentation. If you are spending a large portion of your day outside, make sure to reapply your sunscreen after every 90 minutes or after you wash your hands. 

• Nourish your cuticles: Cuticle is the hard layer of skin that surrounds the nail protecting it from any kind of bacteria. Many tend to cut these by themselves or get them removed from the salon. Cutting them leads to tougher and uneven regrowth. Instead, try to keep them moisturized by applying some kind of oil such as coconut oil, argan oil or almond oil, which will keep your cuticles hydrated. The Leovard Oil Fusion is a multipurpose oil and can be used as a cuticle oil for healthy nails and cuticles. 

Takeaway

Just like all of us have a skincare regime for our faces, we must also have some kind of routine that will allow us to take care of our hands. The constant physical work along with exposure to the harmful UV rays takes a toll on our hands as they do not get the nourishment or protection they need. With the points discussed above, we can establish a routine that will help us in taking care of our hands and keep them soft and youthful.