Our hands are overworked, underpaid and often neglected. They can look years older than our faces, which we pamper and lather with creams, sunscreens and other anti-aging products.

I have an elegant older relative who is always reminding my sister and me that we should be applying sunscreen to our hands every single day. This wise woman is gracefully aging and at 72, has nary an age spot on the peaches and cream complexion of her face. Yet the sun spots on her hands are her personal nemesis. All those years of wearing sunscreen and fabulous sun hats, it just didn’t occur to her to be protecting her hands from the elements that accelerate aging. So now it’s become her mission to pass this wisdom to the next generation.

Unless you don a pair of gloves everyday–as the delicate Japanese women often do–sunscreen application on the hands is a must .

Fortunately there is a large selection of hand and body daily moisturizers on the market that now contain SPF. Several of these products also have ingredients that work to reverse the existing damage to your hands, while also blocking them from the sun. These types are our favorites. (We like the “kill two birds..” approach to skincare, as it often saves time and money.)

We love RoC Retinol Correxion Hand Repair. Priced at just $13.99, it’s far less expensive than some of the fancier department store versions. It contains Retinol to reverse aging and SPF 15, both UVA/UVB protection. The others that we like are: Boscia, Daily Hand Revival Therapy, SPF 15, which contains Mulberry for lightening sun spots; Ole Henricksen Hands Forward SPF 15, which contains ingredients derived from mushrooms (who knew!?) to fade brown spots and discolorations. RoC is available at drugstores, while the latter two can be found at Sephora.
One final word, remember to reapply. Especially as we enter winter and flu season when we wash our hands frequently and experience dryer skin. Reapplication is crucial for achieving optimal results.

Melissa

Editor-in-Chief, All In Good Face

http://www.allingoodface.com