The best hand care routine I’ve found

A skincare routine is very important to show youthful and healthy skin without wrinkles or fine lines. We want to minimise the ageing process and we invest a lot of money and effort in using products on our face. However, most people do not give enough care to their hands. In this post, I am going to guide you through a full hand care routine.

Why do you need a hand care routine?

The hands, together with the face, are the area of the body more exposed to external aggressions. Like the face, they are exposed to harmful UV radiation, pollution including free radicals, wind, extreme hot or cold weather, and more. All these factors make our hands look dull, with wrinkles and showing signs of ageing.

As a difference with the face, we are washing our hands frequently (especially during the last two years). Our hands are in contact with detergents, harsh soap or hydroalcoholic solutions which can dry and dehydrate the hands’ skin.

We are also using the hands continuously, they are our main tool. Gardening, crafting and other works such as cleaning force us to use our hands under extreme conditions. In my case, I work in a chemistry laboratory and my hands are all day exposed to nasty chemicals. The use of gloves avoids contact with chemicals but creates a humid environment which damages my hands even more.

For all these reasons, I decided some time back to start a morning a nighttime hand care routine. Trust me, my hands are not dry anymore. They are soft, supple, and what is more important, hydrated and healthy.

Which type of products do I use?

There is a huge choice of hand cream varieties available as well as some hand scrubs and masks. However, it is not easy or cheap to buy specific serums for the hands. I decided to use affordable skincare products which I keep only for my hands.

Most of the products I am using now are from Aldi’s brand, Lacura. However, in the future, I may get other affordable brands.

The results using these products are so far amazing.

Tips for healthy hands

Before going deeper into the hands care routine, I am going to share with you some tips I use to keep my hands as healthy as I can.

Keep your hands clean. That may seem obvious but wash your hands regularly using, if possible, a soft and gentle soap.

Always carry a moisturiser with you. Apply moisturiser every time after washing your hands. I always keep a hand cream close to the sink at home and carry another in my handbag.

Use gloves when cleaning your home. Using gloves you will avoid the contact of your hands with harsh chemicals.

Avoid the use of very hot or very cold water. It is ideal to avoid extreme temperature water. Try to use lukewarm water to rinse your hands.

Protect your hands against cold. During the winter months, the cold temperature and frequent winds can damage your hands. Protect them using gloves when you are outdoor.

My morning hand care routine

In the morning, I need to get ready quick and leave home to go to my job. That means I am going to take my bag, home keys, drive, etc. Therefore, I do not want to feel my hands sticky or oily. The products I use in my morning hand care routine are lightweight and absorb quickly.

I start by washing my hands with glycerine soap after I finish my makeup. I dry them really well and apply a vitamin C serum. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant and protects my hands against free radicals. At the moment I am using the Aldi Lacura Vitamin C Serum.

After the serum, I like to apply a moisturiser hand cream. As I said, I like to use a lightweight moisturiser which gets absorbed quickly. I love The Body Shop hand cream range and, among all the creams, the satsuma hand cream is my favourite.

To finish with my morning hand care routine I apply sunscreen. I use moisturiser sunscreen and carry it with me. I re-apply it if I am going outdoor and after washing my hands instead of a normal moisturiser.

My night hand care routine

At night time I like to use more nourishing and thick products. As I mentioned in other posts, during sleeping time the body repair and renew the cells. For this reason, together with doing my hand care routine just before going to sleep, is why I have a different routine for morning and night.

The first thing I do just after finishing my skincare routine is wash my hands with glycerine soap and dry them well. After this step, I apply a hyaluronic acid serum. My skin is dry in general and specifically on my hands. Hyaluronic acid gives my hands the hydration they need. At the moment I am using Aldi Lacura Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

After the serum, I apply the hand cream. But I don’t use a cream designed especially for the hands. I like to use a cream containing retinol and Q10 Coenzyme. Both molecules are very good anti-ageing ingredients and work really well for my hands. The cream I am using now is also from Aldi.

Finally, just before going to sleep when I only need to turn the light off, I apply oil at the same time as I apply it to my face. The face oil moisture and the moisturiser will have a greater effect. I am using now the Q+A Superfood Face Oil.

Other hand cares

There are some steps that I don’t do daily but only when I feel my hands need them. One of them is exfoliation. I like to exfoliate my hands at least once a week. Like all the body’s skin, the hands also have dead cells which are not going to allow the good penetration of cosmetics and, therefore, our hand care routine is not going to be effective. I am using The Ritual of Ayurveda Hand Scrub but if I don’t have any I like to use homemade scrubs, which are very effective and cheap.

At least once a month I use a hand mask. Sometimes I use a hands sheet mask. These masks are like gloves impregnated in a serum. You leave them for some time on and they give your hands extra care. However, that is not very good for the environment.

Instead, I prefer to apply thick and nourishing body butter and sleep with that. The product I love for that is the body butter made by Shea Bliss Skin. This product comes in a glass jar and, therefore, is kind to the environment. I apply a thick layer to my hands and put on a pair of cotton gloves. The next day my hands are soft, healthy and fully repaired.

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Some DIY recipes to add to your hand care routine

Lemon and sugar scrub

Lemon is rich in vitamin C which helps to reduce dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Sugar is a natural exfoliator to eliminate dead cells.

You will need:

First, add the oil to the sugar in a container and add the lemon juice. Then, mix well. Apply to your hands and rub it. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.

Oatmeal Hands Scrub

Combine all the ingredients and then rub on your hands and rinse well.

Avocado Hand Mask

Blend all the ingredients in a blender.

Apply to your hands and wrap them in a plastic bag or wear a pair of latex gloves. Leave the product for 10-20 minutes. Unwrap the hands and rinse.

Coconut Oil Treatment

If you don’t want to buy a cream only for your hands you can use coconut oil. It is full of anti-oxidants and helps to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier.

I’ve tried all these recipes and they work very well on my hands.

Let me know in the comments if you have a hands care routine and which products you use.