I don’t want my hands to look old

My friend recently told me a story so chilling, it should have been told around a campfire. I think she has a perfectly youthful complexion for a woman in her late 20s, but a shiver went down my spine as she recalled a Trader Joe’s employee commenting on how old her hands looked compared to her face. The comment on its own would be appalling enough, but on top of that, it spoke right to one of my biggest beauty fears: hand ageing.

This fear came to be when I was a teenager—at the ripe old age of 15, to be exact. My mom tossed me sunscreen to apply all over my body (and now, over a decade later, I am eternally grateful for her vigilance). As I attempted to give the sunscreen back to her, she raised her eyebrows and pointed to the tops of her hands—suggesting I apply some to my own. The thought had never crossed my mind before. That was just the onset of a long internal struggle with protecting my hands from the inevitable wrinkles, fine lines, and crepey skin.

As a beauty editor, I’m no stranger to testing products, devices, and in-office treatments designed to ward off wrinkles. Most experts and dermatologists I’ve interviewed wax poetic about bringing skincare from your face down to your neck and décolletage. But it’s our hands that show the first signs of aging—so why would I even bother with a multi-step preventative face routine if my neglected hands look decades older?

The solution to keeping hands looking young is simple: Invest in a good sunscreen and hand cream, or a combination of the two. My issue is that I wouldn’t say I like the sensation of most hand creams. The slippery, greasy film left on my hands after using cream has become one of my biggest pet peeves. Applying hand cream is like a mental math equation, as I try to put on just the right amount, so that I can still hold my phone or type on my laptop without getting greasy film on the screen or keyboard. Or at night, taking care to apply the cream only after I’ve put my hair up for the evening, to avoid contaminating my clean strands.

I am constantly wrestling with wanting to avoid dry, wrinkly hands but only with a lotion that doesn’t make them feel uncontrollably slippery. And I am glad to say the four formulas ahead fit the bill. If you too want to rescue your hands from the fate of premature ageing, I can’t recommend these products enough. Happy shopping!

111Skin Intensive Black Diamond Hand Cream

My skin drinks this hand cream up. It moisturizes intensely, yet feels weightless at the same time.

Augustinus Bader The Hand Treatment

Augustinus Bader is known for its reparative complex, so I can trust this silky cream is turning back the clock on my aging hands.

Soft Services Theraplush

Not only does this hydrating formula feel great on the skin, the glass vessel looks chic and discreet on my bedside table, too.

Sidia The Hand Serum

When I’m feeling extra sensitive to something heavier, I reach for this airy serum, which nourishes deeply without the weight of a greasy cream.

CurrentBody Skin LED Hand Perfector

I'm a sucker for any beauty tool, and this LED device for the hands is the perfect tech addition to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I love to slather on one of the above hand formulas and then use the device before bed.

This article first appeared in harpersbazaar.com in July 2024. 

Feature collage by Sarah Olivieri

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