HOW TO HAVE YOUNGER-LOOKING HANDS WHEN YOU’RE OVER 40
How To Have Younger-Looking Hands
I read a story recently about a man who would guess a woman’s age several years higher than he really thought. He said it was a sure-fire way to know the truth because the woman would always indignantly exclaim her younger, true age. I could have told him an easier way – just look at her hands!
Gurls, you know I’m right. We spend hours of time and LOADS of money on makeup, hair color, and fashionable outfits, but our poor hands often get neglected. My mission is to help women look and feel younger, so today we’re going to talk about ways to make our HANDS look and feel younger.
Good Hand Health
My sister called the other day to complain that she has Heberden’s Nodes on two of her fingers, and recently has experienced painful arthritis. While there’s no known cure for arthritis, and genetics plays a large part in whether or not you’ll suffer from it, there are steps to reduce the risk.
According to Healthline.com, keeping your hands and fingers flexible can “increase the function of synovial fluid.” I’m no doctor, but that sounds important. Lol. Plus, hand exercises are easy!
Hand Exercises
Flexibility Exercise 1 –With your hand flat on a table, spread your fingers as wide as possible, hold for 5 seconds, then bring them back together. Repeat 5x each hand.
Flexibility Exercise 2 – Make an “O” with your thumb and each finger. Repeat 5x each hand.
Flexibility Exercise 3 – Hold your hand up as if to say stop. Bend your fingers down and up together, keeping your joints straight.
Arthritis can make for a weak grip. Does anyone have issues opening jars? I know I do. There are inexpensive pieces of equipment designed to help you have a stronger grip, fingers, etc.
This one includes a variety and seems very economical.
How Your Diet Can Help With Younger Looking Hands
Your diet can also affect hand health. Processed foods and sugar are definite no-nos. Some over-the-counter remedies such as Boswellia extract and turmeric have been shown to be effective anti-inflammatories. There are also a variety of joint health products available that feature Glucosamine.
Glucosamine with Chondroitin Turmeric MSM Boswellia
My sister has started taking a joint health supplement from Shaklee. The point is to think about your hands and know that what goes in your mouth can help, or hurt!
Better and Younger Looking Hands
Now that we know how to make our hands feel better, let’s talk about helping them LOOK better.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While I don’t have the issues my sister does, I do have some of my own. Namely – age spots. UGH. I’ll talk about what to do with those later, but let’s talk about preventing them. If you’re like me, you forget about the hands when applying sunscreen. Today is the day to change that! Apply in the morning BEFORE you garden, drive errands, etc. Put a bottle in your car and by your sink so that you can reapply it throughout the day.
For Younger Looking Hands, Use Sunscreen
Here’s one that I found at Nordstrom and bought on a whim. I’m now a big fan!
SuperGoop Handscreen is SPF 40, specifically formulated for hands, and free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, and talc; also free of fragrances and octinoxates. Plus, it’s Cruelty-fee.
The Solar Stick SPF 40 was recommended to me by my friend Jennifer, so I have that on order. I like the idea of the stick instead of having to squirt it out of a tube, and if this one works as she says, then I’ll keep one in my car or handbag.
This same brand also has a tinted sunscreen for your face with an SPF 50 called Gleam + Glow, and that would be great for us Casper the Ghost ladies who would like some color as well as sun protection
Scrubs
You probably already know the benefits of exfoliating your face. Well, the same thing applies to your hands! Keep your hands looking soft with a scrub. I love L’Occitane Almond Exfoliating Paste. It’s a little pricy, but I only use it once a week, so it lasts a long time and leaves my hands feeling so smooth.
A more price-friendly scrub would be the Tree Hut line. This Coco Colada Shea Sugar Scrub smells lovely, and it does a great job. According to the website, this won a Women’s Choice Award in 2020, and it is priced under $8.00.
Moisturize for Younger Looking Hands
I noticed in the last couple of years that my skin has gotten dryer. This isn’t good because mine was already so dry to start with! I take my hand creams seriously for that reason, and here is one of the best ones I’ve found. I bought this on a road trip and keep it in my car. Thick and creamy and available for under $5.00 dollars.
Gold Bond Diabetics Dry Skin Relief
The Bioderma Hand and Nail Cream have fabulous reviews and a great price. It absorbs quickly, is GREAT for the cuticle area, and doesn’t leave hands feeling sticky.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
Maybe it’s the French name, but this just feels more luxurious. This cream has fantastic reviews, so I think I’ll give it a try. The price is higher than the others, but this tube is 5.1 ounces. There is a 1-ounce version that is also available, but for the difference in price, I’m going to try the bigger size.
I’m always looking for the next best thing, so if you have a moisturizer that works great, be sure to let me know.
Reverse the Aging
But what’s a Gurl to do when you’ve waited too late to start your hand regimen and now have age spots? I am right there with you! Age spots are sun damage from years of not using sunscreen correctly, and I certainly am guilty of that. I have resisted the impulse to sign up for laser treatments or chemical peels so far. I’ve been looking into different creams, etc., to see if I can fix the problem without the cost of the treatments. However, the creams/serums that I’ve found aren’t cheap either, so I’m not sure which would be the most cost-effective.
I recently started using Obagi Professional-C Serum which contains 15% L-Ascorbic Acid. This stuff is not cheap, but I’ve been trying it on a dark spot on my face, and I think that I’m starting to see results. I’ve been using it for about three weeks, and I’m going to now start applying it to my hands also.
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting got good reviews, and I found it on Amazon. You can find lots of premium beauty products on Amazon, plus something for your kitchen. Lol!
Here are a few more that look promising. If you’ve tried any of these, let me know your results.
AMBI Fade Cream / SkinMedica 2.0 Lytera Pigment Correcting Serum / Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum /
The reviews are strong with the SkinMedica 2.0 Lytera Pigment Correcting Serum, and I like that it’s good with a variety of skin tones, but it is also the most costly.
If eyes are a window to the soul, then hands are a spotlight on our age. It’s time that we give our hands the treatment they deserve. We’ll look better and feel better!
I hope you liked today’s post. If so, PLEASE remember to pin my post on Pinterest.
Whenever you SHARE my posts on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND FACEBOOK, it helps other ladies who might be style challenged to find my blog. I appreciate every one of you, and I consider you a friend.
Are You One Of The GURLS?
You will get a daily email reminder from me alerting you when a new blog post has gone live. And, occasionally, a “special” email will hit your inbox, so watch for those!
To GOD Goes The Glory!
Verse Of The Day
Philippians 2:5
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
50 Is Not Old partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above? Affiliate Links help bloggers like me fund the free content we provide on our blogs. Some products might be gifted from the brand.
My hand have also ages, but right now my problem is my nails. I’ve alway had good nails, but lately they are peeling back and look awful . They are the shortest I’ve ever had them. I’m blaming it on all the decorating and cooking/cleaning I’ve done preparing for Christmas. Any suggestions?
Mary Kay has “Satin Hands” It is a scrub and creme that you use to exfoliate, then follow it with MK hand cream. It makes your hands feel smooth and they look amazing. I use it 2-3 times a week.
Thanks for this post, Tania! Lots of great products to try!
Aveda makes a great product for the hands…Nightly Renewal Serum as well as a Hand and Foot Relief. Very moisturizing.
Great post! I feel like my hands are the most aged part of me! The exercises are a good reminder for all the reasons. Will try some of the lotions too. Thank you
Wonderful ideas to keep in mind!
Thank you for that tidbit. I just starting getting dip nails after a couple of years of not doing anything and hadn’t thought of this but had noticed more spots on my hands.
Thanks for all the info. Gold Bond also makes a hand cream with sunscreen which I keep in the car. I have started using SP 30 Moisturizing sunscreen from Walgreens on my arms daily for thinning skin.
Thank you! Great ideas!
I am definitely going to check out several items you shared. At night, when I know that I will not have my hands under water again, I apply Gold Bond dark spot minimizing body cream on the top of my hands. Yes, it really does help! I have been using Olay Regenerist Whip moisturizer on my face for years, and the dark spots are much lighter than they once were. I use both the day and the night version. Have a blessed day!
All good information, but for those with a seafood allergy something to be aware of is that glucosamine is harvested from shells of shellfish. Just thought you’d want to know.
Thanks. I know people with allergies always have to be careful of ingredients in food and products.
I really enjoyed this post and getting all of this information!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Another thing – protect your hands if you frequently have gel manicures. I always put sunscreen on my hands before going to the salon. The light box that is used to cure the gel has uv rays!
Good idea. I haven’t been to the nail place is months, so I didn’t even think of that.
Than you for that post. 65 year old woman battling to get more nice hands. What would you suggest about upper lips wrinkles. Thank you Tania!
I have a heavy cream placed by the kitchen sink, in the mud room (laundry area), bathroom and purse (agree with the comment whatever goes on the face can go on the neck/chest area and your hands). I also use sunscreen on hands before leaving house and it makes a difference. I also heard a gentleman say along time ago they can tell a woman’s age by the skin on the neck to the chest area and the hands of course. That was my incentive (lol). USE sunscreen year round on these areas, no matter where you live.
LOVE this article. I also have always had extremely dry hands and body and I have found that Curel dry skin therapy is good at keeping my skin from feeling so dry. Keep up your good work.
What a great post on hands.
Years ago, an esthetician told me to rub the tops of my hands after every product I put on my face. It has made a huge difference!
Great article!! Thank you for the suggestions!
I loved this post! I recently decided to try a BBL treatment at my dermatologist on my one hand that had several dark spots and after two treatments they are almost completely gone. It was only about $70 and I’m so happy with the results. That’s they price of some serums / hancreams! -Julie
Hi Tania!
I’m also a prime example of not using sunscreen back in the 70’s/80’s! In fact, while everyone else was using baby oil to get tan, we went the cheaper and easier route and simply took sticks of margarine out of our parent’s frigs! Can you imagine??.. I am paying the price now! My kids tell me I have “salami” skin.. charming, right?
Anyway, I wanted to let you know something that’s worked for me on my chest and I will be doing on my face right after my son’s wedding. The “Blue light” treatment was recommended by my dermatologist and it’s covered by insurance. It removes all of the precancerous spots from your skin.
Love this! Our hands take a beating. Also, if you do microdermabrasion on your face sometimes they will do your hands too or if you have a home machine. Do your hands too! It will lighten our ugly spots. I honestly think though those scrubs and lotion, lotion, lotion no matter what kind just keep putting it on. Thanks for the great tips!
Lots of good information in this post. I need to start doing the hand exercises. Another good hand and nail repairing cream is Vinotherapost by Caudalie.
I seem to have it all: Heberden’s nodes, arthritis, poor grip, thin and dry skin, sun spots, and visible veins. I am going to try some of the moisturizers and exercises you have mentioned, but I am also going to thank God for all of the ways my hands have served Him and my family over the years.😊