How to choose the best hand cream?

You can do anything to take care of your face and body, but do you do the same for your hands?

You may not realize how busy your hands are during the day. You need to treat them just like your face and body, as they come in contact with many kinds of things that can harm them.

Hand hydration: why is it important?

Our hands are often exposed to drying agents such as soap and water, so hydration and moisture is essential to protect the skin barrier.

The skin on the top of your hands is different than the skin on your palms. It is much thinner and has fewer sebaceous glands, which means it can dehydrate very quickly and show signs of aging earlier.

With the right hand cream you can:

• Boost moisturizing levels
• Maintain skin elasticity
• Fight pigmentation
• Prevent dehydration
• Treat premature aging

Which hand cream is right for me?

Our hands require special care, that’s why hand creams are different from the ones we use on our body.

But which is the right one for each of us?

1. Cream for cracked hands

To combat moisture loss, look for hand creams that contain moisturizing ingredients with occlusive properties, as these will help seal moisture into your skin.

Some of the best moisturizers for treating and protecting dry skin on hands are:

• Vaseline
• Shea butter
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Glycerin
• Urea
• Calendula
• Aloe

Pharmasept Hygienic Hand Care Intensive Cream is a hand cream with urea ideal for chapped or damaged hands.

In winter, dry air causes moisture to evaporate from the top layer of your skin faster than usual. In these cold months, look for a rich hand cream with occlusive ingredients like shea butter or vaseline to lock in moisture and form a protective barrier. When the weather is not so dry, you can choose a cream with a lighter consistency. In the case you have allergies, choose one fragrance-fee like Neutrogena hand cream unscented.

2. Anti-aging hand cream

In fact, our hands are one of the first places on the body to show signs of aging and this is due to the thinness of the skin and the fact that they often exposed to sunlight.

Prefer hand creams that contain:

• SPF
• Retinoids
• Vitamins C, E and B3
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Ceramides

For instance, Histoplastin Hand Cream has a strong anti-aging effect and improves skin appearance, while discolorating dark spots.

3. Anti-spot hand cream

Hands are an area where we often neglect to use sun protection. Hand rashes can appear on anyone, and they are mainly created due to excessive exposure of the hands to the sun. To deal with them look for creams that contain:

• SPF
• Vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
• Vitamin C

Caudalie whitening hand cream is considered one of the most innovative creams, thanks to the patented ingredient Viniferin, which comes from the juice of vine shoots and visibly reduces dark spots.

4. Hand cream for eczema

There are several reasons for hand eczema, for example contact with irritants such as dust, detergents, cleaners or even frequent hand washing.

Some ingredients that soothe, calm and  in some cases, prevent eczema from destroying your skin are:

• Shea butter*
• Glycerin*
• Lanolin*
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) – Can reduce redness from eczema by strengthening the skin’s natural barrier.

*These moisturizing ingredients repair your skin and help it look healthier. Look for creams that list one of these first, second or third in the ingredients list.

An effective hand cream for eczema is Ducray Dexyane MeD Cream for Eczema which repairs and reduces the recurrence of eczematous lesions.

5. Hand cream for chilblains

Chilblains appear mainly on hands and feet during the cold months, due to the intense cold and humidity of the environment. To treat them make sure to keep your limbs warm and use:

• warming hand creams or
• creams containing calamine

Podia Chilblains Protection & Care cream helps relieve itching and burning sensation and can be used respectively on feet and hands.

Extra tip

The best time to use moisturizers is after bathing, exfoliating, washing dishes, and before going to bed. For those with very dry hands, it is best to moisturize your hands every time you wash them, especially in winter months.

At Vita4you.gr you can find a wide variety of hand creams.