Many of us would have become more dependent on hand creams over the past year. Constant washing and sanitising wreaks havoc on our hands because they both strip the skin of its natural oils. All of this contributes to a loss of collagen and elastin in the skin on our hands. This, coupled with age spots, can cause our hands to age us quicker than our face or neck – which means we need anti-ageing hand creams.
“If you think about what your hands go through in a day, they work tirelessly and are exposed to the elements from the moment you wake up: the weather, the sun, pollution, water, even down to the job you do,” Liz Warom, co-founder of TEMPLESPA tells mamabella.
“It’s no wonder they can easily become dehydrated or develop age spots and wrinkles. This is why it’s so important to use products which have been specifically formulated to target those concerns.”
According to iconic skincare icon, Dr Barabara Sturm, “the skin on your hands is thinner than the skin on your face and has fewer sebaceous glands so it is less able to stabilise the few lipids and moisture-binding components that protect and hydrate the skin.”
With all of this in mind, why not try and kill two birds with one stone and incorporate the best anti-ageing hand creams into your routine. Here are our favourites.
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£15 | Buy now from Templespa
Why we love it: This luxury anti-ageing hand cream is a godsend for dry skin. As well as nourishing and hydrating, it evens our skin tone thanks to its absorbing formula.
Joining its fusion of lemon, lavender and bergamot oils, the hand cream also includes extracts of aloe vera and jojoba which soothe and soften the skin. It’s also packed full of vitamins, so it’s no wonder the cream has such great anti-ageing benefits.
Vitamin E and Vitamin C both work as an antioxidant, with the former protecting the skin from UV damage, while the latter lightens and firms the skin. Vitamin B3 is additionally on hand to strengthen the skin barrier and improve skin pigmentation, with B5 to delay the appearance of age spots. On top of all of that, it’s also cruelty-free and vegan.
FURTHER READING: How your skin changes in each decade of your life – and what to do about it
Buy now from Templespa
£3.65 | Buy now from Superdrug
Why we love it: An OG when it comes to fixing skin woes, at hugely affordable prices, Vaseline’s anti-ageing hand cream is an absolute gem. Understanding that as we mature, so does our skin, its hand cream focuses on soothing and hydrating the skin but also brightening its appearance.
It’s packed full of microdroplets of Vaseline’s hero petroleum jelly, as well as Vitamin B3 and PPAR activators. PPARs work in the deepest layers of the skin to help skin cells form and create a better quality hydration barrier.
This means that this super cheap anti-ageing hand cream doesn’t just improve the appearance of your skin, it works deep down to restore the skin. Effective for ageing skin, it replenishes lipids and boosts the skin’s natural renewal cycle by improving the quality of your skin cells. For less than £4. It’s almost unbelievable!
Buy now from Superdrug
£50 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Why we love it: This new product from Dr Barabara Sturm is rich in intensive anti-ageing compounds to repair skin cells. Focusing on restoring hydration to your hands, the cream also works to protect against the elements. Elements that prematurely age the skin on our hands, in particular, because they’re always exposed.
The cream contains daisy flower extract to reduce the appearance of dark spots and even out skin tone, while a combination of hyaluronic acid, mangosteen and quince work to plump the skin. The hand cream’s ingredients also extend to aloe vera and prickly pear to boost elasticity and firmness, while supporting the natural process of lipid retention in the skin.
This entry in our best anti-ageing hand cream list strengthens the skin’s natural repair system for younger and healthier-looking hands. The cream can be used daily as a hand moisturiser or as a more intensive mask once or twice a week.
Buy now from Cult Beauty
Why we love it: This advanced, multi-action treatment cream not only nourishes the skin on your hands, it’s also specifically targeted for anti-ageing benefits.
It locks in moisture, protecting and softening the skin, thanks to AHAs and skin tone stabilisers. Its inclusion of hibiscus flower extract firms and lifts the skin. In addition to this, it contains white mulberry bark extract which can help clear out dark spots and other blemishes on the skin.
Still an effective hand cream in its own right, the moisturiser also contains Vitamin C to help soothe any irritation and glycerin to hydrate and soften the skin.
Buy now from Leighton Denny
Why we love it: This hand cream is specifically formulated to nourish dry, damaged hands, as well as protecting them against the elements and chemicals.
Containing a mix of marine collagen and allantoin, the cream moisturises and soothes dry, rough or red skin.
The collagen, particularly, works to boost skin elasticity, making it look smoother and firmer and renewing skin cells, while allantoin, a keratolytic agent, is integral in shedding dead skin cells. Light in weight but mighty in the good that it does, this cream also works its magic when used sparingly and has a non-sticky texture.
Buy now from Lookfantastic
£28 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Why we love it: This Intensely Restorative Protective Hand Cream offers your skin deep hydration and repairs skin cells. All while increasing collagen production.
Considered a high-tech hand cream (hence the higher price), it soothes your hard-working hands, moisturising them and relieving them from the day’s stresses. It also works on cellular repair and microbial protection, thanks to ingredients such as rose geranium and frankincense.
The hand cream contains SPF, and thanks to the inclusion of avocado and zinc as key ingredients – this cream is particularly good at protecting your hands from harmful UV rays.
Elsewhere, it has chia seed and Vitamin C working together to plump and brighten the skin too.
Buy now from Cult Beauty
Amira Arasteh is a freelance journalist and content creator. Find her making sense of beauty trends, tips and topics – when she’s not stuffing her face with the best food in London or travelling the globe