Skin on the hands is often an afterthought when it comes to care and attention. Whilst the face, neck and décolleté are front of mind with anti-ageing, hands are one of the first areas to show the signs of ageing and also require dedication to keep them in optimum condition. One of Australia’s leading beauty experts, Jocelyn Petroni, shares her expertise to help you nail a hand care routine to keep ageing at bay.
Jocelyn Petroni, leading beauty expert
What causes our hands to age?
The major changes with skin on the hands as we age are discolouration, dehydration and thinning. There is less subcutaneous fat in this area, the skin is thinner and more fragile making it prone to premature ageing. The number one offender is the sun – cumulative sun exposure over many years can lead to brown sun spots, irregular pigmentation, thinning of the skin and wrinkles. Daily wear and tear, especially in the current climate puts extra pressure on the hands with frequent water, sanitiser and detergent exposure. The hydrolipidic film on the hands, the natural barrier protection, is stripped and skin becomes dry, chapped and red. Naturally a change in season as we move into winter means our hands are more susceptible to drying out.
How do you recommend caring for our hands?
Regularly apply an SPF factor (at least 30+) every day to shield the hands from the harmful effects of the sun. Consider keeping a tube in the car for frequent application whilst driving.
Make hand cream your best friend and apply frequently through the day. Unfortunately, not all hand creams are created equal. You really get what you pay for when it comes to anti-ageing benefits. Look for high-performance ingredients that you would find in facial skincare products like hyaluronic acid, retinol, peptides, ceramides and antioxidants. These active ingredients will offer your hands a more intensive treatment with visible results. Also look for hydrating, nourishing ingredients like shea butter, vitamin E and collagen.
Use intensive ‘cure’ treatments to give your hands extra TLC. Super-charge hand cream application with a targeted hand mask and overnight repairing hand cream. These work best when applied with gloves to intensify the effect. Gloves form an occlusive barrier around the skin so the treatment cream underneath is forced deep into the skin. I love Mavala’s Repairing Night Cream. If you suffer with sun spots, look for a targeted solution to fade and prevent future spots from appearing.
Don’t neglect cuticles. Cuticles frame the nail beds and are an important consideration for healthy, younger-looking hands. We often see dry cuticles in the salon and, if left untreated, they can split to form unsightly and often painful hangnails. Caring for your cuticles regularly at home will help to prevent or overcome this. I always advise my clients to invest in a quality cuticle oil that can be applied frequently and easily whilst on-the-go. It’s best to massage cuticles with a firm rotating motion towards the heart, allowing the product to penetrate.
Visit your skin care therapist regularly for quality manicures and hand treatments, just as you would do for facials. We offer an Anti-Ageing Manicure as the perfect solution for the visible signs of ageing on the hands.
Mavala Manicure at Jocelyn Petroni’s Woollahra salon
