How to Care for Your Hands
Even though the hands are one of the first body parts to age, it’s all too common to ignore them while using skin care products. You can also have crepey skin, inflammation, and dark patches in addition to dryness and discomfort. Give your dry, aging hands the attention they need by following the seven steps in the guide below.
Exfoliate once to twice a week in the first step.
The skin on your hands can benefit from a weekly or twice-weekly exfoliation, much like the skin on your face and body. Exfoliation can help remove dead surface skin cells that can accumulate on your hands, which can make it harder for your skin to absorb nourishing hand-care products
like serums, oils, and, of course, hand cream. We recommend applying a scoop of the Gently Exfoliating Body Scrub to the tops of your hands and massaging it into dry skin. Then, rinse and follow up with a nourishing hand cream.
STEP 2: Use a Serum
At night, when you’re applying your anti-aging skin-care products to your face, try massaging some of those serums into the tops of your hands, too. This can not only salvage some of that excess product you may have accidentally squirted into your hands, but it can also help ensure that the skin on your hands is receiving a boost of nourishing skin benefits. Our favorite serums to massage into our hands? Anything formulated with antioxidants like Vitamin C Serum. Vitamin C is one of our favorite skin-care ingredients as it can help protect the surface of skin from free radical damage, while also working to brighten skin tone.
STEP 3: Correct
In addition to applying serum to the tops of your hands, you may want to consider using your dark spot-correcting serums here, too. Most dermatologists would agree that retinol is one of the best anti-aging ingredients in skin care. An active form of vitamin A, retinol works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines as well as working to even out your skin tone. You can incorporate retinol into both your skin-care routine for your face and your hands. If you’ve never used retinol on your skin — including your hands — before, start with a lower concentration and frequency and slowly work your way up to help prevent irritation. Apply retinol at night and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen during daytime hours because retinol can cause skin sensitivity to sunlight.
STEP 4: Nourish Your Cuticles
Show your cuticles some love with a cuticle oil like the Olive cuticle Serum. You can also use an oil such as coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or argan oil to give your cuticles a similar hydrating effect. Simply apply the oil to the tops of your cuticles and nail beds and gently massage it in.
STEP 5: Apply Hand Cream on the Regular
When it comes to youthful-looking skin, hydration is key. Keep the skin on your hands looking and feeling well-moisturized with a creamy hand cream or lotion. Unlike body lotions, hand creams are often thicker in texture and can work to target some of the rougher areas of the skin. Keep a bottle of the anti-aging Cream for Dry Hands & Damaged Hands near your sink and apply it after washing your hands.
STEP 6: Deep Condition
When moisturizer isn’t enough, we like to take things one step further and treat our hands to some deep conditioning R&R. Once a week, massage a skin-care oil — such as tamanu oil or argan oil — onto freshly exfoliated and cleansed hands. Wrap them in plastic wrap and cover them with a pair of mittens or fuzzy socks to keep everything in place. Leave the wraps on for about an hour — or overnight, if you’d like — before removing for soft, smooth, supple-looking hands.
STEP 7: Protect With Sunscreen
You should always — we repeat: always — apply broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher to your hands in the morning and throughout the day as needed (i.e. after you rinse your hands). Broad-spectrum SPF can help protect the skin from experiencing the wrath of the sun’s damaging UV rays like sunburns, sun spots, premature signs of skin aging and even some cancers.
Home Pedicure Done Perfectly
With the coming of sunny weather, our toes can’t help but stick their toes out. However, you’ll undoubtedly realise it’s been a while since you gave your feet any attention (or even used foot cream) when you pull out those adorable summer sandals. When getting to the salon for a professional pedicure is difficult (or impossible! ), we have you covered with easy instructions for performing the ideal pedicure at home.
Here are the must-dos and at-home pedicure tips to properly take care of your feet and toes, from the best tools to aftercare. Give your feet some TLC by embracing your inner nail technician.
A mass of the necessary tools for a DIY pedicure.
1. Make sure you have a straight (not a curved)
nail clipper, nail file, foot file, cuticle pusher, cuticle nipper, foot mask, and cuticle oil. You can always leave your toes au natural, but if you prefer a fresh coat of paint, have your favorite nail polish on hand, too, plus a base and top coat.
2. Trim your toenails short.
Use a straight nail clipper to create a neat line and avoid ingrown toenails. Keeping your toenails short prevents polish chips. After clipping, file your toenails smoothly in one direction.
3. Be gentle on cuticles
When treating your cuticles, think less is more. Be gentle with your cuticle pusher. simply push back any waxy build-up on your natural toenail plate and near the cuticle area. The point of the pusher is to detach that cuticle buildup from the natural nail, but (bonus!) it will also help your polish adhere to the nails. Then take your cuticle trimmer and trim only any pieces of dead skin or obvious hang nails.
4. Exfoliate rough heels with a foot file
Start by soaking your feet to soften and help remove dead skin. Using a foot file, buff away at any rough areas that may have been caused by standing too long in heels, exercising, or having just accumulated over time. “Focus on cracks on the edges of your heel, as well as the ball of your foot, which is where calluses tend to occur.
5. Treat feet to a mask
Putting on a foot mask can help extend the life of your baby-soft skin even days after your pedicure. If you find that your feet often feel dry, try a moisturizing mask that will nourish the skin on your soles and leave them silky-smooth.
If you’re looking for a more intensive callus treatment, use a chemical foot peel like Baby Foot that will dissolve rough skin without harsh, physical exfoliation. When rinsing off the mask, soak your feet for an extra 10 minutes of added relaxation.
6. Always use a base coat
Don’t make the mistake of skipping out on the base coat. It only takes a few extra minutes to apply, and it prevents chips and yellow nail stains that can come from dark nail polishes. Because “toenails tend to dry out due to exposure to the summer heat.it’s best to use a moisturizing base coat formula.
7. Paint on polish
The toes are a great place to play with a bolder polish shade, as they can be hidden if needed (or balanced out with a more muted nail color). We’ve seen nail polish trends from bright pinks to periwinkle blues to fun nail art this season. And a pop of color looks good on all skin tones. If you prefer to keep things classic, a sheer nude is always a contender for compliments as well. Be careful not to layer polish on too thick: Instead, layer on several thin coats, allowing adequate time to dry between each coat for best results.
8. Seal your color with a no-chip top coat.
For a top coat, seek a strengthening formula,” Remark says. Since toes are always exposed in sandals, it’s a good idea to find a long-wear version that will help nail color stay chip-free. “Reapply your top coat every four days to keep your polish as long-lasting and shiny as possible.
9. Be Patient
Don’t let all your hard work go to waste. Make sure to wait for your freshly-polished toenails to completely dry before slipping on socks or closed-toe shoes. Even though nails may feel dry, rushing the drying process can result in unwanted smudges. I recommend waiting at least two hours to put shoes on for the perfect pedicure.
10. Don’t forget cuticle oil
Cuticle oil is key for healthy, strong nails, whether on the hands or toes. “It refreshes your pedicure and prevents toes from looking dry. so don’t forget to swipe some over your toes. But remember to always apply cuticle oil after nail polish so that it won’t interfere with the color adhering to the nails.
11. Keep up the good work
By now you realize how easy it is to give yourself a salon-worthy pedicure at home, so stick to it!I suggest treating yourself to pedicures every two or three weeks for those with very active lifestyles to maintain proper foot health. “Otherwise every three to four weeks is sufficient, depending on how quickly your nails grow,”
