I’ve heard that your hands are the one part of the body that truly reveal your age. A person might use all kinds of fancy creams, injections or even surgery to turn back time on their face or neck. They might have the most fantastic dye job ever on their hair, and use every other trick in the book. But their hands will reveal all.
I’m in my mid-30s and see some small wrinkles developing on my face. I’m careful to use sunscreen and good lotions. My hair tends to have natural highlights and I’m pretty happy with my hair color so haven’t ever dyed my hair or gotten highlights (aside from a few times playing with boxed color in my younger days!). Unfortunately, I am starting to see a gray hair or two every now and then and they are promptly plucked!
But my hands, oh my, they are revealing an age even older than my true age!
They are dry, the pores seem huge and I’ve developed light sun spots in addition to the already-there freckles. I read years and years ago that clenching your hands into fists loosens the skin and can cause wrinkles. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I am careful to sleep with flat, open hands every night. Just. In. Case.
Is it odd that I’m so vain about my hands? Maybe; but I’m totally owning it.
Other than my flat-hand sleep habit, I also slather on thick, luxurious lotion most nights before bed in an effort to soften my skin and increase the elasticity.
Here are a few of my favorites.
O’Keefe’s Working Hands
After spending many, many weekends and evenings over the past two years transforming our backyard into a beautifully landscaped paradise, my husband ended up with terribly cracked hands. He picked up a green jar of O’Keefe’s Working Hands — at a farm store of all places — and we both love it.
The Body Shop Almond Hand and Nail Butter
I’m devoted to The Body Shop and this almond scent is one of my all-time favorites. The Hand and Nail Butter is the thickest product in a great line of hand products with this lovely scent.
Crabtree and Evelyn Gardners Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy
I received a tube of this last year as a gift and used every last drop. It is thick and luxurious with a light, clean, fresh scent.
So tell me…do your hands reveal your true age? Are you doing anything to keep your hands looking youthful? I hope I’m not the only one!
Read more about Aimee and her crazy boys at Smiling Mama and about family friendly activities in Prince George’s County, MD at Out by Ten.