I’m raising my (previously unloved) hands high, and admitting I haven’t always taken care of them the way they deserve. After all, they’ve been the ones there to text bae, apply exfoliants and serums to my beloved face, and flick the channel when a dud TV show comes on the screen. Our hands are the real MVPs, but so often we neglect to care for the most important tools of our trade.

Our hands often start to display signs of ageing more quickly and obviously than other parts of our bodies. Imagine the waterfall of tears to deal with if our faces were worn and torn in the same way! Our oft-neglected hands are exposed to everything; they’re constantly submerged in water, forever exposed to the harsh sun – special shout out to my fellow Australians! – and are always coming into contact with the germs and bacteria that inhabit our world.

The skin on our hands is far thinner and way more vulnerable than the rest of our body, too. Before I started religiously using the below hand treatments, shaking hands with me was akin to extending one’s hand to a crumpled paper bag. Winter, as they say, is coming, and already my skin has started to take on the appearance and texture of an ageing lizard, nothing more so than my hands. I was in dire need of a recovery strategy, and quick. Luckily, taking care of our hands is easy – it’s as simple as incorporating one of these ~incredible~ creams in to your daily routine.

Here are my top picks to chuck in your handbag (or keep by your desk), so that your trusty appendages never have to betray your age again.

Words, Domonique Chevalley. 



Hand Chemistry Pro-Repair Skincare For Hands

One

Chemistry indeed! This concentrated hand treatment is perfect for those among us who have really battered our hands in the past (guilty). Its active ingredients (sacha inchi oil, maize propanediol, Tremella fuciformis) are pretty epic, to say the least. Apply liberally and watch as the skin on your hands firms, brightens, smoothes, and rehydrates, making wrinkles, spots, and discolouration all but disappear. I know it’s a big call, but my hands look like they’ve anti-aged a few years over the course of a fortnight, and I wouldn’t want this product anywhere but by my side, day and night.

1

La Mer The Hand Treatment

Two

Ah La Mer, how many different ways can we sing your praises? Our faces thank you, our décolletages are forever in your debt, and now, courtesy of La Mer’s The Hand Treatment, our hands will be perpetually doing the *prayer emoji* in your honour. The smell is light and fresh, matching the cream’s consistency, and it slides on a treat. Obviously, the packaging is some of the lushest out, and will perfectly counterbalance the stack of documents on your desk. Although, I’d recommend putting it on your bedside table to use morning and night. We know a ten when we see one, and this is definitely it.

2

Malin+Goetz Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment

Three

One of the biggest difficulties I’ve faced when trying to find a solid hand treatment is the trail of rogue products that have left my hands feeling oily. Thank the beauty gods for Malin+Goetz! This treatment isn’t oily in the slightest, but still provides ample hydration. The provitamin B5 partners with soothing almond extract and honey to nourish and treat hands. I wasn’t in any danger of my phone — which is never not attached to my hand — slipping through my fingers, either, ‘cause it absorbs lightning-quick. It’s also especially beneficial to my cuticles.

3

Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Hand Cream SPF15

Four

Medik8 understand that we live in an imperfect world, where we’re constantly being exposed to yuck environmental factors. The proof is in this hand cream. Their Hydr8 B5 Hand Cream is packed to the rafters with anti-pollution technology (to counteract secondhand ciggie smoke, motor emissions, industrial fumes etc.), and gives a broad spectrum against both UVAs and UVBs. It absorbs super quickly, leaves your paws feeling sufficiently moisturised, and smells like a goddamn dream come true.

 

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Byredo Blanche Crème Mains

Five

Ooh la la, ma chérie! I admire the french for many, many things and here’s just one more reason why. Feather light, my hands felt silky all day. The scent is delicate and refreshing, so I topped up once in the morning and then again before I hopped into bed. It was that added hint of luxury that my hands were screaming out for. The chic packaging also means it now sits front and centre on my desk.

5

Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand And Nail Treatment

Six

This dynamic, all-in-one treatment helps to repair hands and nails (which, if they’re anything like mine, are in desperate need of some post-shellac abuse TLC). Filled with botanicals and vitamin E, it boosts my hand’s protection to the elements, while also reversing the damage already done. It also helps to reduce the appearance of hyper-pigmentation. All you need is a pea-sized amount — massage it in and let it work its magic!