Our hands are arguably the most overused and under-tended to part of our bodies. And when it comes to aging, they’re among the first to show wear and tear beyond their years. The skin on our hands is incredibly thin and vulnerable to loss of elasticity and fullness. As we get older—and after years of unprotected sun exposure—the veins and tendons on our hands become more pronounced, and creases and dark spots appear on the surface. This is nothing to be embarrassed about; it’s a natural part of aging and certainly doesn’t impact your radiance…but, with a little TLC, you can scrub off some of those years and enjoy softer, smoother hands!
Sugar and Lemon Juice Hand Scrub
As we age, we don’t shed our skin as easily. Dull dead skin builds up, leading to dry and wrinkled hands. You can accelerate skin cell turnover and reveal smoother, more youthful skin by exfoliating a few times a week with a sugar and lemon juice hand scrub.
No need to purchase a costly anti-aging hand scrub. Just mix together some sugar and lemon juice, and give your hands an all-over exfoliation session.
Sugar possesses several anti-aging benefits. It acts as a natural humectant, helping to lock moisture into the skin; it contains glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that encourages cell turnover; and it has a built-in exfoliator of granules to help slough away dead skin.
Why sugar and not salt? Salt granules are much more course than sugar granules, and can cause micro-tears in the skin. Sugar achieves the desired effect in a much gentler fashion!
Rich in vitamin C and citric acid (another AHA!), lemon juice helps peel away the top layer of dead skin cells. Lemon juice also has lightening properties, and with regular use can help fade dark spots on the hands. It even helps to strengthen and whiten nails that have become yellow from too much nail polish!
Hand Maintenance
Regular exfoliation will definitely help turn back the “hands” of time, but it’s important to protect your hands from future aging. Exfoliated skin is especially vulnerable to sun damage, so you should always use a hand moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15. Bonus points if it helps to lighten dark spots as well, like Clinque’s Even Better Dark Spot Correcting Hand Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 15—a pretty terrific all-in-one product that perfectly complements your sugar and lemon juice hand scrub.
