I have always been ashamed of my hands. The obsessive-compulsive in me tends to over-wash between anxiously picking at my cuticles and biting my nails down to the quick. And that all happens before the mercury drops. Winter arrives, and when my hands aren’t punched into the cozy confines of fur-lined gloves, I do my best to nonchalantly tuck them inside extra-long sleeves so as not to reveal the cracking, bleeding, and flaking that occurs until the season’s change. Perhaps this sounds familiar?
When I met with Ellen Sirot, longtime hand model and creator of Hand Perfection, she assured me I wasn’t alone. “We dedicate so much time and effort to our faces, but then we totally neglect our hands,” she said, massaging a thin layer of her Nourishing Day Cream, a staple in her new hand-specific anti-aging skin-care line, onto my scaly knuckles and fingertips, which felt instantly softer—but not greasy.
According to Jennifer MacGregor, M.D., a dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology, it’s that slick, greasy feel—the byproduct of a key ingredient called petrolatum—that’s essential for treating overly dry skin. “But that’s not practical during the day,” she admits. MacGregor urges her patients to follow an intense nighttime ritual (like applying a layer of Vaseline and wearing cotton gloves) and to use something lighter for day, preferably with an SPF.
Thankfully, plenty of skin-care brands offer lightweight, nutrient-packed options: Feathery formulas from Chanel and Lancôme are rich but fast-absorbing; vitamin C-spiked potions from Clinique and Dermalogica tackle dark spots and brighten skin tone. And in terms of application, it doesn’t get much easier than Rodan+Fields’s Age Shield Hand Balm SPF 30, an anhydrous glide-on stick that delivers firming peptides, and UV protection in one smooth stroke.
Click through our slideshow above of ideal hand creams for day.