Hands On

We put so much emphasis and care on the face. We have buckets of serums, toners, moisturisers and cleansers sitting in the beauty cabinet but often times, nothing for the hands. Has it ever occurred to you just about how many times you use your hands in a day? Many. We use our hands to carry out daily tasks everywhere, at home, at work and just about anywhere else. But more often than not, we neglect them, leaving them defenceless to the environment and in poor condition. The skin is our defensive barrier and when the hands lose their natural moisturising oils, they need to be replenished. The skin on the back of the hands is some of the thinnest, most fragile skin on the body and so it needs the most care. It’s one of the first places wrinkles and pigmentation appear and this area becomes very dry very quickly. 

Especially now with the pandemic, the hand sanitiser that we have made into a daily must have to do task, is unfortunately very drying to the skin on the hands. Hence it is even more important now than ever to look after our hands. Everyday tasks such as exposure to water, chemicals and severe temperatures are also causes of damage to the hands. Water is naturally drying for the skin, so even something as mundane as washing up without wearing gloves can cause more harm than good. Hands can become dry, cracked and painful, and are just as much of a problem for men as it is for women.

Just like the face, the hands need moisture and protection too. Our hands, in particular the backs of our hands, are also regularly exposed to harmful UV rays and this can cause pigmentation and dark spots. Hand creams can benefit the skin by protecting it with sunscreen, which helps prevent skin cancer and brown age spots. The skin on top of the hands is much thinner and has less sebaceous glands, meaning it can become dry very quickly. In comparison, the skin on the palms is much thicker and offers a bit more protection. As the skin is thicker, however, it is much more difficult for a moisturiser to penetrate. Hand creams, as opposed to other types of lotion, tend to be richer and full of moisture binding ingredients designed to penetrate the skin of the palms.

Using a hand cream is the best way to repair and restore damaged hands, ensuring that they not only look younger but feel softer too. Mind you, but the hands is also one of the first places to show any signs of aging and can easily give the game away if neglected. Generally, hand creams differ from those used on the body, as the hands require a different type of care. As they are constantly exposed, they need to not only feel good, but also be protected. Using a hand cream daily is a must and one that sinks in quickly means it can be used throughout the day. At night, you can afford to go for something richer that uses more specific ingredients, like one containing anti-aging or skin brightening properties. Skin brightening is an entirely different concept. Brightening increases radiance, vibrancy and glow of skin while reducing the appearance of dark spots and pigmentations. The term ‘skin brightening’ represents an entirely different category of skincare treatments, with a cosmetic goal that’s vastly less extreme. Brightening products are considerably more gentle and nourishing to skin. 

It may sound simple and perhaps to some, redundant, but really, do not down play the benefits of a hand cream. Hand creams are much more advanced now just like any other skincare products and can treat a variety of skin conditions that require more than just hydration. Be it to fade age spots, dark spots, pigmentation, tighten loose skin or soothe excessive dryness, there is a hand cream just for that. There is no need for a ten step ritual, expensive Sephora trips or confusing YouTube tutorials when it comes to hand care, just an effective tube of hand cream doesn’t cost very much, and is small enough to pack in your purse. Simply adding one product to your daily routine can completely change the condition of your hands, so the sooner you start using a hand cream, the sooner you will see results.

Putting it into practice

Alpine White Brightening Hand Cream

75 ml | For All Skin Types

Think about how much you use your hands on a daily basis. Hands are the most used part of our body and also the most neglected. No one likes dry, chapped and damaged hands full of dark spots, age spots, uneven skin tone and pigmentation even. And yet, how many of us look after them with the care that they deserve? And did you know that one of the first giveaway signs of aging is the hands? The hands age as fast as the face does. Similar to using face cream, using a hand cream, especially a brightening hand cream consistently will combat the signs of premature aging, uneven skin tone, pigmentation as well as boost moisture levels and skin elasticity. Not to mention protect your hands against UV exposure too. The benefit of a good brightening hand cream is that it repairs and undoes the damage of neglect on your hands.

The Skincode Alpine White Brightening Hand Cream does exactly just that. A non-greasy hand cream that is suitable for all skin types that works to moisturise dry hands and those showing signs of pigmentation. As mentioned, this Alpine White Brightening Hand Cream not only moisturises but also reduces skin imperfections and age spots while hydrating and soothing the skin. It stimulates cell renewal and protects the skin from environmental aggressors and has the ability to smoothen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the hands. Because it is non greasy, this brightening hand cream absorbs easily into skin, leaving skin feeling moisturised and protected. Age spots are reduced resulting in youthful looking hands. Who wouldn’t want that? All you have to do is invest in this amazing hand cream that will, over time, do wonders to the appearance of your hands. And if you care for the hands as well as you care for the face, both will age simultaneously.

Application

There isn’t a wrong or a right way to apply hand cream but the best way to apply hand cream is to squeeze it onto the back of your hand and rub the back of your other hand against it. This is because the skin on the top of your hands is much thinner and has less sebaceous glands, meaning it can become dry very quickly and therefore needs the most moisture. There is also no specific number of time that a hand cream can be applied. The Alpine White Brightening Hand Cream can be applied onto hands throughout the day as often as extra moisture is needed. This cream is effective even if applied after every alternate handwash. 

However, for a more intensive treatment, after applying the hand cream, you may put on a pair of gloves to help lock the moisture into the hands and prevent the cream from being rubbed off, hence allowing the ingredients to be soaked into skin effectively. Wait around 15 minutes before removing the gloves to see and feel a difference in the skin.

Ingredients

The Alpine White Brightening Hand Cream contains an active ingredient called the Alpine White Complex that inhibits tyrosinase activity. It is a complex of seven Swiss alpine plants (Malva Sylvestris Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract) selected for their potent skin lightening activity in human melanocyte cultures. Inhibiting tyrosinase results in the lightening of age spots‚ lightening of sunburn, helping to repair photo damaged skin, reversing tanning, and general lightening of the skin by returning the skin to the genetically programmed tone. 

It also contains Vitamin B3, a multi-functional active that helps lighten the skin by interfering in the transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes and has shown to significantly reduce the size of age spots, thus helping to reduce skin imperfections. It strengthens the skin by increasing resistance to barrier damage and helps to keep the skin hydrated. It also stimulates collagen synthesis that helps to improve the appearance of aged skin. It contributes to fighting acne significantly by reducing inflammatory acne lesions, including papules and pustules. Another ingredient, the Vitamin C works as a strong antioxidant that promotes collagen synthesis. It also inactivates Tyrosinase, the enzyme involved in the release of the melanin, which leads to skin darkening and uneven pigmentation. The Escin in this brightening hand cream is the complex of Escin saponins in phytosomes known to have skin lightening, anti-blotch and astringent properties. It is considered to have moisturising and soothing actions and originates from Horse Chestnut.

The CM-Glucan, a water-soluble glucan derivative, with a combined protective action to repair, regenerate, preserve and heal, has the ability to stimulate the skin’s own defense mechanism. CM-Glucan enhances the skin’s resistance to UVA induced oxidative stress as well as other environmental hazards. It enhances the turnover of cell renewal and improves the skin’s barrier while calming and reducing irritations and is therefore ideal for sensitive skin. The Sodium Hyaluronate, a super hydrating ingredient, acts to regulate moisture balance of the skin. It can hold one thousand times its weight in water and has a high capacity to retain moisture and gives immediate smoothness to rough skin surfaces thus significantly improves skin’s appearance. It reduces dryness, itching and burning of the skin and offers an excellent environment for the growth of new cells and the healing of existing cells. With its strong moisturising and film-forming properties, the hyaluronic acid film helps preserve the most important characteristics of youthful, healthy skin, such as suppleness, elasticity and tone. The Vitamin E helps improve texture, firmness and smoothness of the skin. It has strong anti-oxidising and moisturising properties that help skin glow and tone the tissues. It plays an important role in the prevention of skin damage due to UVA and UVB radiation.