The skin on our hands are one of the most overlooked parts of a skincare routine, but they are also one of the easiest to transform with a few smart habits. Our team of experts share everything you need to know about hand care, what matters, what doesn’t, and how to build a routine that fits into a busy lifestyle.
The Hand Concerns We See Every Day
Hands rarely have just one concern, it’s usually a mix of texture, tone and dryness. Crepey, thinning skin is common, often described as “dried apple” skin, fine lines, crinkling and a ‘papery’ look.
Alongside that, there are the usual suspects:
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Dryness and tightness after washing hands or cleaning.
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Dark spots and uneven tone from years of UV exposure.
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Irritation from frequent hand‑washing and harsh products.
The good news is all of these can be improved with targeted, consistent care...made easy.
Top 3 Tips From Skin Pharmacy
Keep it simple:
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When washing hands, be mindful of water temperature and harsh soaps which can strip the barrier.
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When you exfoliate your body, don’t forget your hands, to stimulate cell renewal and keep texture smoother.
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SPF, the non‑negotiable. UV exposure is the biggest driver of dark spots and collagen breakdown.
Day vs night routine for hands
Think of hand care the same way you think of facial skincare, protect in the morning and repair at night.
Day - Hand Routine
A gentle hand wash used throughout the day, followed by SPF on the back of the hands. Tip is to keep an SPF you find easy and enjoy using next to the handwash.
Our SPF range are all hydrating and includes pollution‑fighting ingredients, giving you protection and moisture in one step.
Night - Hand Routine
This is where retinol‑based hand care comes in for texture and age spots.
A retinol or retinoid treatment used consistently can help with overnight regeneration, supporting collagen and gradually softening pigmentation.
Remember this simple rule - SPF in the morning, retinol in the evening, and this will become a great hand routine.
The Ingredients That Really Matter
The most underrated hero is SPF!
SPF is still the most undervalued hand ingredient. Even in winter, when the UV index is above 3, UVA can cause pigmentation and collagen breakdown and windows do not block it completely. Daily SPF on the hands means:
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Fewer new sun spots.
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Slows down ageing of the skin.
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Better hydration overall because protected skin loses less moisture.
UV Rays From Commuting
Hands are constantly “on show” to UV, often more than the face.
Commuting and sitting near windows often expose the hands to UVA, which penetrates through glass and contributes to sun spots and loss of firmness.
The atmosphere, even on cloudy days, still sends enough UV to trigger pigmentation and collagen breakdown over time.
At Skin Pharmacy, our advice is simple, SPF every day, on the backs of the hands, and you will notice brighter, more hydrated, more radiant skin.
Everyday Habits That Quietly Damage Your Hands
Often, it is the small daily habits that do the most damage.
Hand-washing, washing‑up liquids and detergents without moisturising afterwards is detrimental to moisture‑loss in hands.
Choosing The Right Products For Your Lifestyle
If you only have time for one product, that’s fine, there is always a way to build an effective routine around a single step used well (e.g SPF everyday).
If you love a ritual, they can layer in treatments around TV or bedtime so hand care feels like a moment, not a chore.
A helpful mindset we share with our clients is to extend your facial routine to your hands. If a product feels good on your face and you tolerate it well, applying a little extra to the backs of your hands is an easy way to upgrade care without buying anything new.
For more advanced concerns like pigmentation and sun spots, a standard hand cream will not be enough. In those cases, the team may suggest a more precise retinol treatment (for example from 0.5% upwards) to drive real overnight regeneration.
Myths, Timelines And “Is It Too Late?”
One of the biggest myths is that it is “too late” to restore volume and quality on the tops of our hands. Collagen stimulation and internal hydration work cumulatively and the skin can respond with persistence over weeks.
If you have already had injectable treatments for your hands, there are even specific skincare products that can help maintain results for longer, an insider detail most people are never told.
Effective Hand Care For The “Time-Poor”
If you are overwhelmed or time‑poor, the Skin Pharmacy philosophy is to design a routine that is effective with minimal steps, maximum payoff.
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Find a lightweight SPF you genuinely love and buy two, one for home and one for your bag.
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Apply in the morning, then reapply after hand washing. This one habit alone can dramatically improve radiance and texture in as little as four weeks.
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Keep a deep hand mask or retinol‑based product on your nightstand, or near your toothbrush so it is always in your line of sight. If it is where you reach every night, you are far more likely to use it.
Hand care does not need to be perfect to be powerful. With a smart SPF, a little overnight repair and a few tweaks to daily habits, your hands can age as gracefully as your face, if not better.
Product Recommendations
Morning
Daily Moisturiser - HydroPeptide Body Moisturiser
Benefits: Firming Peptides, Niacinimide to brighten tone, Ceramides to Hydrate.
SPF - Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect SPF50
Benefits: Daily Hydration with Squalene, Broad Spectrum UV filters and Blue (screen) light filters. Fortified to defend Pollution and Glycation (collagen breakdown).
Evening
Retinol + Hand Lotion: AlumierMD Neck and Decolletage Firming Cream
Benefits: Retinol to renew, Licorice Root to brighten, Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid to further brighten and noursh.
Evening Balm:
Meder Circa Hand Restorative Night Hand Cream: (for fans of less oily balms, hand washer’s).
Benefits: Prebiotics for irritation support and increase Hyaluronic Acid, Olive Squalene to nourish, Niacinamide to brighten.
HydroPeptide Soothing Balm - Supporting Dried/Cracked Skin
Benefits: Coconut, Avocado Oils to nourish, Beeswax to breathable seal, Vitamin E to calm
(Or) Alumier Ultimate Recovery (similar formulation/purpose).
Other: (if needed) Post Injection:
Alastin INHance Serum
Benefits: Reduces bruise and swelling time, increases volume and CHROMAfade to brighten.
Build a Hand Care Routine: FAQs with The Skin Pharmacy Experts
Q1: How should a basic hand‑care routine change between day and night?
Skin Expert: SPF in the morning, retinol based care in the evening.
Q2: What are your non‑negotiable ingredients for healthy hands and which ones are over‑hyped?
Skin Expert: SPF is incredibly undervalued! Most SPF’s cause a natural hydration due to the evolution of smart formula’s that also fight pollution so no need to double layer if you’re time poor!
Q3: What everyday habits affect hand skin?
Skin Expert: Handling Washing up liquids and laundry de-stainer with no moisturiser afterwards impacts the skin on your hands.
Q4: What hand‑care myth do you wish would disappear?
Skin Expert: That it is too late to restore volume in the top of hands. Collagen stimulation and internal Hydration takes an accumulative effect from 6 weeks of persistance.
Q5: Is there a “secret” or insider tip you share with friends/family that most customers have never heard?
Skin Expert: If you have indeed gone the injectable route, not many know that there is a specific treatment to keep your product lasting alot longer! (See Alastin: Restorative Skin Complex and Dr. Levi Booster Serum).
If you have any specific questions on Hand Care, speak to our experts - for free. Book an appointment online here. Alternatively, email hello@skinpharmacy.com or call us on 020 3070 3833 or 07522 002050.
