Despite being a lifelong skin care obsessive, I am notorious for indulging in facial products while utterly neglecting the rest of my body. But given that the skin on our entire bodies is also aging, being exposed to the elements and working hard to protect us, it deserves a bit of care as well. And while active skin care ingredients may be more commonly used in facial products, there are a fair amount of body products that also incorporate skin-loiving ingredients to help with all kinds of issues.
Hand cream, in particular, is a great way to dabble in skin care-forward body care. And given that few things give away our age quite like our hands, it’s not a bad idea to invest in products that are made to help keep our hands looking and feeling soft, supple and youthful. Harnessing the power of ingredients like retinol and applying it to other parts of the body just might be the secret weapon we’ve all been looking for.
In previous reporting, Dr. Y. Claire Chang, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology, explained that retinol creams can “help increase epidermal thickening, promote collagen synthesis and decrease collagen breakdown in photo-aged skin.” By adding retinol to a hand cream (which is typically thicker than body moisturizers, due to having a higher oil content), you can enjoy the same benefits as you would with a face cream like the ability to possibly help prevent and soften wrinkles, smooth uneven texture and improve the overall complexion of your paws.
Below, we’ve curated a list of highly-rated, reviewer beloved hand creams with retinol. They’re available at a varying range of price points from retailers like Amazon, Nordstrom, Sephora, Target and more. It’s an easy way to add some extra oomph to your everyday hand cream and enjoy the added benefits with minimal effort.
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Promising review: "In love with this product! I've only been using this product for a few weeks and see a difference already. I'm 60 years old and produce food videos so I'm very conscious of the appearance of my "mature" hands. Theraplush has absolutely enhanced the overall smoothness and texture; so impressed with this lovely cream!I would recommend this product to: Anyone who is aware of the importance of taking extra care of their hands!" — Sheri
Promising review: "A must for older hands. Wonderful night time hand treatment for aged hands. Helps with age spots and crepey skin. Also very moisturising without being sticky" — Mary
Promising review: "Absolute wonder! I bought this based on a dermatologist's recommendation, and it really delivers! After a very short time my hands look and feel so much better! I was starting to notice my hands were looking older, and this has really helped." — ROinCo
Promising review: "best hand cream ever!I've tried every hand cream under the sun and this one is the best by far. My hands were looking very old and wrinkly one winter so I bought this and literally overnight I had hands that looked 20 years younger. The difference was incredible! The thing that impresses me the most is it's effectiveness, but it's also feels very nice to use. It goes on light - not greasy at all. it's very quickly absorbed but you still feel like your hands are soft so there is no need to keep reapplying all day like with other hand creams. I use it once in the morning and once at night and that's enough. It's pricey but lasts a long time because you don't need to use a lot of it - 1 tube lasts me all winter." — Productjunkie1
Promising review: "I like the moisture and lively texture of my hands. Before they looked dry and older because of all the hand sanitizer I have used over the last 3 years. Now they look healthy and feels so soft, and I don’t mind shaking hands if needed." — Nene Love it
"I really like this hand lotion. I am 36 and a hairdresser so my hands get a beating daily. I’ve noticed them aging so I wanted something to help slow that. This lotion feels very soft when you put it on. My kids did comment that it smells like a Grandma. And I think it kind of does smell like it too. Not a bad smell just does have a distinctive smell. I do like it!" — Karen
Promising reviews: "Love the creme. Daughter asked to try it and as she was going back home to CT, called for the exact name and a picture. She loved it also. Works good on old hands. Of course mine are a lot older than hers." — Aging
"I have a stress eczema on my hands. This cream healed my hands in 3(!) days! Now I recommend it to everyone! And use the crème on daily basis." — Oyuka
Promising review: "Nice smell works well on lighting the spot on my hands and a couple of spots on my face." — Kathleen K. Goodman
"Reduces crepey skin. For 1 week I only put it on my left arm and after a week you can see the difference. The left arm looks so much better and is so much softer than the right." — Debi V.
Promising review: "It's light and smooth, very comfortable and nonirritating. I use it mostly on my hands and neck. It feels light and very comfortable and it has no scent which is great for those who are sensitive to that. For the price and the amount you get for a body lotion that have great ingredients including retinol and vitamins i say its worth the try and see how much improvement it gives to the look of your hands and/or neck. I havent used it on my other parts of my body since im using a diff product with retinol on my face. They also ship it with tape on the opening so it wouldnt spill out which is great." — Emie