# Is there a good anti-aging hand lotion? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546 "2012-01-24T22:07:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/1 "2012-01-24T22:07:27Z")
Or are hand lotions basically all the same? My friends and I use Neutrogena, Bag Balm, or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter for chapped hands, but the backs of our hands are starting to get, well, old looking. Is there something else we should know about to hold off ol’ age a bit longer? ---
**Author:** ![andyleonard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@andyleonard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andyleonard)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/2 "2012-01-25T00:16:45Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Or are hand lotions basically all the same? My friends and I use Neutrogena, Bag Balm, or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter for chapped hands, but the backs of our hands are starting to get, well, old looking. Is there something else we should know about to hold off ol’ age a bit longer? A long time ago my first wife worked at an oyster farm with a bunch of older Russian women, some of whom had been shucking oysters every day for over 40 years…and they had eerily young-looking hands. All I remember is it had something to do with mink oil. Sorry, that’s all I’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/3 "2012-01-25T00:20:02Z")
My mother is a weaver (and almost 80) and swears that the lanolin in the wool is one reason her hands and face look much younger than her age. What do you mean exactly by “old looking”? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/4 "2012-01-25T01:03:19Z")
The backs of our hands where it’s thin skin are dry, look like crepe paper, probably from years of sun exposure. I’m going to try heavy duty lotion wearing cotton gloves at night. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/5 "2012-01-25T02:08:09Z")
Try a lotion containing alpha hydroxy acid, or AHA. In the low concentrations available over the counter, the AHAs have a mild exfoliating effect. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/6 "2012-01-25T02:31:15Z")
You might look into a new product line called “Algenist” that is available from Sephora, QVC, etc. It has received some very good reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/7 "2012-01-25T03:32:56Z")
I use Eucerin lotion and love it, and it’s fairly inexpensive. **Side note:** I noticed that the last 2 times I’ve seen Dolly Parton on TV, she’s been wearing little glovelets that cover her hands just up to the knuckles. I guess plastic surgery has nothing to offer the aging hand. (And let me say, it certainly hasn’t done any favors for her face, either. :eek:) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/8 "2012-01-25T03:47:25Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > My mother is a weaver (and almost 80) and swears that the lanolin in the wool is one reason her hands and face look much younger than her age. This. I knew some sheep herders when I was in Oz. (Yeah, yeah, the jokes.) On a dark and stormy night, or the wrong side of town, you would want them on your side. But I digress. These men were as rugged as they come. But their hands were as soft as a baby’s butt. It’s the lanolin. All natural. Nothing artificial. Quite a bit of the human-made lotions contain questionable chemicals. Stay natural. Lanolin. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/9 "2012-01-25T04:18:33Z")
I use sunblock on my face and hands every single day and I always get comments on how young my face/hands look. I know that doesn’t help if you already have sun damage, but it will help to avoid further sun damage. Also I have an acquaintance who get IPL\* on her hands and she swears they look much younger. \*IMS, this stands for Intense Pulse Laser and she described it as a “zapper” that delivered some type of current to the skin and removed sun damage. She had it done by her dermatologist. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/10 "2012-01-25T04:57:24Z")
Moved GQ --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/11 "2012-01-26T03:00:17Z")
I’ve heard good things about a skin cream from Mexico - Oil of Olé. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/12 "2012-01-26T03:11:44Z")
> [@Thin\_Ice](#): > > I’ve heard good things about a skin cream from Mexico - Oil of Olé. Bull. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/13 "2012-01-26T04:56:56Z")
German Nivea is _amazing._ Yes, it has to be German and not the US kind. For whatever reason, the European formula is different than the kind made in Mexico and sold in the US. In fact, there are companies that make fake packaging to resell US Nivea in fake German packages. Crazy, right? What’s the difference? We did a side by side comparison once and the biggest thing is that the US version used petroleum jelly. You wouldn’t believe the difference the exclusion of that makes. Basically, the German stuff melts into your skin all nice and silky, while the US version sits on your skin, then is shiny. Also, it appears to have lanolin alcohol in there, but I’m not sure if that’s the same as the oil. Anyway, I put this stuff all over my body and face each night before bed and in the few months since I’ve been doing that, I’ve seen a tremendous difference in just how glowy and healthy my skin looks. Hydration is the key to retaining plump/fullness and looking young. [This amazing website (Smallflower-- they sell so many COOL things)](http://www.smallflower.com/nivea/nivea-creme-400ml-5226) sells legit German Nivea at a fair price. The one I link to there is a HUGE tub. I bought mine over 6 months ago and I still have half left. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/14 "2012-01-26T05:19:38Z")
> [@Thin\_Ice](#): > > I’ve heard good things about a skin cream from Mexico - Oil of Olé. Is there something wrong with me that I cannot stop laughing at this post? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/15 "2012-01-26T05:46:59Z")
Yeah. Sunscreen. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/16 "2012-01-26T10:47:37Z")
I wipe the residual 30+ spf sunscreen and retinol creams I use on my face on the back of my hands when I am done - and particularly the retinol has made a major difference to the texture and pigmentation. The sunscreen is important both to prevent normal sun damage, and also since retinol makes skin more sun sensitive. I use the Neutrogena deep wrinkle night cream and serums. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/17 "2012-01-26T14:11:40Z")
The oldest woman to have lived Jeanne Clamont (from memory) used torub her skin with olive oil every day. She said the only wrinkle she had she sat on. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/18 "2012-01-26T14:48:14Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > I use sunblock on my face and hands every single day and I always get comments on how young my face/hands look. I know that doesn’t help if you already have sun damage, but it will help to avoid further sun damage. Yep, sunscreen. Face and hand lotions do not actually \*penetrate \*the skin, despite what the commercials say; they lay on top of the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/19 "2012-01-26T15:05:23Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > [This amazing website (Smallflower-- they sell so many COOL things)](http://www.smallflower.com/nivea/nivea-creme-400ml-5226) sells legit German Nivea at a fair price. The one I link to there is a HUGE tub. I bought mine over 6 months ago and I still have half left. You are convincing me, mademoiselle, but I’m surprised you use it on your face AND body. It’s not too greasy for the face? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546/20 "2012-01-26T16:34:27Z")
I’m wondering if Oil of Ol’ Age 🙂 would work just as well on the backs of hands. Like the Regenerist stuff? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-good-anti-aging-hand-lotion/610546.md?page=2)