-

Forgeteyesbeing the windows to the soul.Thestateof your hands can reveala multitude of talesyou might

prefer to keep to yourself,saysands up, how many of you are guilty

of neglecting your lO-fingeredfriends? I'm meticulous about skin

care for my face, I apply moisturiser to my

arms and legs religiously, and even my

behind gets more pampering with lotions

and potions than my hands have ever done.

And, according to a recent survey by Nivea,

I'm not alone. More than 74 per cent of

women questioned worry if their hands are

dry, yet only 31 per cent moisturise them.

As these results show, many of us neglect

the skin on our hands, more so than any

other part of our body. This,combined with

external factors, such as sun exposure and

harsh detergents, means hands begin to

look years older than the rest of the body.

In Nivea's survey, more than 89 per cent

believe hands are an important part of their

appearance, yet a staggering 64 per cent

apply hand cream only after their hands

become dry and chapped. Even if you want

to take care of your hands, with handcare

products ranging from £2 to £52, how do

you know which one to buy?

To aid your quest for soft, young-looking

hands, here are some top hand-helping tips.

Keeping your hands clean is an integral

part of keeping healthy, but water and

cleansers can strip hands of their natural oils.

So it's important not to use cleansers that

are too harsh. Barefoot Doctor Happy

Hands Wash (£3.99 for 300ml, from Boots)

has gentle ingredients that mean it can be

used as often as you wish, without drying

out the skin. Fresh Soy Soap (£11, 200g;

from Selfridges or Liberty) is another

cleansing product gentle on the hands.

Using soy,which contains all the amino

acids the body requires to rebuild itself, and

shea butter, this little wonder bar is a must-

have accessory for any household sink.

matters

Prevention is better than cure, as they say,

so when doing the household chores or

manual work, get those digits covered.

Beaute Des Mains by Dech!or (£10 for

50ml; 020 7402 9474) not only keeps hands

silky soft, but also promises to prevent

premature ageing with regular use. A

cheaper option is Nivea Hand Age

Defying Creme Q10 Plus Intensive Care

(£4.09, 100m!), which works in a similar way,

using co-enzyme Q10 to stimulate theturnover of cells.

Two of my faves include Clarins Jeunesse

du Mains Hand Cream (£14,from

department stores) - expensive, but with the

Clarins name behind it you know you're in

for a treat - and Jurlique Lavender Hand

Cream (£14.45 for 40ml. 020 8841 6644), a

super-rich, all-natural, non-sticky formulation

that is absorbed easily and leaves your

hands smelling like freshly-picked lavender.

Finally, if you have neglected your hands, it's

time to nurse them back to health. Atrixo

Regenerating Treatment with Liposomes(£3.79, 75ml; from chemists) delivers intensive

moisture, using liposomes, vitamin E and

avocado oil and soaks in instantly. Borghese's

Moisture Restoring Gloves (£42, from

department stores) are best used at night, as

they are quite bulky and you won't be able

to do much while wearing them. They might

take a bit of getting used to, but are well

worth it. A cheaper option is to invest in

cotton gloves and wear them overnight on

top of a product such as Intensive NightHand Serum by Marks & Spencer (£7.50). It

contains time-defying Retinol. leaving you to

wake with beautifully soft hands.

If you really fancy a treat, I'd recommend

the 60-minute Jurlique De-Luxe HandCare Treatment (£36,020 8995 2293;

www.apotheke20-20.co.uk). A salon

treatment that includes a pampering

aromatic hand bath with organic essential

oils, a gentle exfoliation, followed by a mask,

and an indulgent hand and arm massage.

Hands will have never been happier!

BUDGET HAND CREAMS

Health&F'lIness43

BootsCompleteCareHandand VaselineIntensiveCareHand& NeutrogenaNorwegianFormulaHand M&SHandFormulaHandandNail

NailCream(£1.35,75mltube) Nail(£1.30,75m!)-

Creamunscented(£3.99,50mltube) Lotionwith SPF15(£5,100ml)'Claimsto increasenail

....'Gorgeousvelvetytexture l 'Thisconcentrated 'Containsall-important

strengthby 33percent, . that is completelycreamglidesonto -anti-ageingproperties.All-day h,,,..t

and is lanolin-free.An non-greasy.I noticeda . leaveyourhands mOisturisingwithout feeling

effectivebut light definiteimprovementin magicallysilkensoft.It's Han",,:;am greasyandit hasa really

moisturiserthat really ,.I,. .. the softnessandappearance Hand&:NaU soothingtooandworked - pleasant smell. However,

softens skin, and it didu......o&:'.aIL

of my hands and nails a treat on my chapped, I didn't notice much"0" =;:leave my nails feeling Th after only a few weeks of post-DIY hands. A great

-'""", improvementin the".. -....

strongeraftera few III regularuse.Topmarks: emergency rescue: -- conditionofmynails:

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