Regardless of the numerous serums and moisturizers we use to look after our faces, most of us don’t give the pores and skin on our our bodies the identical consideration. And we actually ought to—particularly our arms. Provided that the fragile pores and skin on our arms is thought to be extra inclined to wear-and-tear, like age spots, wonderful traces, and wrinkles, caring for our arms is an important skin-care step we are able to’t afford to miss.
“Our arms can typically give us away with respect to growing old if we haven’t taken steps to guard them,” explains Sheilagh Maguiness, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Stryke Membership. “Photoaging takes place on all sun-exposed pores and skin, together with the backs of the arms.” It’s this fixed solar publicity that may make age spots (or darkish spots), wrinkles, and different blemishes inevitable.
The excellent news is, sure hand lotions can work wonders with regards to stopping and diminishing the look of age spots in your arms. They nonetheless must be utilized with sunscreen after all, however the skin-care world is positively brimming with hand cream choices that’ll reduce the look of age spots and assist forestall new ones from forming. We requested dermatologists to “hand” over their favourite hand lotions for age spots—discover their suggestions, under.
The most effective hand lotions for age spots, at a look:
- Greatest total: Goldfaden MD Arms To Coronary heart Hand Therapy ($38)
- Greatest fragrance-free: Necessaire The Hand Cream ($20)
- Greatest with SPF: Supergoop! Handscreen SPF 40 ($38)
- Greatest splurge: PCA Pores and skin CE Hand Renewal ($82)
- Greatest funds: CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream ($10)
- Greatest with vitamin C: Dr. Loretta Intense Brightening Cream ($75)
- Greatest with retinol: Magnificence Pie Tremendous Retinol Anti-Growing older Hand Therapy ($50)
- Greatest for very dry arms: Elta MD So Silky Hand Crème ($25)
- Greatest for wrinkles: StriVectin Volumizing & Rejuvenating Hand Cream ($29)
- Greatest for delicate pores and skin: Beekman 1802 Pure Hand Cream ($22)
- Greatest for firming: StriVectin Crepe Management Brightening & Firming Hand Cream ($29)
- Greatest hand cream that’s not technically a hand cream: REN In a single day Glow Darkish Spot Sleeping Cream ($55)
Greatest total
For a hand cream that does essentially the most to fight age spots, take a look at the Goldfaden MD Hand Therapy. “The components look fairly good for anti-aging,” says Dr. Maguiness. “The retinol is crucial energetic on this listing, nevertheless it’s additionally wealthy in [moisturizing] avocado oil and accommodates niacinamide which is one other nice ingredient for decreasing hyperpigmentation.” With its highly effective ingredient line up—which additionally consists of hydrating hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich purple tea extract, and glucosamine, a humectant that locks in moisture—this multi-tasking therapy is the important thing to brighter, smoother, extra hydrated arms.
Greatest fragrance-free
For a fragrance-free choice, Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in New York loves the Necessaire Hand Cream. “The niacinamide can assist with lightening age spots and the marula oil is a superb addition,” he explains. Between the moisturizing marula oil, brightening niacinamide, and the skin-plumping, protecting peptides, this fast-absorbing hand cream does all of it, with out leaving a scent behind. Bonus: the minimalist packaging appears to be like good in your bedside desk, too.
Greatest with SPF
“Solar safety is important for safeguarding the pores and skin from photo-damage and collagen loss, which result in darkish spots, wonderful traces and wrinkles,” explains Courtney Rubin, MD, MBE, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Fig.1.
And Dr. Bhanusali agrees: “I like the Supergoop Handscreen given it has SPF 40, and my sufferers adore it as effectively,” he tells us. “It additionally has components like soy that may assist with the darkish spots and antioxidants that may assist fight UV injury.” Antioxidant-rich sea buckthorn extract helps fend off environmental injury and assist extra even-looking pores and skin, whereas moisturizing meadowfoam seed oil retains arms hydrated with out the greasy really feel. Plus, you’ll be able to snag one in a mini measurement for under $14 bucks.
Greatest splurge
If you happen to’re critical about addressing the look of wonderful traces, wrinkles, and age spots on arms, you’ll need to make investments on this antioxidant-rich hand cream by PCA Pores and skin. “[It has] antioxidants that assist with free radical injury from solar and air pollution, in addition to the antioxidant vitamin C which is a gentle lightener,” explains Caren Campbell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in San Francisco.
It’s even formulated with bakuchiol for added age-defying advantages. “Bakuchiol is a gentler different to retinol which helps with pores and skin cell turnover and collagen stimulation,” Dr. Campbell tells us. Together with mega-moisturizing vitamin E, these powerhouse components assist assist brighter and smoother wanting arms.
Greatest funds
If you happen to’re on a funds, Dr. Maguiness says you’ll be able to fight the look of age spots on arms by bringing your retinol face serums to the backs of your arms, then stepping into with the CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream to lock within the components. Don’t be fooled by the inexpensive value—this fast-absorbing cream is chock filled with good-for-you components like ceramides to strengthen your pores and skin barrier, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump pores and skin, and niacinamide to appease and assist a fair tone.
Greatest vitamin C
Loretta Ciraldo, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist with over 40 years’ expertise and founding father of Dr. Loretta Skincare says she makes use of her model’s Intense Brightening Cream to handle age spots on arms. An efficient answer to forestall and scale back the look of current age spots, the Dr. Loretta cream touts a potent 20-percent vitamin C within the type of L-ascorbic acid. “It’s effectively tolerated and provides superb seen enhancements [to the skin],” explains Dr. Loretta. “For the reason that Vitamin C can be picture protecting, it may be utilized morning in addition to night.”
Greatest with retinol
“Topical retinoids are essentially the most useful factor you’ll be able to apply to scale back the indicators of growing old, together with decreased look of age spots and total enchancment of the thickness and texture of the pores and skin on arms,” explains Dr. Maguiness.
Her decide? Magnificence Pie’s Tremendous Retinol Hand Therapy. The fragrance-free method accommodates 1-percent encapsulated retinol to scale back the look of age spots and wrinkles, together with ultra-rich shea butter to nourish dry arms. Dr. Maguiness recommends steering away from this one you probably have delicate pores and skin, and solely utilizing it at night time, as retinol may cause photosensitivity. Plus, should you join a Magnificence Pie membership, you may get this (and different luxe pores and skin and physique care) for much less $$$.
Greatest for very dry arms
For a hand cream that does away with darkish spots and dryness on the similar time, attain for the So Silky Hand Crème by Elta MD. The wealthy cream makes use of skin-strengthening ceramides and vitamin E to quench dry arms with moisture with out feeling sticky. And based on Anna Chacon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and writer based mostly in Miami, Florida, it additionally helps brighten the look of age spots, too. “So Silky accommodates sclareolide, a plant-derived substance that helps enhance the look of pores and skin hyperpigmentation,” Dr. Chacon explains.
Greatest for wrinkles
“This cream focuses on hydration and barrier restore to scale back wrinkles and different indicators of growing old,” explains board-certified dermatologist Nava Greenfield, MD. “It leaves a delicate glow which additionally helps give a youthful look.”
Even higher, the skin-plumping hand cream absorbs shortly with out a trace of greasiness. And based on client research, a whopping 90 p.c of contributors reported a decreased look within the crepey pores and skin on their arms, so it’s no surprise why the cream has so many optimistic opinions. “My arms appear like they’re 43 as a substitute of 63,” gushed one comfortable StriVectin buyer. “Actually great things and I’ll use it up and purchase it once more.”
Greatest for delicate pores and skin
Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in New York Metropolis, recommends this nourishing hand cream by Beekman 1802 for its soothing and gently exfoliating components that hydrate and can assist progressively brighten the look of pores and skin. “Glycerin, fatty alcohols, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and triglycerides hydrate the pores and skin, assist the pores and skin barrier, and lock in moisture,” she tells us. Dr. King explains that goat milk—the hand cream’s principal ingredient—is a pure supply of lactic acid. “[Lactic acid is] an alpha hydroxy acid that additionally has humectant properties, so it hydrates in addition to gently exfoliates the pores and skin,” she explains. “Mild exfoliation can assist to progressively brighten the pores and skin.”
Greatest for firming

In keeping with board-certified dermatologist Aanand Geria, MD, this StriVectin Brightening & Firming Hand Cream is your first line of protection in opposition to lack of firmness and darkish spots. Formulated with plantain extract and hexylresorcinol—a brightening ingredient recognized for its antioxidant properties—together with peptides to spice up elasticity and firmness, this derm-beloved cream is the reply to brighter, firmer pores and skin in your arms. “It’s been clinically confirmed to focus on age spots, dryness, and uneven textures,” confirms Dr. Geria. “It additionally helps scale back wonderful traces and wrinkles.”
Greatest hand cream that is not technically a hand cream
Whereas it’s not technically a hand cream, Dr. Greenfield loves the REN In a single day Glow Darkish Spot Sleeping Cream to handle pigmentation on the arms. “This cream has medical outcomes to indicate, which I like,” Dr. Greenfield says. In a client analysis examine, 80 p.c of contributors reported that their pores and skin appeared extra even after 2 weeks. The star of the present is the encapsulated algae complicated, which guarantees to scale back the look of hyperpigmentation. “The jojoba seed oil, citric acid and linalool additionally present brightening qualities to hyperpigmented pores and skin with out lightening surrounding pores and skin,” explains Dr. Greenfield.
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