Chantecaille
Retinol Hand Cream
10/11/13

A couple of years ago I saw a woman in her forties who had the hands of an 80 year old. As you can imagine, my youth and skin-obsessed self panicked. Could this happen to me?! How good was I with sunscreen on my hands? Who cares if my face looks great if my hands are all wrinkled? Our hands are constantly at work, whether they're typing away, being outdoors or driving in the sun, or dry from frequent hand washing, they sure take a beating. Sun exposure is one of our hands' worst enemies. Think wrinkles AND age spots. Yikes!

I've found a very limited selection of hand creams with SPF, which is bizarre. From Clarins to Kiehl's, many of my go-to day hand creams and lotions have been discontinued, including my beloved Clarins Age-Control Hand Lotion With SPF 15. The name said it all. Since then, I've mixed a couple drops of their UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen with whatever hand cream I use if I'm going outdoors. But what else could I do to proactively prevent my hands from aging prematurely? Enter Chantecaille. 

(click photo to enlarge)

I've had great success with many Chantecaille products, including their Retinol Intense which is an incredibly gentle yet effective anti-aging night cream. Since Retinol can be drying or irritate sensitive skin, I knew I'd likely enjoy this hand cream. It has their signature Rosewater base with Rose, Vitamin C, Retinol, Japanese Mulberry Root, Lily and Bears Berry Root. They're very serious about this whole natural thing, which I know many of you will love. Edelweiss flower provides natural UVA and UVB protection, while Vitamin C (from fresh oranges, of course) protects the skin from free radicals. How cool is that?! The cream is easily distributed on hands, without the need for reapplication. I've been using this every other day since I don't want the Retinol, while gentle in this form, to dry out my nails. The scent is natural, without added perfumes which mainly leaves the scent of natural Rosewater. Not perfume to smell like rose, but actual Rosewater. It feels really good on and is absorbed fairly quickly, leaving hands soft and protected. 

My verdict? This is a fantastic preventative and restorative cream to keep hands even-toned and wrinkle-free. If you have age spots, this cream will lighten them naturally. If you don't have spots, this will prevent them. Plus natural sun protection? What's not to love?

Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream is $75 for a 2.55 oz. tube. 

Available at Barneys.

Note: it took me forever to track down this cream, and I've spoken with Chantecaille who informed me that they actually ran out! Not to worry. They are actually in the process of producing more, and it will be available at stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus shortly. That said, Barney's has some stock left. I stocked up. Get on it!