Soie — Hand Beauty

Sun Protection for Hands: Sunscreen, UV and the Habits That Keep Hands Looking Young

Most of us put sunscreen on the face every morning and forget the hands. Yet the backs of the hands are uncovered all year round. Here is how to think about UV protection for the hands, and how to build it into a routine.

When people first notice darker spots or a dull tone on the backs of their hands, they usually blame age. Seen from the skin's point of view, most of what appears on the backs of the hands is the trace of ultraviolet light received over many years. Unlike the face, the hands rarely sit in the shade of a hat or a parasol, and whatever sunscreen we do apply comes off with the next wash.

This page sets out the basics of sun protection for hands, strictly within the range of prevention: why the backs of the hands burn and age so readily, how to apply sunscreen on hands and when to reapply it, the overlooked moments such as driving and hanging out laundry, and how to care for the hands after a day in the sun.

Soie makes no sunscreen. Read this not as advice on which product to buy, but as a way of building a habit that protects your hands.

Why hands need sun protection: the backs of the hands take more UV than the face

The back of the hand has little sebum and thin skin, and it is already exposed every day to washing, housework and friction. Add ultraviolet light and dryness and dullness advance, firmness declines, fine lines form, and spots appear. Skin changes caused by continued UV exposure are known as photo-ageing, and most of the spots on the backs of the hands are considered one of its most common signs.

The face is protected by primers and foundations with a sun protection factor, by hats and by parasols. The hands stay in the open: gripping a steering wheel, carrying bags, pegging out washing. A back of the hand that is a shade darker, or drier, than the forearm is usually the first visible sign of the exposure adding up.

UV and dryness advance together

Hands that have been in the sun also lose water more easily. When the balance between the water held in the skin and the sebum film that covers it is disturbed, the texture becomes uneven, clarity fades and the hands look older than they are. UV damage prevention for the hands therefore has two sides that should never be separated: shielding and moisturising. The structure of the skin of the hands is explained in more detail in our Hand Beauty Guide.

Sunscreen on hands: how to apply it and when to reapply

Choose sunscreen for the hands exactly as you would for the face and body. The usual guide is a broad-spectrum product of SPF 30 or higher, protecting against both UVA and UVB. Apply it as the last step of your morning routine, over the backs of the hands, along the backs of the fingers and around the nails. The spaces between the fingers and the wrists are the areas most often missed.

Apply every morning, at the same moment you apply it to your face.
When spending time outdoors, reapply roughly every two hours.
Washing removes sunscreen, so reapply before you go back outside.
Once home, wash your hands and replenish moisture.

Because the hands are washed many times a day, they need reapplying more often than the face. Keeping a sunscreen wherever you pass after washing your hands makes the habit easier to keep.

Moisturiser first, then sunscreen

Sunscreen applied to dry skin drags and leaves streaks. Smooth a non-sticky moisturiser over the hands first, let it sink in, then apply the sunscreen for an even layer. In the evening, wash the sunscreen off first, then moisturise.

The moments hands burn without you noticing: driving, housework, the commute

The most common gap in sun protection for hands is the time you do not think of as being outdoors. Even at home, the backs of the hands catch the sun while you take out the rubbish, hang the laundry, water the plants on the balcony or walk to the shops. A few minutes every day add up to the same exposure as a long afternoon outside.

Driving hands and sun

The hands on the steering wheel face the light coming through the windscreen head-on. On long journeys and daily commutes, one hand can end up visibly darker than the other. Apply sunscreen before setting off and, on long drives, reapply at every break.

Commuting, desks and window seats

Walking or cycling to work, and sitting at a desk by a window, are also moments of exposure. Sunlight through glass deserves attention even indoors. Set a fixed point in the day, such as after washing your hands at lunchtime, to reapply.

After the sun: wash, then moisturise

On the evening of a sunny day the backs of the hands often feel tight and dry. Sun-exposed hands lose water easily, so once home, wash off the sunscreen and the day's grime with lukewarm water and a gentle soap, pat dry with a towel without rubbing, and moisturise straight away. Avoid hot water, which strips sebum.

Moisturise from the backs of the hands to the fingertips and around the nails, pressing gently into the nail contours, which dry fastest. Make this wash-then-moisturise sequence a fixed point of every day, and you will notice far less difference in your hands by the end of summer. The full method for washing without roughness is on our page about dry and rough hands.

Age spots prevention on the hands: shield and moisturise

Preventing age spots on the hands comes down to two things: not adding new UV exposure, and not letting dryness disturb the texture of the skin. A cosmetic product cannot remove discolouration that has already formed. If a rough patch on the back of the hand does not change even with moisturising, do not self-diagnose; consult a dermatologist.

UV protection for hands through the year

The backs of the hands receive UV all year round. Protecting them only in summer leaves the spring outings and winter drives to accumulate. Hold the basic steps constant and shift the emphasis with the season.

Spring: the light strengthens. Pollen season means more hand washing, so reapply more often.
Summer: the strongest UV. Reapply every two hours and never skip the evening wash-then-moisturise.
Autumn: the dryness built up over summer shows. Increase moisturising and let the hands recover their suppleness.
Winter: dry air joins the sun. The light is weaker, but keep applying sunscreen for bright days outdoors and behind the wheel.

For the wider picture of how hands change with age, from dryness and fine lines to visible veins, see our guide to aging hands and age-appropriate care.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I reapply sunscreen on my hands?

Apply it every morning and, when you are outdoors, reapply roughly every two hours. Sunscreen comes off the hands with every wash, so reapply after washing your hands before going back outside. A broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is the usual guide.

Are the spots on the backs of my hands caused by the sun?

Most spots on the backs of the hands are caused by UV light and are considered one of the most common signs of photo-ageing. The hands are uncovered and receive more sun than the face, yet sunscreen is often forgotten there. The first priority is daily sun protection to prevent new spots forming.

How can I stop my hands burning while driving?

The hands on the steering wheel face the sunlight through the windscreen directly. Apply sunscreen to the backs of the hands before you set off and reapply at each break on long journeys. For a daily commute, short exposures add up, so make it part of your morning routine.

What should I do for my hands after a day in the sun?

Once home, wash off the sunscreen with lukewarm water and a gentle soap, pat dry without rubbing, and moisturise immediately. Sun-exposed hands lose water easily, so work the moisturiser from the backs of the hands to the fingertips and around the nails. Avoid hot water, which strips sebum.

Does a hand serum protect against UV?

No. Soie's hand serum has no sun protection function, so when you go out during the day, apply your usual sunscreen to the backs of the hands as well. Once home, wash your hands and replenish moisture with the serum. The two products divide the work: one shields, the other moisturises.

Do I need sun protection for my hands in winter?

Yes. The backs of the hands receive UV throughout the year. Winter light is weaker, but the hands still catch the sun on bright days outdoors and while driving. Because dry air adds to the strain in winter, keep up the sunscreen and increase how often you moisturise.

Soie's approach: shield by day, moisturise at night

Soie (pronounced swah; French for silk) makes no sunscreen. Protection from the sun belongs to the product you already use; what Soie takes care of is the moment afterwards, when hands that have been in the light need their moisture returned. Enlight Hand Serum, a beauty serum designed only for the hands, combines EGF and KGF (skin-conditioning ingredients) with five ceramides and peptides (moisturising ingredients) and sinks in without stickiness, from the backs of the hands to the nail contours, after the evening wash or before bed.

Wash the day's sunscreen away with Moist Fragrance Hand & Body Soap, then moisturise with the hand serum. In the sunniest months especially, let this wash-then-moisturise sequence mark the end of each day. Further questions about hands and the sun are answered in our Hand Beauty Q&A.