Have you ever heard that you can tell someone’s age by looking at their hands? Well, hands can be a definite indicator of your age if you have sun damage and the pigmentation that goes along with it.
If your hands are starting to age you, we've got a great at-home age spot remover prescription for you. These rice recipes hydrate and lighten while exfoliating the top layers of the skin, leaving you with smooth, beautiful-looking hands.
Rice is one of my favorite DIY ingredients: It's a miracle worker for strengthening thin hair and an excellent natural remedy for brightening and softening your skin. I regularly incorporate it into my routine via a rice water toner and this gentle daily cleanser.
But with age spots, you have to be consistent and patient. Pick one of the DIY age spot remover recipes below and stick with it as it can take several weeks or months to see significant improvements.
Jump to:
- What Are Age Spots?
- How To Remove Age Spots on Hands
- Prevent Age Spots by Applying Sunscreen To Your Hands
- Treat Hands with Natural Age Spot Removers
- 1. Hand Dark Spot Removal Cream with Rice + Lemon
- 2. Brightening Rice Water Hand Soak + Spray
- 3. Rice + Turmeric Hand Dark Spot Remover
- 4. DIY Dark Spot Remover with Rice + Vinegar
- FAQ
What Are Age Spots?
Surprisingly, age spots have little to do with our age. In fact, sun exposure is to blame for those pesky spots!
That's why the spots typically appear on the skin in areas that get the most exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, places like your face, arms, and hands. Exposure to UV light accelerates the production of melanin, and over time, melanin can clump together as the body struggles to slough off these pigment deposits.
How To Remove Age Spots on Hands
If you already have age spots, you'll want to combine treatments to reduce the appearance of existing age spots on your hands and preventive measures to avoid having any new spots pop up.
Prevent Age Spots by Applying Sunscreen To Your Hands
The best way to prevent age spots on hands is by using sunscreen every single day. Never skip your hands, neck, and décolletage!
It's worth carrying a little tube of sunscreen in your bag for reapplication, too—while it can be tempting to keep some in the glovebox, soaring summer temperatures can affect the sunscreen's ability to protect your skin.
A purse-sized bottle is the way to go! Especially with all of the hand washing we do all day long, reapplying sunscreen is key to preventing further damage.
Treat Hands with Natural Age Spot Removers
Why is rice the best age spot remover for hands?
Rice, rice water, and rice flour are popular in many parts of Asian for this small, unassuming grain's ability to nurture skin, especially its ability to brighten skin and reduce age spots and pigmentation.
A few of its benefits:
- Rich in Antioxidants: Rice is packed with antioxidants such as vitamins E and B, which help combat free radicals that cause skin aging and age spots.
- Skin Brightening: Rice contains a substance called ferulic acid, a plant-based antioxidant which has skin-lightening properties.
- Improves Skin Texture: The amino acids and vitamins in rice water help to improve skin texture, making it smoother and softer, which can reduce the prominence of age spots.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties: Rice contains allantoin, a derivative of uric acid that's known for its exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties to soothe irritated skin and reduce redness.
- Exfoliation: Rice flour acts as a gentle exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and revealing brighter, more even-toned skin beneath. This can help fade age spots over time.
Here are four recipes to help you fade age spots and achieve younger looking hands:
1. Hand Dark Spot Removal Cream with Rice + Lemon
Right after using this scrub, your hands will feel unbelievably smooth, and over time the age spots will fade thanks to the rice and the natural bleaching properties of lemon juice.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cooked rice
- ½ tablespoon agave nectar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients: In a blender, combine all the ingredients until you get a creamy texture.
Apply the mask: Apply the cream in small circular motions all over the backs of your hands. Really get in there and give yourself a nice hand massage too—you'd be surprised how much tension we can carry in our palms! Use light pressure for 1-2 minutes.
Let it sit: Leave the mask on for about 10-20 minutes to allow the ingredients to work their magic. Try to relax and keep your hands still during this time.
Rinse off: Rinse with warm water and pat your hands dry.
Moisturize: At night, follow up this treatment with your favorite hand moisturizer will work wonders towards speeding up the pigmentation fading process. Apply your favorite hand balm or lotion to keep your hands hydrated. Follow with sunscreen, if using in the daytime.
Use up any extras: If you have any extra scrub left, I like to use it on my feet to soften my heels a little—it's not necessary, but a great way to use up any that you've got leftover and don't want to waste by throwing it away.
You can use a similar treatment for the face, but if the lemon juice feels a bit strong you can dilute it with water. Apply to clean skin, avoid the eye area, and then rinse with warm water.
Follow with moisturizer. Ideally, this treatment should be done at nighttime as the lemon juice can make you photo sensitive to sunlight.
Top Tips
- Frequency: Use this hand mask 2-3 times a week for optimal results.
- Consistency: Regular use over a few weeks will help brighten and soften your hands.
- Essential Oils: Carrot seed, frankincense, and geranium oils are all known for their regenerative properties and would make a welcome addition to any sun spot mask.
- Storage: If you have leftover mask, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just give it a good stir before using it again.
2. Brightening Rice Water Hand Soak + Spray
This rice hand soak is a wonderful natural treatment that soothes, hydrates, and helps lighten age spots with regular use.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups water
- Spray bottle or jar
Instructions
Prepare ingredients: Over high heat, combine 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water. Leave uncovered. Since you don’t want the water to evaporate completely, like when cooking rice for a meal, you’ll want to keep your eye on the pot.
Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the stove—the consistency of the rice mixture should be a bit soupy now.
Strain out the rice: Strain out the water into a bowl and discard the rice. Let the rice water cool.
Soak hands: Dip your hands in the bowl and massage the liquid over the backs of your hands. Soak your hands for 5-10 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Store leftover rice milk: Transfer this rice milk to a spray bottle or glass jar. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Spray on hands: After your hand soak, spritz this toner on the backs of your hands, or use a cotton round to apply it and follow with moisturizer. You can also use this as a face toner.
3. Rice + Turmeric Hand Dark Spot Remover
Think of your hands and chest as part your skincare routine. So whenever possible, apply the masks that you're using on your face to your hands, neck, and chest as well. This tumeric mask and scrub combo exfoliates dead skin cells and helps reduce pigmentation.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or yogurt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
In a small bowl, add the turmeric to the rice flour and stir together. Add the milk or yogurt to get a smooth, thick paste.
Spread out a towel and apply the rice scrub generously to your hands over the towel. Gently massage the mixture into your skin.
Leave it on your hands for 15-20 minutes then rinse with warm water and follow with a rich moisturizer.
4. DIY Dark Spot Remover with Rice + Vinegar
Use a gentle exfoliating face scrub on your hands once or twice a week will remove dead skin cells and promote skin renewal. This hand scrub targets age spots with the lightening properties apple cider vinegar and the exfoliating effects of rice flour.
ACV contains alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin and reduce pigmentation.
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Combine rice flour with honey and vinegar. Use this mixture to gently scrub your skin, focusing on areas with age spots. This will help exfoliate and brighten your skin.
FAQ
UV lights can damage our hands, so if you get gel nails and place your hands under a UV light, apply sunscreen to protect your skin. You can also use a vitamin C serum on your hands to boost collagen production and lighten dark spots.
Often times post exercise you will notice your veins more prominent, and as we age the elasticity in our hands thins, causing veins to protrude more. Also beyond our control is genetics. However one of the things you can control is temperature. Hot weather causes our veins to enlarge, so keeping our homes at a comfortable temperature can lessen protruding veins.
While treatments can lighten age spots significantly, completely removing them may be challenging. Maintenance and sun protection are crucial to prevent new spots from forming.
Consult a dermatologist if age spots are changing in appearance, if new spots are developing rapidly, or if over-the-counter treatments are not effective. A dermatologist can recommend appropriate treatments based on your skin type and the severity of the spots.
