Chanel Precision Hand Cream

Discovering what a huge difference the right products made for my face in terms of clarity, texture and radiance has prompted me to do something for my hands. We all know how hands are the first to show signs of aging, given how exposed they are to the elements and how easy it is to conveniently forget to slather them in sunblock. I haven't got any sun spots or freckles on the back of my hands, though they are a bit tanned. I have always been good about using hand creams and protective gloves, but my skin is dry and could certainly use some help.

I picked Chanel's nourishing and rejuvenating hand cream , from their Body Excellence line, on a whim, the same day I got the wonderful Tulip Noir nail color, determined to make my hands worthy of the gorgeous polish. I've been using it ever since, and the results are good enough to get me hooked on this product.

There are other great hand creams on the market. I love the ones from L'Occitane and Crabtree & Evelyn. Bliss hand cream is also great, despite its synthetic lemon scent. They are all good in terms of moisturizing and softening. However, Chanel's cream combines moisturizing with the effect of a shielding lotion: It envelopes the skin with a thin, barely-there barrier. It's not sticky and doesn't leave any stains on the keyboard, but my hands feel incredibly soft and smooth.

I have other shielding lotions, including SkinMD, which is the one I'd recommend for those who don't have aging concerns just yet. Chanel's cream is superior because it also improves skin clarity. I can't say how well it fights age spots, but after almost 4 weeks of religious use, there's a visible improvement in texture and color, a lot more than I've hoped for. I haven't had a dry cuticle in weeks. According to the little brochure that came in the box, age spots are reduced within two months, so I'm hoping for even smoother hands in a month.

The cream is very lightly scented (it is a Chanel, after all). It's floral as you'd expect, but the fragrance doesn't linger and doesn't get in the way of my perfume habit.