Another reason to hate on January: new research reveals that having dry hands ages us by a whopping nine years on average.

Yes, a specific study asked members of the public to estimate the age of people based solely on photos of their hands, where half were ‘dry’ and the other half ‘not dry’, and 69% of respondents guessed above the subjects’ actual age when looking at the drier hands.

Two even guessed the dry hands of a 28-year-old to be aged 80, while – on average – healthy hands were seen to be one year younger. Pretty harsh stuff.

Extreme though the results of their marketing may sound, it does serve as a reminder of the merits of a good old hand cream.

However, it’s important to note that it’s not only dry skin that serves up ageing effects on our hands (should you care), but sun damaged skin too. Therefore your hand cream of choice should always feature SPF. Even in January.

Recommended Clear Essence Products for Dry Skin