Hand skin is thicker than facial skin and tolerates exfoliation better. That does not mean often — and there is one situation where scrubbing makes things distinctly worse.
How often
Once a week. Twice at the absolute maximum, and only if your hands are rough rather than dry.
Hands are already stripped constantly by washing. Adding regular abrasion to skin that is losing its barrier several times a day is how mild dryness becomes cracking.
When not to use it
On cracked, split or bleeding skin. This is the mistake worth avoiding. Rough, flaking hands feel like they need scrubbing, and if the roughness is barrier damage, scrubbing accelerates it.
The distinction:
- Rough but intact skin — exfoliation helps
- Flaking, cracked, or painful — exfoliation makes it worse. Moisturise and protect for two weeks first
Also skip it on skin that is sunburnt, irritated, or has an active rash.
Using it
- On damp hands, not soaking
- A small amount, worked gently over the backs of the hands, knuckles and between fingers
- Thirty seconds. Light pressure — the particles do the work, not the force
- Rinse with lukewarm water
- Moisturise immediately. This step is not optional; freshly exfoliated skin has lost some of its barrier
Where it genuinely helps
- Knuckles and finger joints, which get rough
- Before applying a treatment, since a smoother surface absorbs more evenly
- Cuticles, gently
- Preparing hands for an occasion
What it does not do
Remove pigmentation spots — those sit deeper and are sun-related. Reverse crepey texture. Fix dryness, which is a barrier problem rather than a surface one.
The routine it belongs in
Weekly scrub, cream after every wash, something rich overnight, gloves for wet work, and sunscreen on the backs of the hands. The scrub is the least important item on that list and the one most likely to be overused.
The full composition is in the Faberlic catalogue. For hand care in context, see the skincare section.