Hand cream: Your hands should be part of your skincare routine too!
The pandemic has shown us how important it is to wash our hands regularly to stop the spread of germs. However, this has led to many dealing with unusually dry hands. Besides being unsightly, chronically dry hands can lead to further issues. In extreme cases, chronically dry skin on the hands can crack, leaving the skin open to infection and even more prone to contracting pathogens. Extreme cases aside, dry hands can also age a person, highlighting loosening skin. So, it’s important to moisturize often.
Why use hand cream?
We speak a lot about the importance of moisturizing the face. But the truth is, out of the entire body, our hands face the most stressors throughout the day, making them especially prone to dryness. Soap and water dry out your hands. When soap and water are not available, many of us have been using hand sanitizer, which is even more drying. Beyond hand washing, our hands also go through a lot throughout the day that makes them prone to drying out. Washing dishes, cleaning, etc. all contribute to dried out hands. And in the winter, indoor heating further dries out skin. As stated above, dry hands can be anything from a nuisance (they feel rough and can look aged) to a health concern (if the dryness gets so bad that skin starts cracking, for example). So moisturization is extremely important.
What to look for in a good hand cream
What ingredients are key in a good hand cream? Just like facial moisturizers, there are several different ingredients that help skin retain moisture. Hand cream is often much richer than facial moisturizers because the skin on your hands can take (and needs) more intense hydration and moisturization and is not as delicate as the skin on your face. Look for hand creams that are rich in moisturizing ingredients like oils and fats. Jojoba oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter are some examples of intensely moisturizing components that are helpful to have. Just like with facial care products, having some antioxidant ingredients is also important to the overall health of your hands.
We suggest our exclusive Restorative and Firming Hand Cream, which goes above and beyond just moisturizing by helping to firm loose skin on the hands, reduce discoloration, and provide a protective barrier to reduce moisture loss. Keep a bottle around and reapply as needed throughout the day.
How to prevent hands from drying out
If you're looking for more ways to keep your hands from drying out so quickly in between hand cream applications, here are some tips. When cleaning, wear gloves. The harsh chemicals present in many cleaning supplies can quickly dry out skin and can even lead to more issues in those with sensitive skin, like eczema. The same goes for washing dishes. Use gloves to provide a barrier between your hands and the dish soap and dirty water that can dry out your hands. Use a humidifier in the winter whenever the heater is on; this is a good practice to ensure less dry skin overall. And on bitter cold days, cover up your hands with warm gloves when outdoors.