Help your hands: Tips to healing and preventing dry, chapped skin from frequent washing.

Two years ago I wrote a blog post that focused on tips and tricks to remedy skincare issues with the hands. Certain professions or lifestyles can be rough on your hands or require that they are washed often. This leaves many people with dried out, itchy, sensitive feeling hands. Today, with the new COVID-19 pandemic I thought it would be a great time to republish this blog all about how to best take care of the skin on your hands. I focused on why our hands can get off-balance from a lot of washing and my best tips to keep the skin soft and healthy.

scrub me secret: according to the center for disease control and prevention washing hands frequently for 20+ seconds with soap is one of the best ways to fight off infection. This frequent handwashing is essential to our health but is leaving a lot of us with dry and inflamed feeling skin on our hands.

Why are my hands dry and sensitive feeling?

Most public places that we wash our hands at offer a liquid antibacterial soap option to wash with. Bacteria killing and germ preventing chemicals in these soaps strip the oils and good bacteria from our skin leaving it unbalanced and often times irritated. Soap ingredients like fragrances, alcohols, and some chemical preservatives can also affect our skin’s barrier. Even cleansing with a well-formulated, nutrient-rich soap can cause irritation and dryness if you’re cleansing a lot throughout the day.

scrub me secret: washing with an antibacterial liquid soap vs. washing with your favorite plant-based bar soap doesn’t mean you get more bacteria-killing action. antibacterial soap has extra chemicals to kill germs and prevent growth; these chemicals are known to sensitize or dry out the skin. regular bar soap is just as effective in removing germs and bacteria as long as you are cleansing for the correct amount of time.

Since we are cleansing so much right now a lot of us are seeing skin sensitivity. For those experiencing more sensitive skin like this, daily moisturizing is not enough to keep hands soft. It’s important to get the skin balanced again so moisturizers can actually do their job correctly. In the next section, I’ll give you lots of tips on how to do that.

This ginger tea soap is great for sensitive skin!

scrub me secret: Using a hand soap that helps you retain moisture and balance is important in curing excessively dry hands.  When you’re choosing a travel soap choose a plant-based bar that has ingredients geared towards calming skin. Don’t be afraid to carry a little bar soap in a container around in your bag or briefcase with you, I do it! If you prefer a liquid soap over a bar soap we suggest a natural castile soap.

What’s the best way to keep my hands soft?

Treat dry, cracked, red patches with a nourishing protecting balm.

Washing hands more than usual is most likely going to make them sensitive and dry feeling even if you are using a great soap. Applying a balm that nourishes the skin and protects it from the elements, like my multipurpose balm, is one of the best ways to recover your hands. Apply the balm to the affected areas and wait for it to absorb. Reapply as needed. Healing results aren’t immediate but most notice softer, healed hands 24 hours post use.

Gently exfoliate hands with a scrub that contains oils.

Scrubbing gently with a scrub that contains oils will gently remove dead skin cells while softening skin that feels really dry. Having a scrub next to your bathroom sink at home that you can treat your hands with after washing is a great way to make sure you get a daily hand exfoliation in. This exfoliation will also create circulation and oxygen flow that helps the skin to return to a healthier state.

Moisturize daily with a product that contains shea.

Shea butter or lotion that contains some shea is best when you’re trying to bind moisture and soften your hands. Shea has the ability to moisturize and help the skin retain that moisture. Massaging a thick layer of shea butter onto your hands right before bed is a great way to repair the skin.

Treat overly sensitive skin with a soothing mask.

Masking isn’t just for our faces! Treat the sensitive skin on your hands to a soothing and calming mask. Ingredients like oats, chamomile, ginger, and calendula flower are all really great for remedying red and sensitive skin.

scrub me secret: treat your hands to a professional spa treatment! options like microdermabrasion, masking, body peels, and enzyme treatments are available for you here at the skincare studio.

This information should not be relied upon to determine or make a medical diagnosis, or determine treatment for a medical condition. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.