The hand does almost every task: washing the dishes, brushing your hair, scrolling through social media—for example. They’re fairly busy throughout the day, so they should be given the TLC that they deserve.
What causes dry skin?
The little moisture of the skin causes the hands to chap, redden, flake, or even cause it to itch. When the skin is dry, it can cause a feeling of tightness. In the worst-case scenarios, skin can get cracked and bleed.
Several culprits are responsible for dry skin, and some of them are normal things that people do on a day-to-day basis. One factor would be the weather. During winter, humidity drastically decreases. Additionally, the air is drier indoors due to heating systems. Because of this, the factor in the environment that naturally keeps the skin’s moisture will not be enough.
Another, more common factor is the use of harsh soaps, alcohol, and hand sanitizers. The chemicals in these detergents affect the protective layer of the skin by increasing water loss. The typical dry and tight feeling of the hand occurs when the water content of this layer goes below 10%.
How can you take care of your hands?
As the weather becomes crueler to the skin, it’s advisable to tweak your skincare routine to better suit the dry weather. This means using more intense and heavier creams and moisturizing products to ensure the skin gets the moisture that it needs.
Here are tips on how to stay moisturized during the winter:
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Use a more intense hand cream
These creams and lotions are deep moisturizing, but they can have a thicker consistency. Hence, they feel heavier and greasier on the skin. The following are ingredients that you would want in your hand cream:
- Hyaluronic acid
- Ceramides
- Glycerin
- Urea
- Antioxidants (Vitamin E, etc.)
- Aquaporins
- Plant butter and oils (jojoba oil, shea butter, etc.)
- Salicylic acid (This should be taken with caution as some people are more sensitive to this ingredient than others.)
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Use the hand cream more often
In times like the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene is more essential than ever. This includes washing your hands properly with soap. As more people are being cautious, they use alcohol or hand sanitizer every time they go out and interact with other people and objects. It’s ideal to use the hand cream every after washing your hands or using alcohol to replenish the moisture right away.
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Lock in the moisture with gloves
Wearing gloves does not only add a level of comfort and warmth, but it also makes sure that the products that you put on your skin do not wash or rub off the things you touch. Take care of your hands by using top-of-the-line ski gloves from Hestra so that the cold will not affect the moisture of your skin.
Especially at a time where the world is fighting an invisible enemy, which is the SARS-COV-2 virus, good hygiene has never been more crucial. This means constant exposure to chemicals in soap and the harshness of alcohol. Keeping a hand cream near you at all times can eliminate dry skin and other skin problems from dryness.
