Admit it or not, but quarantine has got us into developing some weird and new habits that might be necessary and beneficial for you, but not necessarily good for your skin. Coronavirus certainly has made a huge impact on all our lives, and it also has made us realize the importance of maintaining hygiene, which involves washing your hands more often than you regularly do. Besides constantly washing your hands to keep the virus at bay, other household chores such as cooking and cleaning have now become a vital part of our daily routine, since most of us are working from home. Overwashing or over sanitizing your hands can leave them feeling super dry, but we certainly cannot stop doing this. However, we most definitely can look for ways that can help to soothe your dry hands.
We have rounded up a list of some of the best ways to soothe super dry hands.
Apply moisturizer to your hands while they are still damp
One of the best ways to ensure that your hands retain enough amount of moisturizer to keep them from getting dry is by moisturizing them while they are still damp. Applying moisturizer to damp hands allows the product to penetrate deeper into your skin, other than constantly moisturizing your hands, you also need to ensure that you apply the moisturizer while your hands are a little damp for it to work better.
Pick thick emollients containing nourishing ingredients
When it comes to buying for a hand cream for yourself, don’t settle for just any regular cream. You should pick thick emollients containing nourishing ingredients. Always check the label of the product you are planning to buy and look for the ingredients it contains. As for emollients, you should look for a few ingredients like dimethicone, petrolatum, and ceramides. These specific ingredients are known to work as skin protectants that further helps in maintaining the moisture barrier.
Wear protective gloves
Exposing your hands to harsh chemicals and compounds that are largely found in cleaning supplies, detergents, and even alcohol-based sanitizer can leave them pretty dry; sometimes things can get a little out of hand as well. Instead of doing all your household chores with bare hands, wear protective gloves, and this will minimize the chances of your hands coming in contact with harsh chemicals. Additionally, avoid over sanitizing your hands and only do it when it’s actually required.
Use lukewarm water to wash your hands
There are a lot of factors that can result in your hands turning dry and water is one of them. Using hot water to wash your hands in hot weather can leave your already dry skin pretty irritated. Neither does using excessively cold water help the situation. You should always wash your hands with normal cold water or lukewarm water to soothe them and curb the dryness.
Book an appointment with a dermat
If you can’t seem to find a way to deal with the dryness of your hands, instead of giving up or waiting to find another way, you should book an appointment with your dermatologist. Nobody knows better about your skin than your dermat does. He/she can guide you in a better way and possibly suggest something that will work the best for you and show quick and effective results. Most dermats tend to prescribe topical treatments that contain lactic acid and urea in them, and that’s’ probably your safest bet. In the meantime, you can use an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream that will help to soothe your super dry skin.
What do you think?