How to Protect Your Hands This Winter: Managing Dry Hands
Winter can be a magical season with its snowflakes and cozy moments, but it also brings harsh cold air and indoor heating, both of which can wreak havoc on your skin—especially your hands. Dry, cracked, and chapped hands are common during colder months, but with the right care and prevention, you can keep your hands smooth and healthy. Here’s a guide on how to protect your hands this winter and manage dryness effectively.
1. Moisturize Frequently
The key to preventing dry hands is hydration. Cold air, combined with indoor heating, can strip your skin of its natural moisture. To combat this:
Use a thick hand cream or ointment: Look for products that contain ceramides, lipids, glycerin, and/or lanolin to draw moisture into your skin barrier.
Apply moisturizer often: After washing your hands, apply moisturizer immediately. This helps lock in moisture while your skin is still damp.
Overnight treatment: For intense hydration, apply a generous amount of moisturizer before bed and wear cotton gloves to allow your skin to absorb the cream overnight.
2. Choose Gentle Hand Soap
While washing your hands is essential, using harsh soaps can strip away essential oils, leaving your hands dry and irritated. To avoid this:
Opt for a moisturizing hand soap: Choose a soap that is sulfate-free and has added moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera or glycerin.
Avoid hot water: Hot water can further dry out the skin. Instead, wash your hands with lukewarm water to help preserve natural oils.
3. Wear Gloves When Cleaning and washing Dishes
Protecting your hands from excessive exposure to water and irritants is crucial in preventing dryness and cracking.
Use gloves indoors: If you’re doing household chores like washing dishes or cleaning, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from drying out due to prolonged contact with water and cleaning chemicals.
4. Avoid lotions, Use Ointments and creams instead
If you notice your skin starting to crack or bleed, it’s important to treat it right away to prevent further irritation and infection.
Use a bland healing ointment: Petroleum jelly, CeraVe healing ointment, Aquaphor ointment which help to create a barrier and promotes healing.
Avoid fragrance: If your cream smells good, it’s probably drying as fragrance is a common irritant and culprit to dry hands.
Avoid peeling or picking: Picking at cracked skin can worsen the issue and cause scarring.
