If the skin on your hands is dry, cracking and rough, you probably garden or do dishes without gloves, have a profession that requires frequent hand washing, or live in an area with harsh weather conditions. Though some people are genetically predisposed to have dry, sensitive skin, most chapped skin is due to environmental factors and easily remedied.
Features
Your hands are often exposed to harsh weather conditions such as wind and cold, cleaning solvents, and damaging UV rays from the sun. Skin becomes naturally drier with age and loses elasticity, which may result in the skin on your hands developing a "leather-like" appearance. Air conditioning, home heating and prolonged contact with dirt or water can all accelerate loss of moisture from the skin.
Wear Gloves
Protect your hands from harsh cleansers and household chemicals when washing dishes, cleaning the bathroom, gardening and even when washing your car. Grease-cutting liquid dishwashing soap get dishes squeaky clean, but the chemicals that remove oils from pots also remove them from your skin. Wearing gloves is especially important during the winter, when your hands are exposed to cold temperatures, icy wind and rain.
Avoid Hot Water
Because hot water dries out the skin, use tepid water when washing your hands instead. Extended exposure to water of any temperature washes away your skin's protective layer of oil. If you enjoy tub baths, try running a warm bath instead of extremely hot. Baths and showers should be limited to once per day and last no longer than 10 minutes.
Exfoliate Skin
Home remedies can gently remove rough skin from the hands and soften and smooth the skin underneath. Try rubbing your hands with a scrub made with granulated sugar and lime juice. The sugar granules exfoliate the surface of the skin, and the acid in the lime juice lightens dark spots. You can also rub your hands with a paste made of sugar and olive oil. Rub it in for 60 seconds, rinse and pat the hands dry. Baking soda is also an effective, inexpensive exfoliator; make a paste with equal amounts of water and baking soda, rub it into your hands gently, then rinse. Moisturize immediately after using an exfoliator.
Avoid Drying Soaps and Heat
Use a gentle moisturizing soap for your hands instead of dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent or deodorized soaps. Castile soap is a natural (often organic) soap made from pure olive or a mixture of olive and coconut oils. Castile soap cleanses thoroughly without drying the skin, and can be used on hands or your entire body. Cetaphil and SFC lotion are soapless cleansers that you rub on your hands to create a lather, then wipe with a paper towel or tissue.
Avoid the hot-air dryers in public restrooms if possible. If you must use one, keep your hands at least six inches from the air nozzle. If you're at home, pat your hands on a thick towel after washing. By leaving hands slightly damp before applying hand cream, you effectively seal moisture into your skin.
Moisturize Hands
It's not necessary to buy expensive commercial or prescription creams to moisturize your hands. Cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, pure lanolin and petroleum jelly are home remedies that have been used to treat rough dry hands with great success. Deep moisturize dry, chapped hands with vegetable oil before going to bed. A small amount rubbed in thoroughly keeps moisture locked into your hands overnight, so that you wake up with soft, smooth skin. If you want the option of a commercial hand cream, look for products that contain lactic acid or urea.
Member Comments