How To Rescue Over-Washed, Dry Hands
What causes dry skin on my hands?
If you’re wondering “why are my hands so dry?” when you find that your habits haven’t changed that much, the winter temperatures can have a real effect on your skin – whether that is your face or your body. Simply said, your hands are just more exposed to the cold air than other areas.
Just like you change your winter skincare routine, you want to update your bodycare routine to make sure you're giving your hands some much needed TLC in the harsh winter weather.
Switch up your hand wash
When it comes to finding a hand wash, Jonny suggests using a formula with very mild surfactants. “This will help prevent potential damage to your natural lipid barrier, which helps to lock-in moisture,” he says. “The trouble with washing your hands multiple times a day is that we see an increase in transepidermal water loss which is when moisture escapes..” The Nursem Caring Hand Wash uses a soap-free formula, which is ultra gentle thanks to it’s blend of nourishing avocado oil and pro-vitamin B5.
With bodycare being such a growing category in the last year, hand washes are not only formulated to clean but also to take care of your hands, ensuring your skin is not overstripped. Just like your face, your skin barrier on your hands can be affected by daily aggressors, we recommend going for the mor gentle formulas.
Don’t Skip Hand Cream
Applying hand cream after washing your hands might seem unnecessarily excessive, but it keeps dryness at bay. “Hand cream helps to soothe and protect your skin from ongoing damage and as I mentioned before, support your own lipid barrier to prevent dry hands and lock in moisture” says Jonny. The Nursem Caring Hand Cream uses a fast-absorbing formula, which is packed with omega 3, 6 and 9, as well as manuka honey, to really soothe and hydrate.
With bodycare rituals and everything showers booming last year, your favourite beauty brands are creating and offering formulas with dreamy smells that smooth out and sooth the skin. Just like your lip balm, it's good to have a hand cream in every bag that you carry around to make sure you always have one everywhere you go. This might seem excessive but we promise you, the results will be worth it!
Do Look After Your Cuticles
“It’s not just the palms and knuckles that suffer when it comes to dryness,” explains brand founder Margaret Dabbs. “Our nail beds and surrounding areas can also be a problem when our hands are over-washed and dehydrated.” To tackle this, Margaret suggests using a serum such as the Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Serum.
“It helps to transform dry and damaged nails and cuticles and effectively treat and protect against infection,” adds Margaret. Apply a thin layer to cover the fingernail and cuticle area throughout the day for healthier-looking nails.
Do Exfoliate Once A Week
Similarly to our face, it can be tempting to not exfoliate if we are experiencing dryness but a good exfoliator will actually help. “Exfoliating your hands will also help your hand cream to penetrate the skin more easily,” says Margaret. Byredo’s Hand Scrubs work wonders for rescuing dry or chapped hands and not only leaves them silky smooth but hydrated too thanks to the natural oil-based salts.
The key is to make sure you're not overdoing it and potentially damaging your skin. If once a week seems like too much for you, move to every other week, the key is to ensure you're getting rid of dead skin cells on your hands, just like you would on your face. This will make your handcare work harder and your skin a lot smoother.
Read More
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• The Best Body Creams for Softer Skin this Winter
