by Skincare-news.com team
Cold weather may bring outside winter fun, but it can also bring dry, dehydrated hands and fingernails. Nip this dryness at the source with hand-specific moisturizes and treatments to keep your hands soft and glowing.
It’s not a winter wonderland when your hands are itchy, chapped and sting every time you apply hand cream. With harsh weather here to stay, switch up your regular routine when it comes to the sensitive skin of the hands and start pampering! First to feel the cold and often last to warm up, our hands take a lot of abuse, especially during winter months. As you find yourself moving between the cold weather outside and the warm weather inside, be prepared with hand-specific skincare.
Prevention
While washing the hands regularly will indeed protect against seasonal viruses, constantly sudsing up can wreak havoc on this delicate skin. Plain water can cause dryness, and this drying effect is magnified by heavily scented or deodorizing soaps. Switch your normal hand soap for a milder version that contains soothing skin softeners, such as: ATOPALM Body Wash. Delicate enough for the body, yet strong enough for the hands, this cleanser contains amino acids and will respect the skin’s pH balance. Even for those with sensitive conditions like eczema, this body wash won’t strip the skin of its natural moisture.
During winter, gloves are a necessity to keep the hands soft, supple and protected. When outside, wear leather, cotton or wool gloves to fend off winter chills and protect the skin from harsh weather. Fashionable gloves aren’t the only helpful gloves, either. Cleaning agents, especially those containing bleach and other harsh chemicals, quickly strip the skin of its natural moisture, so wear rubber gloves when cleaning or using these types of products. Heavy-duty leather gloves will be especially handy for outdoor chores such as gardening, stacking wood or shoveling snow.
Not all Hand Creams are Created Equal
With the vast multitude of hand creams available, it is important to find the hand cream or lotion that suits your individual needs. Aside from the face, your hands are one of the first things people will notice, and can age you dramatically. For best results, especially during colder months, prevent moisture loss by always applying a hand cream immediately after washing the hands. For even better results, rub hand cream onto damp skin. As a general rule, damp skin will absorb moisture more easily than dry skin, so the best time to soften hands (as well as the entire body) is just after washing. And don’t forget to massage cream into the cuticles, as well.
For everyday use, search for formulas that contain ingredients that bind moisture to the skin and hydrate, such as: L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream or Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream. For extra sensitive skin, try ATOPALM MLE Cream, which will restore and maintain the skin barrier, as well as lock in moisture. And, it is safe for adults and children.
If your hands are marked with age spots, consider StriVectin HC Hand Cream. Enriched with ingredients to help soften as well as fade discoloration, this hand cream will help eliminate the appearance of age spots, discoloration, and sun damage while restoring lost moisture.
For nurses, childcare providers or others where the majority of their day may be spent washing and re-washing their hands, keep a protectant hand treatment close by, such as Barielle Professional Protective Hand Cream. With Vitamin E, sunscreen and emollients, this heavy-duty hand cream will bind moisture to the skin and keep hands soft, even after several hand washes.
For a top-notch winter hand cream that anyone can enjoy, reach for Pevonia Multi-Active Hand Cream. With Vitamins A and E, this exfoliating hand cream will combat dryness and shield hands from UV rays and environmental damage.
Give Yourself a Hand
Whether you want to spend a Friday night pampering your hands, or only have a minute here and there between afternoon errands, small changes can lead to drastic improvements in the state of your skin.
One Minute
Prevent dehydration while doing dishes by massaging a drop of almond oil into the hands and nails before getting started, such as L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil or even plain olive oil from your pantry! For a sweet exfoliating treat, add spoonful of sugar to your liquid hand soap and wash hands as usual.
Five Minutes
Got milk? Soaking hands in a cup of warm (but not hot) milk will hydrate skin and strengthen nails. Milk is a natural choice for softening the skin; it contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that will naturally exfoliate dry skin. Milk also contains calcium to strengthen nails.
When applying lotion, take an extra thirty seconds to two minutes to give your hands a quickie massage. First, add a drop of calming essential oil to your lotion to soothe the senses. Then, apply the lotion to the palm of your hand, place one hand on top of the other and massage gently. Switch hand after about a minute. Next, lace fingers together and use the thumb of each hand to massage the opposite palm. Finally, focusing on one finger at a time, start at the top of the finger and knead down to the tip. This entire massage should take about five minutes.
Ten Minutes
Exfoliate! There are rows of products meant specifically for sloughing away dead skin, but some are better for the hands than others. StriVectin NE NanoExfoliant is a gentle dermabrasion product for hands that show signs of environmental and sun damage. Regular use of this exfoliator will increase cell turnover and improve elasticity and hydration.
Another option is to make your own exfoliant using products found in your kitchen cupboards. For extra scrubbing power, use an old toothbrush to apply the mixture.
*Sugar and Oil: 3 tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon of oil (vegetable, olive or almond). Mix until blended, rub for 5-7 minutes then rinse.
*Sea Salt and Lemon: Mix equal parts and scrub; the lemon will also help to lighten discoloration and sun spots.
*Sugar and Lime: Equal parts sugar, water and lime juice. Mix lightly, and then rub until it begins to dry. Rinse.
*Cornmeal mixed with water makes an exfoliating paste that also softens the hands.
15 minutes
Mix gelatin and hot water, and let it set for approximately 5 minutes. Then, plunge your hands in and let them soak for 15 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry, following with hand cream. Regular gelatin treatments will strengthen nails and may prevent dry, cracked skin.
30 minutes
Wash hands gently and while still damp, apply a mixture of equal parts honey and olive oil. Put hands in a plastic bag, and then in a pair of cotton gloves or socks while the treatment penetrates. 30 minutes is all it takes.
Overnight
Wake up with a new set of hands! Invest in a pair of moisturizing gloves such as: Bliss Glamour Gloves and be rewarded with soft, supple, deeply hydrated skin. Meant to be used with hand cream, these gel-lined gloves will drench the hands in moisture and help heal and repair dryness or flaking.
Finally, don’t forget that overall dehydration can cause severe skin dryness that is difficult to combat with hand cream alone. Drink water to remain hydrated inside and out, and supplement your diet with omega 3 fatty-acids.