Estimated Read Time: 2.5 minutes

Summary: "Why is the skin on my hands dry and cracking?" Fear not, reader. In this blog, we learn what to do for dry skin on hands and how to make them feel soft and rejuvenated in no time.

In the age of excessive hand sanitiser and consistent, obsessive hand washing (thanks to our post COVID-19 world!), your hands may be feeling and looking a little worse for wear.

Nearly all cases of dry hands are caused by environmental stressors like the weather and exposure to drying chemicals… Like sanitiser and soap! So, it makes sense why this cracking and peeling may be happening on our hands.

And now, as we settle in for the rest of winter, it’s time to focus on optimum hydration for our hands, top-bar care for our cuticles and soothe our over-exposed skin… But, it’s going to take more than just sporadically applying hand lotion, OK?

What To Do For Dry Skin On Hands

Invest In A Gentle Wash

Of course, it’s absolutely vital you keep your new hygiene routine in place with anti-bacterial hand wash. This helps stop the spread of germs and infectious bacteria. You should do this before preparing and serving food and after you return from outside of your house, in particular.

However, consider using a soap substitute when you’re just pottering about the house, haven’t gone out and aren’t prepping food. Make sure that the wash specifies it’s “gentle” which will give some protection from bacteria (not all encompassing of course), but will help give your hands a bit of break!

Pat Them Dry

When you’re done washing your hands, try not to rub them with a towel but pat them dry instead. This will stop any soreness arising from excessive friction. Then, after each time you wash, when your hands our dry, apply some moisturiser to them to counteract the drying effects of the soap.

Use Gloves

Whenever you clean your home or are going to come into contact with detergents, including washing up liquid, it’s time to pull up those fancy, brightly coloured gloves!

Detergents, disinfectant wipes and other cleaning products like bleach can be incredibly irritating for skin. We’re all washing our surfaces and door handles more often now due to the global pandemic we’re living through, so this could be a likely cause of your sudden hand dryness. So, before you get down and dirty with the dishes, glove up!

Upgrade Your Skin Moisturiser

It’s time to upgrade what you’re moisturising your hands with. The cheap drugstore lotions are all well and good, but are usually packed with synthetic fragrances that can actually dry out your skin! So, treat yourself to a high quality, specially formulated hand cream.

Wear Cotton Gloves At Night

If your hands are really suffering, give them some serious long-term hydration. Before you go to bed, load up your hand with your new, high-end hand lotion or perhaps a natural, greasy alternative like pure coconut oil and then put on a pair of 100% cotton gloves to sleep in. This will allow your hands to deeply soak up the ointment whilst you slumber – your body’s prime repair time!