Skin Care - 6 Ways to Take Care of Your Hands

By Michael Russell

Dry, chapped hands can be unbearable! Ask anyone who is unfortunately suffering from this condition and you will get the idea of just how painful it can be. Moreover, dry, chapped hands not only render a very uncomfortable feeling, it also makes the skin more susceptible to bacterial infections and other skin conditions!

The skin becomes most vulnerable to chapping during the winter season. According to experts, winter can be the most disastrous time of the year as far as skin is concerned. The dry, cold outdoor air and the decreased humidity in our homes (as a result of indoor heating) combine forces to strip away the natural protective layer in our skin.

No one deserves to suffer from dry, chapped hands. Take a cue from the experts to learn how to protect your hands effectively.

. Wear gloves. As much as possible, protect your hands from the irritating ingredients of household chemicals and cleansers. As you perform your usual household chores such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry or scrubbing the tub, you are unduly exposed to the harmful effects of these common chemicals. And guess who gets much of the beating? Your hands! Repeated exposure to these harmful chemicals leads to the drying of the skin which may even eventually result in chapped hands.

To prevent this, make wearing gloves a habit. Just make sure that you use vinyl gloves since rubber gloves are known to trigger allergic reactions. Plus, the cotton lining of vinyl gloves prevents sweating which may further irritate chapped hands. For drier chores such as dusting, you may opt to use cotton gloves. Wearing these may help reduce friction and prevent further damage.

. Protect your hands from the weather. Extremely cold and hot weathers both take a toll on the general condition of your skin, including your hands. Constant exposure to a cold and windy climate removes precious moisture from your skin. So, please be kind to your skin and your hands. Wear gloves or mittens as you head outdoors during the winter season.

On hot sunny days, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are the ones to watch out for! Do not forget to wear a sunscreen all over exposed skin with the right sun protection factor (SPF) whenever you go out to have fun in the sun.

. Prefer mild soaps. Do your research to help you choose the mildest soap available on the market today. A mild soap or a liquid cleanser may prove efficient in preventing any further damage to your skin since they do not contain the harsher ingredients found in ordinary soap. As a general rule, stay clear of deodorant soaps. They may not be good for your already damaged skin.

. Lather on the moisture! Revitalize dry damaged skin by smearing on ample amounts of petrolatum (or petroleum jelly) or any mild moisturizer. Both of these can give you sufficient protection against dry skin.

. Say no to hot water. Studies prove that using hot water strip the skin of its natural oils. Settle on using warm water instead.

. Humidify your house. This may not be as effective as the other suggestions given above but every little bit of help undoubtedly adds up, right?

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Skin Care