3 Tips to Prevent Your Hands from Drying During the Colder Months
The colder months have started to slowly creep their way, which for some, is not always a bad thing. Cooler walks outside while enjoying the crisp, fresh air are just as fun and many of us will swap our favourite summer ice coffees for cozy, pumpkin spice latte.
But, of course, that means dry skin season is also here and everyone needs to crank up their hand-maintenance game.
Use gentler products
The pandemic isn't over just yet and with more people staying indoors, that also means common colds and the flu will be on this rise over the next few months. Washing your hands regularly is one of the most effective ways to prevent and get rid of infectious bacteria on your skin. Soap and water help rinse away germs but when done frequently, the protective oils are also stripped away. This causes our skin to dry faster.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soaps can be quite harsh, especially when using them multiple times a day. Gentle cleansers are a great alternative and have the same effect. Find alcohol-free sanitizers with oils and other great ingredients like aloe.
Pat dry your hands
A common mistake that many people make after washing their hands is that they rub them too hard with the towel. Rubbing your skin further adds to the irritation and dryness. Pat drying your skin with a towel causes less irritation while also leaving your hands with some dampness.
Moisturize
After washing your hands, patting them down gently, and leaving them a little damp, it's time to lock in the water with a good moisturizer. This is our favourite part, of course. It is important to know that hand creams differ from body lotions.
Find a hand cream that works well for you and has ingredients that nourishes the skin. Oil-based hand creams are recommended - some of our favourites are argan, sweet almond, sunflower and avocado. Finally, take the time to massage your hands when applying your moisturizers so then can really absorb nicely into the skin.