We’ve all struggled with dry hands at some point. No matter how diligent you are with moisturizing, you’ve probably woken up one morning and looked at your own hands in shock, wondering how you let them get so bad. The truth is, we abuse our hands and often pay the price of cracked nailbeds and flaky skin for failing to look after our hardworking mitts. If you’ve been struggling with dry hands or just want to give them some extra love, try one of these easy home remedies.
Exfoliation
Exfoliate your hands with a mixture of sugar and olive oil to remove any dead skin while giving your hands a deep moisture treatment. This will make them soft and smooth and will help banish roughness. Use 1-4 times per week, depending on how much dry skin you have and follow with a thick moisturizer.
Lavender Hand Balm
This nourishing hand balm is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t use any chemicals or drying agents. It helps restore skin to make it smooth and supple. Plus, you can adjust the scent by adding your favorite essential oils and creating a totally personalized blend.
What you need:
- 1 oz beeswax
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp rosewater
- 10 drops lavender essential oil (or the essential oil of your choice)
To make:
- Melt the beeswax over the stove on medium-low heat.
- Heat the oil slightly and pour it into the melted beeswax.
- Heat the rosewater slightly and then add it very slowly into the oil and wax, stirring until combined.
- Remove from heat and continue stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add in essential oil. Mix well and add to a jar or tin.
- Keep in a cool place for about 3 months.
Oat hand soak
Combine raw oats with some warmed-up olive oil or jojoba oil and soak your hands for about 15 minutes. Rinse well and rub with a hydrating lotion or hand balm. The oats and the oil will help restore moisture and soothe painful cracks or splits.
Overnight treatment
Use your favorite moisturizer or coconut oil liberally on your hands before bed and put on some cotton gloves that can be thrown in the wash. Keeping the moisture trapped overnight will give it a chance to soak into your skin and help your remedy be even more effective.
Use a humidifier
Just as keeping a humidifier in your bedroom at night can help soothe the rest of your skin, it can benefit your hands as well. When your hands are cracking, it’s a good sign that you aren’t exposed to enough moisture. This is especially true when it’s cold and dry outside in the winter. Invest in a humidifier to help soften your skin, ease itching, and even improve your stuffy nose.
Things to avoid
Harsh soaps
Normal, chemical handsoaps simply strip the skin of natural oils and leave your hands dry and cracking. Things like synthetic fragrances, preservatives, and sulfates, all take center stage in these products, but these are all known drying agents. Use a natural, moisturizing hand soap instead with ingredients like shea butter to help maintain a healthy balance.
Hand sanitizer
Not only has hand sanitizer been proven to be less effective than washing your hands, but it could also harm your skin. The chemical drying agents lead to cracked nail beds and brittle, peeling skin. Try to wash your hands instead whenever possible.
Weather
If you work outside or simply spend a lot of time outdoors in an environment that gets cold and windy in the wintertime, you are likely familiar with the dry, cracking hands that come along with snow and slush. Try to protect your hands when outdoors by wearing gloves and be sure to give them a little extra attention in the winter.
Water
Keeping your hands submerged in water can strip your skin of its natural oils and leave them exposed to the elements. Plus, hot dishwater can burn your hands and cause them to become red and chapped. Use rubber dish gloves whenever you are cleaning up after dinner to keep your skin from drying out.
Hand dryers
It stands to reason that dry hands and hand dryers don’t exactly go well together. Whenever possible, use paper towels and avoid exposing your hands to such a concentrated blast of hot air.
-Susan Patterson