During this pandemic of Covid-19 our hands are our front defence force. We are washing them endlessly throughout the day, 20 seconds a time.
Soap, detergent and sanitised hand gel contain harsh ingredients to keep germs at bay. Combining products with vigorous scrubbing strips our hands’ natural oils and moisture. This leaves our hands with dry and often flaky, chapped and irritated skin.
So what can we add to help replenish these natural oils?
It’s time for some TLC:
- Choose hand creams which are rich in lanolin or glycerine
- Dot pots of creams around your house and especially in the bathroom and kitchen as reminders
- Use hand cream after washing and take equal time to moisturise
- Use more cream than usual and allow time for the product to sink into the skin
- Wear household gloves for general housework and cleaning to avoid over exposure from other liquids and cleaning products.
- Give yourself a hand spa with warm water, coconut oil or aromatherapy oils such as rose or geranium to nourish them
- And at night, as you slather on your face night cream, slather on hand cream and allow this to be absorbed before you sleep.
Run out of cream? Use avocado skin – after removing the flesh you can push the skin outwards and spread over hands and elbows
And finally, a word of caution, avoid perfumed creams if you suffer from allergies
