“Your hands never take a day off, so take care of them”.
Although we should take care of our skin overall, our hands need special care and love because they are more exposed to the external elements and in use more than almost any part of the body. We also wash our hands more often, sanitize them, and expose them to detergents and other cleaning products every day. In addition, during winter cold temperature and low humidity can lead to dry air that draws water away from our skin. Harsh winter winds and dry indoor heat can make the problem even worse and lead to cracked and bleeding skin.
In this article, we are going to find out how to take care of our hands when the cold arrives.
1- Wear gloves
As I mentioned above, cold weather tends to dehydrate the hands and makes them dry and chapped. The best way to protect them is to use a nice warm pair of gloves every time we go outside. If your winter weather is primarily rainy and windy, a pair of leather cashmere gloves would be a great option. Some prefer mittens because they trap the heat of your entire hand and they are warmer. For fierce cold and snow, you’ll want something thicker or even thermal gloves if your skin is too dry.
2- Cleanse properly
In cold temperature, it is good to wash your hands with lukewarm water; never too cold or too hot. Don’t overdo the washes, though! Too many washes can dry out the skin even more.
3- Use non-aggressive products
When we wash our hands, we must use delicate detergents with emollient and moisturizing properties such as almond oil, oat, olive oil and aloe. Avoid cosmetics and skincare products that contain petrolatum and too many preservatives. Watch out for the label !.
4- Exfoliate regularly
As for the body, the hands also need to be exfoliated at least once a week. You can buy, but there are many DIY recipes that you can make at home just for fun. One effective exfoliant is a mixture of sugar or fine salt, lemon juice, almond or olive oil, a little baking soda and a tablespoon of honey. Mix them all and gently massage into your hands. Rinse and apply a moisturizer.
5- Apply moisturizer
Use a good hand lotion that actually reverse the skin damage done by excessive washing, sanitizing, and harsh weather. Almost all the products on the market are oil-based meaning that they contain occlusive agents, such as petrolatum or mineral oil, and emollients like esters and plant oils. They work by creating a seal on the surface of skin which prevents moist from escaping. But more often than not, these products are not effective in locking in the water especially in cold weather. At ZinniaNatural, our natural/vegan hand moisturizer is water based. It contains natural humectants that penetrate into the skin and attract water not only from deeper layer of the skin but also from the air. That’s why our hand lotion is so effective; it restores hydration from within.
6- Cuddle your hands with a “hand beauty mask”
If your hands are dry and chapped, make a nice nourishing beauty mask with olive oil, almond oil and honey once a week.
Here’s how to do it:
Add a tablespoon of almond or olive oil and a tablespoon of honey in a bowl, mix until the mixture becomes homogeneous. Apply to wet hands and massage gently for a few minutes. If you want your hand beauty mask to be even more effective, keep it on for a couple of hours, wearing gloves.
You will see that even your nails will thank you !.
I hope you have found this article useful. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Stay amazing, Stay beautiful!
Dr. Zahra Motahari
