The Best Ways to Take Care of Your Hands
More than any other body parts, our hands carry out every daily chore and face the wrath of the elements. When you work with your hands especially, it’s very important that you don’t neglect them. The pandemic has had a massive impact on how many of us now use hand sanitiser on a daily basis, but this is actually having a detrimental effect on the skin of our hands.
Did you know that dry skin can build on overworked hands and this can cause flaking, redness and irritation? If you have ever dealt with eczema on hands before, then you’ll know that your hands are more prone to aging and are more vulnerable because of the skin on them. The skin on your hands is relatively thin, which means that your hands are exposed to all kinds of dirt and germs as well as the weather and harsh substances. If you’re giving care to your face and your scalp skincare, then you need to consider your hands as an important thing to look after and not an afterthought. Here is a list of some of the best ways that you can take care of your hands.
1. Keep them clean. Using an anti-bacterial gentle soap on your hands before you eat, when you move from outside to inside, and after you’ve been in public places are smart. However you must ensure that you are cleaning them properly. This means going up to the edge of your wrists and removing rings while you are cleaning your hands otherwise you’re not truly cleaning them. The soap should be a gentle or mild soap so that you don’t cause any skin irritation. You should also ensure that you use microfiber cloth to dry them so that you’re not rubbing half towels on newly wet skin.
2. Keep the hand cream handy. Hand creams can often be better than the lotions in many different ways, as they are more long-lasting and they are thicker in nature to create a barrier on your skin. If your skin is extremely dry or cracks, choose an oil based hand cream and speak to your doctor if your skin has eczema. Cracked skin can be especially painful, but emollients work to soften the skin on your hands and fill those empty spaces to make your skin smoother. A body butter or a hand butter that contains shea or cocoa or mango butter can make your hands feel wonderful.
3. Don’t neglect your cuticles. The cuticles around your nails protect the nail bed and the skin surrounding them from all kinds of infections that can interfere. If you trim down the cuticles too often, the bacteria and the germs can get inside your fingernails which can lead to an infection. The next time you go to your salon for your manager, say no to the cuticle traveling. If you do want to trim them back, you need to ensure that they are soft and appropriately and you can do this by soaking your fingers in warm water. Use a cuticle remover to post the cuticles back and use moisturizer on top.
4. Massage your hands regularly. If you have somebody to do this for you then you’re very lucky because the massage is very comfortable. You need to ensure that your hands and your fingers are massaged to improve their appearance but there are also some great health benefits of massage. For example, did you know that a hand massage can offer pain relief and instant mood left, better sleep quality and then increased grip strength over time? These are all things you may not have known before but you know now so you can look after your hands properly.
5. Use a specific hand exfoliation cream. A scrub to exfoliate your hands can really make a big difference especially if you just use it once a week. Exfoliation can get rid of any dead skin cells and make them feel soft and smooth. The good news here is that you can make it as natural as possible by simply using ingredients like sugar, lime juice and olive oil. Avoid the lime juice if you have any cuts to your hands, though, because that will sting!
6. Treat the cracks. This is especially prevalent if you are outside a lot especially in the winter months. Dry and cracked hands are frequently a complaint during the cold weather because the wind and the air temperatures can dry your hands out. You might experience any blisters and redness with this, and hand creams along with petroleum jelly or jojoba oil or Shea butter can really help. Treating the cracks will really help you to keep your hands comfortable and soft.
7. Keep your nails clean. Trimming your nails back has to be included in your hand care regime. You should also pay for a regular manicure to keep your hands and nails clean and tidy, and keep a nail scrub on the side of the sink for when you wash your hands. Dirt build up underneath your nails can really it’s the bacteria into your skin, and manicures can also enhance growth. Most manicures also come with hand massage to keep the blood flowing through your fingers.
8. Look at your diet. One of the nicest ways to take care of your hands is to make sure that you are eating foods that are rich in proteins, vitamin B and E, and with essential fatty acids. You want your skin to be healthy and supple, and a balanced diet will help you to achieve the soft and supple skin that you’ve been looking for. It doesn’t have to be complicated to look after your diet but you should speak to a dermatologist if you’re not sure which food you should be eating. If you have the time, pop a vitamin every single day and you’ll be able to ensure that your body really does take in the vitamins that it needs for healthy skin, hair and nails.
