7 Tips to Keep Your Hands Soft and Moisturized This Winter
Winter is the most wonderful time of the year. Holidays, shiny lights, hot cocoa, beautiful decorations, snowing and sledding, gift-giving, and a very merry atmosphere in the air. The idyllic wonderland, isn’t it? However, there is a flip side to the coin – cold, harsh weather. No matter how much you enjoy the snow and warm coats, cold winter weather is a nightmare for your skin, especially for your poor hands. The combination of dry indoor heat and freezing outdoors can be fatal for your hands. That’s why you have to take extra care and precautions in order to keep your hands soft and moisturized this winter. So, read the following article and learn seven easy tricks to do so!
Regular moisturizing is a must
The simplest and most important way to keep your hands soft and moisturized this winter is by using hand lotion or hand cream. Fortunately, you can find lotions and creams in every store and with various formulations and scents. So, find the one that suits your needs and always have it on you. In other words, keep one at home and one in your purse, so you can be moisturized even when you’re out.
One of the life-changing tips you should know is to always use moisturizer after washing your hands, no matter how many times you do it throughout the day. Why? Because water can enhance the dryness; as simple as that.
When it comes to ingredients you should look for in a lotion or cream, shea butter, retinol, and vitamin B will keep your hands soft in the cold weather. For trapping water in your skin, use hand creams or lotions with mineral oils or lanolin. You’ll get a soothing effect from urea and moisture from glycerin. And if you want to retain the moisture in your skin, find a product with hyaluronic acid.
Try an oil treatment
Besides typical moisturizers such as hand creams and lotions, many people use natural oils as a dry hand treatment. Take just a few drops and rub them gently on your hands. Not only will your hands be soft, but the oils will keep them moisturized for a long time. In addition, using oil treatments for your hands during cold weather will help you strengthen your nails as well. And God knows they suffer in the winter as well. So, here are some oils that will help you keep your hands soft and moisturized this winter:
- avocado
- aloe vera gels
- almond
- cocoa butter
- coconut oil
- olive oil, etc.
Moisturizing your hands during winter is an essential step, and you can do this with different oils as well.
Don’t forget to condition your hands
The cold weather can be pretty harsh and do a lot of damage to your skin, especially if yours is sensitive. That’s why conditioning your hands once every two weeks is a step you have to take. Fortunately, there is an easy home remedy for extra dry hands that will help you survive winter. As ridiculous as it sounds, you’ll need a pair of old socks and hand lotion. Here is what you need to do with them:
- Put your socks in the microwave and heat them for 10-15 seconds.
- In the meantime, put a generous amount of lotion on your hands without rubbing it into your skin.
- Next, put the warm socks on your lotion hands and let them soak in all the moisture for 20 minutes or so. If your hands are extremely dry, leave the socks on your hands through the night.
- Take off the socks after 20 minutes and rub the excess lotion into your hands.
This is a simple and effective way to keep your hands moisturized and soft this winter. Of course, if your hands are over-sensitive and you have some bigger issues, you should visit your dermatologist.
Wear gloves
Whether you’re washing dishes or spending time outside, you should wear gloves in the wintertime. The formula of dish soap is extremely aggressive on your hands, and in combination with cold weather, it’s catastrophic. That’s why using dish gloves while washing dishes is a must all year long, but especially during winter.
Additionally, you should wear gloves every time you go outside, especially if you are doing some tasks around your yard or garage. Winter is the time when many of us decide to declutter our homes in preparation for the holidays, so if you are constantly going in and out of the house, you should protect your hands. But remember that just like there’s a proper way to take care of your hands during cold weather, there’s also a proper way to store your possessions in the winter. Whether you’re storing them in a storage unit or in your garage, make sure the items can withstand the cold temperatures.
Use gentle soap
Soaps we use regularly are usually boosted with many chemicals responsible for drying out our skin. Since washing hands is an essential part of our hygiene, you should use a gentle and natural soap that will moisturize your skin instead of drying it out. Soaps for sensitive skin and natural and moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba or argan oil will both nourish and heal your skin during winter. Additionally, a vegetable glycerin base in soap is excellent, and liquid castile soaps are good as well. Just make sure your soap (or shower gel) doesn’t contain alcohol as it maximally dries out your skin.
Using a natural soap is something that will help with hydrated skin throughout the winter.
Avoid hot water
As much as we love warming up our hands in hot water after spending time in the cold weather, this is extremely bad for our skin. Hot water will not only dry out your skin but will also burn it. Lukewarm water is what you want and need. It will start the circulation in your hands again and help you recover from freezing outside. Oh, and don’t forget to moisturize your hands after washing them. It’s a routine you want to keep.
Stay hydrated
Regular hydration plays a significant role in maintaining healthy skin. That’s why staying hydrated will help you avoid dry skin. The more water you drink, the softer and moisturized your skin will be. Doctors recommend drinking approximately 8 cups of water a day. So, make sure you’re following these instructions. In addition, if you have problems with over-sensitive and extra dry skin, avoid drinking alcohol. As we already said, it will dry out your skin in a second.
Drinking water is crucial if you want to have nice and healthy skin.
In conclusion
Protecting your hands during wintertime is something you simply must do if you don’t want them to crack and feel like sandpaper. Follow these seven tips to keep your hands soft and moisturized this winter, and you’ll be thankful afterward. This routine is easy, so there is no excuse. Be safe and be smart!
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