Cream for dry hands: what more than another cream?

The peculiarities of hand creams

Sometimes, with good reason, one might wonder what a commercial branded “hand” cream has more than a moisturizer that one uses for the face or body.

To be more effective than an ordinary cream suitable for the hands, the cream you choose must therefore contain substances that protect them from the external environment and hydrate them intensely. Because, poorly provided with sebaceous glands, the epidermis of the hands does not produce enough sebum to create a hydrolipidic film capable of resisting attacks.

It is also necessary for the penetration rate to be high in order to be effective without leaving a feeling of greasy. And for that, you have to be able to try the cream before, which is not always possible.

What to expect from a dry hand cream

We obviously use our hands all day. Depending on their profession and lifestyle, however, we may be led to mistreat them despite ourselves.

In contact with water and cleaning products in particular, the skin becomes increasingly dry and irritated. Wearing protective gloves is essential, but it is not always enough to keep hands soft.

A hand cream, when it is well chosen and applied regularly, limits irritation and dryness. Ultimately, this also helps prevent premature aging of this skin exposed to the open air all day.

Caring for dry hands in winter

On dry skin, but not only, winter is harsh on the hands. While protecting your body from the cold, your hands sometimes remain uncovered and even gloves are not always enough to keep them warm.

Especially since, to avoid winter viruses, it is recommended to wash them often. But the more we wash our hands, the more we strip off the hydrolipidic film which protects them from aggressions and which allows them to stay hydrated naturally.

What cream to use in winter to protect dry hands?

A hand cream must therefore reconstitute the hydrolipidic film of the skin to protect it. It must also be nourishing and restorative in order to limit winter damage.

To do this, it must contain a base of water and fatty substances, to which substances specific to each of the brands are added.

It is even quite possible, when you have some notions of homemade cosmetics and a little time in front of you, to make your own cream, with ingredients and scents that you have chosen according to your tastes. Special waxes, vegetable oils and vitamins are good examples.

Which cream to use when your hands are already irritated and damaged?

When the damage is unfortunately already present, it is most often cracks. Due to the cold and the lack of hydration, the skin literally cracks and hollows in places.

Significant hand irritations can also result from more general skin problems that affect other parts of the body, such as eczema or psoriasis. These two diseases can in turn create the conditions for the appearance of cracks.

To fill the holes and help the skin to restore itself, it is necessary to turn to special more concentrated products. These are healing formulations combined with an antibacterial treatment. In fact, crevices, which can be so deep that the skin starts to bleed, are likely to cause infections.

Treat dry hands with a daily cream

To avoid having cracks and, more generally, to treat your dry hands, you must choose a cream that suits you in all respects: hydration, penetration rate, long-term effectiveness.

If you do not know how to choose, do not hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice. Especially in winter, they often give samples. There are also travel formats.

In general, watch labels carefully to avoid uninspiring ingredients that only moisturize superficially.

Apply your cream as soon as you feel the need, especially after washing your hands. It is also in the evening before going to bed that it is interesting to massage your hands with a cream.

If you prefer natural care, do not hesitate to apply a nourishing vegetable oil in the same way at night, such as jojoba oil, which does not leave a greasy film.