Hand sanitizers have temporarily become an essential part of our lives, and we aren’t sure for how long this will go on, all thanks to the pandemic. People hardly used to use hand sanitizers before this pandemic, but now they have become more important to us than our beauty products. The lockdown restrictions may have eased down a bit, but the threat is still looming over us, and we cannot take any chance as far as our safety is concerned. Every time you have to step out of the house, you will frequently need to sanitize your hands, no matter the place or time. While hand sanitizers are a savior for so many of us at the moment and have been helping kill all the germs, bacteria, and virus on our hands, they are also damaging our skin in the process and often leave our hands dry.
Dryness caused by frequent sanitizing and cold winter months can be a ghastly combination. This not only leaves your hands dry but cracked too in some cases. But you can totally prevent that from happening, we have jotted down a list of some simple ways to care for your over-sanitized hands in winter.
Avoid using hot water
Apart from using hand sanitizers frequently, people are also encouraged to wash their hands, and most of us use hot water to wash our hands in winter. This will only leave your hands drier; therefore, you should always use lukewarm water to wash your hands and even while taking a shower. Hot water robs the natural oils from your skin and also results in painful cracks in between fingers; therefore, you should avoid using it.
Invest in hand-sanitizer containing nourishing ingredients
The role of hand sanitizer is to clean your hands, and the potent ingredients present in it help to kill germs, virus, and bacteria, but some of the ingredients can be harsh for the skin. Instead of buying any random hand sanitizer, you should invest in one that contains nourishing ingredients. Hand sanitizers with nourishing ingredients won’t only help kill all the germs, bacteria, and virus but will also keep your hands nourished instead of drying them out.
Apply hand cream
The more your hands come in contact with water or hand-sanitizers, the more they will lose moisture, thereby leaving them dry. Therefore, you should make it a point to apply hand cream to your dry hands each time after washing them. You can invest in a lightweight hand cream infused with nourishing ingredients; it will help to seal in moisture in your skin, which in turn, will prevent dryness. In addition to keeping one tube of hand cream at your home, you can keep one in your handbag so that you can moisturize your hands even when outdoors.
Wear gloves while doing dishes
Most dishwashing soaps and liquids contain several harsh ingredients, and they can be very damaging for your skin. Additionally, wet hands are more prone to losing moisture, and are therefore at great risk of becoming dry. The best way to keep your hands protected from both water and dishwashing soaps or liquids is by wearing gloves. You can wear your gloves while doing the dishes or any other chore that involves water.
Apply a hand mask
In order to compensate for the lost moisture in your skin, you should consider using a hand mask. Hand masks do an excellent job of offering intense moisture to your skin. You can choose to use a store-bought hand mask or prepare one at home using nourishing ingredients that are readily available in your kitchen.
