We are all trying our best to stay healthy during cold and flu season. We follow the guidance of our doctors and government agencies by washing our hands and using hand sanitizer but the cost is high. Our hands are rough and chapped through the winter and may even bleed at times because the skin has become so irritated. It hurts to put on lotion and the more we wash them, the more painful the skin on our hands becomes. What are we supposed to do?
The answer, quite literally, is Common Sense. Our long lasting hand sanitizer conditions your skin while it kills 99.9% of germs right away. The formula keeps skin feeling clean, soft and protected for hours so you can apply it far less frequently throughout the day the other leading sanitizer brands.
If you don’t have Common Sense on hand – you may have been using another brand of hand sanitizer. Since they don’t have the persistence of our Common Sense formula, you will have had to use them often, especially if you are out and about in high exposure situations.
Hand washing is one of the greatest ways to prevent the spread of illnesses. However, routine rubbing and washing can be just as harsh and wear the skin down and deplete it of its natural oils and hydration. Hand washing can be just as harsh on your skin, so it’s best to be gentle and follow a few simple tips that will save your hands and keep you comfortable and healthy all season long.
Why is handwashing so harmful for our skin?
Oils and wax make up the top layer of our skin, which serves as a barrier against the environment as well as a shield to retain the skin’s natural moisture. The suds produced by soap when washing hands dissolve this natural barrier without distinction between unwelcome oil, bacteria, and the skin’s natural oils.
If moisture is not replenished by using hand cream, lotion or ointment, the skin may become dry, red, itchy, flaky, uncomfortable, and in extreme circumstances, crack. If the person experiences symptoms of dermatological disorders like eczema, this can worsen the condition.
How can I keep washing my hands so frequently while yet preventing my skin from drying out?
When you wash your hands and they are still wet, you are hydrating your skin. But if you repeatedly wash and dry the skin, you gradually leach out all of its natural lipids, or oils, and the skin may end up being dry and brittle. The secret is to replace some of those lost lipids by using emollient creams and lotions, often known as moisturizers, which serve as barriers to keep your skin protected.
How To wash Your hands to prevent dry skin
To remove grime, use just enough mild, fragrance-free soap. It’s best to use a soap that is hypoallergenic, devoid of allergens, and without fragrances. Additionally, soap that is sold in bars typically has more moisture and fewer additives.
Do not use so much that a thick lather forms, as this would wipe away natural oils. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in warm water that is comfortable to use rather than blistering hot water
Thoroughly scrub the backs of your hands, the area around your wrists, under your rings, between your fingers, including your thumbs. When rinsing, the same holds true.
When washing your hands, make sure to rinse well between your fingers and the backs of your wrists. If you don’t thoroughly cleanse these regions, soap residue may remain and irritate your skin. The soap residue that is left behind is what causes this particular sort of irritant dermatitis. When only a small bit of soap has been left behind, the skin might get sticky and even appear unclean.
Washing with soap and water are preferable, especially after using the restroom and before and after eating, but hand sanitizers are regarded to be virtually as effective.
Some soaps dry the skin out more than others
Certain soaps are undoubtedly harsher than others, so keep in mind certain kinds of soap and some soap ingredients you should avoid in order to protect your skin. Laundry or dish soap in particular should not be applied to the skin. Everyone is cleaning more than normal during the last few years, and over-washing your hands with anything like dish soap will dry them out. Ensure that the soaps you use to wash your hands are truly designed for skin.
How To Dry Your Hands To Prevent Dry Skin
When drying your hands, be gentle with your skin. Pat your hands dry with a soft towel rather than rubbing them with a paper towel, which can be harsh.
You can wash your hands and then shake most of the water off rather than totally drying them, especially if you have skin that is prone to drying. Evaporation of moisture from the skin by air drying may cause the skin to become even drier so be sure to moisturize afterward right away to avoid that. After washing and patting your skin dry retain skin’s moisture by applying a lotion, creams, or ointments, as appropriate.
Is the chance of contracting a viral or bacterial illness Higher with cracked, dry skin?
Any break in the skin, including cracked, dry, or dry skin, gives bacteria and viruses like staphylococcus bacteria or fungal diseases a chance to enter the body and harm one’s health.
Additionally, a skin break makes it easier for you to spread an infection to others. You should reevaluate whether using your bare hands to perform tasks is appropriate if you have developed an open sore or several sores on your hands. If this happens, think about wearing gloves or maybe taking some time out of work to heal your skin and avoid the risk of bacteria or an infection spreading through open wounds.
How can I Stop my skin from drying out?
When you wash your hands and they are still wet, you are hydrating your skin. But if you repeatedly wash and dry the skin, you gradually leach out all of its natural lipids, or oils, and the skin may end up being dry and brittle. The secret is to replace some of those lost lipids by using emollient creams and lotions, often known as moisturizers, which serve as barriers to keep your skin protected.
Apply your preferred moisturizer while your hands are still wet to lock in moisture. Applying moisturizer on dry skin serves no purpose because it absorbs inadequately. Apply it to clean, just damp skin.
Moisturize your hands after you wash them right away. To ensure that you always have access to creams, keep tiny travel sizes on hand by keeping them in your workplace, gym bag, and handbag.
By keeping a travel size Common Sense long lasting hand sanitizer with you wherever you go, you have moisturizing action and germ protection in one product.
Are there any ingredients that persons with cracked skin should stay away from?
Fragrance-containing products might irritate delicate, chapped skin. Lotions are inferior to creams and ointments. Too much alcohol in hand sanitizers can dry up chapped skin. Using a hand sanitizer with a moisturizing base is an option, but be aware that it won’t be as effective in eliminating viruses. Common Sense long lasting hand sanitizer nourishes skin like a moisturizing lotion while containing more than 60% alcohol which is above the recommendation for alcohol content directed by the CDC.
What should you do if frequent hand washing and sanitizing is causing your hands to become rough, dry, and irritated?
Using Lotions, creams or ointments on Chapped hands
Since lotions have a higher percentage of water than the other two, they tend to be less effective at moisturizing skin. It tends to be thinner, it will evaporate more quickly.
Creams are similar to lotions but contain less water. They typically have a thicker consistency and penetrate into the skin more slowly. Over time, they linger more and disappear more gradually.
Ointments do nothing more than cover the skin. They basically inhibit or reduce the evaporation that occurs off the skin normally.
Can I apply lotion or cream on skin that is broken?
You should take care of the wound initially if the skin is exposed, oozing, or obviously infected. Ordinary Vaseline or petroleum jelly is a good general product to put on sores or broken skin. Many medical professionals have long assumed that over the counter medications like Polysporin can safely be used to cure skin damage, however dermatologists have found that 2-3% of people are actually allergic to the components in Polysporin. It’s less likely that broken skin will become infected than it is to be allergic to a product like Polysporin. Vaseline, however, has a very little likelihood of causing an allergic reaction and actually aids in protecting the skin by fostering an environment in which skin cells can migrate and treat wounds.
Moisturizing In Layers
Apply a lotion or cream that is hypoallergenic or free of allergens to the skin and gently rub it in, paying attention to the wrists and in between the fingers.
Waiting 30 to 60 seconds before reapplying if you don’t think your hands are sufficiently treated. The benefits of a second application are unquestionable. Apply a cream or lotion first if you believe your skin needs extra assistance. Use an ointment to seal it in.
Some patients with sensitive skin may experience flare-ups of their dermatitis. And then there are individuals who, prior to beginning the additional hand-washing routine, were unaware that they had sensitive skin. Go above and beyond regular moisturizing by making a habit of the following three step routine.
Ideally before going to bed, apply a single or double layer of lotion or cream to your hands.
Apply a petroleum jelly-like ointment over those layers.
Then cover your hands and wrists with a cotton sock for the night.
Does handwashing and hand sanitizing really reduce disease transmission?
Improved hand hygiene practices have played a crucial role in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, as frequent handwashing undeniably reduces the risk of catching or transmitting various illnesses.
If symptoms like redness, peeling, or soreness persist, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist. They can ascertain whether your dry hands are due to a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis and prescribe a steroid cream to alleviate inflammation.
Surviving the winter until the arrival of spring’s warmth can be achieved by taking fundamental care of your skin. This includes resisting the urge to warm up in hot water and keeping readily available treatments at hand.
In New Jersey, dry hands are a common phenomenon during the winter. However, with the help of products like Common Sense’s long-lasting hand sanitizer, preventing chapped hands becomes a breeze. Strategic application of moisturizers and creams can simplify the treatment of dry hands. If home remedies for dry hands prove ineffective or if you notice other symptoms such as bleeding or infection, seek medical assistance promptly.
When dealing with facial skin, particularly when removing makeup, it is advisable to use makeup brushes that are regularly cleaned to kill bacteria and prevent allergic reactions. Antibacterial soap can also be effective in treating dry hands from overwashing, as it helps to cleanse the affected skin thoroughly without stripping away too much moisture.
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