Hand Care Should Be Everyone’s Primary Concern Right Now

From the very start of the Coronavirus pandemic, the recommendation to wash our hands more often – and the correct way – was rightfully touted as one of the most important methods for preventing virus transmission.

“But there’s a crucial next step that hasn’t received as much attention – or any attention at all”, says Mel Driver, Director of Embalm Skincare. “Keeping your skin moisturised to prevent the kind of cracking and micro-tears that could make you more susceptible to COVID-19”.

If you don’t rehydrate, then ironically, washing your hands frequently could, indirectly, be putting you at higher risk.

The skin on our hands is particularly thin, and with the excessive use of hand washes and hand sanitizers, problems such as dryness, irritation, peeling and cracking easily arise.

You should never miss the chance to treat your hands to some much-needed TLC, but now it’s more important than ever.

Here’s to ensure you’ve got your hand care routine mastered:

On a ‘normal’ day the advise would be not to over-wash hands but during this crisis, our hands are constantly being washed as it’s the best defence against Coronavirus, germs and bacteria.

But the constant washing of hands can strip the skin of natural oils, drying our skin out even further in the process.

 As much as possible opt for a non-aggressive liquid soap, and watch the water temperature; keep it warm as opposed to hot to prevent additional skin dryness.

Re-apply hand cream after hand washing to moisturise, nourish and protect.

Wear gloves as much as possible, while doing dirty tasks such as cleaning the house, doing the dishes, gardening, washing the dog or the even the car.

Steam mask. Give your hands steam mask when doing the dishes. Slather your hands in hand cream before putting on the dish washing gloves. The hot water in the sink will create something like a steam-like hand treatment, leaving your hands super soft. This also allows for the nourishing ingredients to deeply penetrate the skin.

Exfoliate. Just as exfoliating face and body, it’s also beneficial to do the same on your hands. Exfoliate with a gentle scrub to remove the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal fresh skin underneath. Be careful not to exfoliate sore, cracked or burning skin.

Build a barrier. Reward your hands with indulgent, nourishing creams. If you make sure you’ve got only one thing in your handbag, let it be hand cream. Travel-friendly creams will enable you to moisturise your hands anywhere and at any time they need a hit of hydration.

Hand cream forms a barrier against the drying effects of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, and when reapplied throughout the day, will guarantee soft and nourished skin. Gently massaging into the skin each time can also help with circulation while warming up your hands.

Overnight hand mask. Just like our face, hands need some extra attention from time to time. Treating yourself to a hand mask once a week can help to amp up hydration, ensuring your hands are in tip-top condition.

Apply a generous amount of hand cream just before bed and put on some cotton gloves to allow overnight repair and hydration. Don’t forget about nourishing those nails and cuticles. Massage the cream into your cuticles before you slip on those gloves. 

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