Top 5 Ways to Prevent Dry Skin on Your Hands

Tired of dry, cracked skin on your hands and fingers? We are at the peak of dry skin season in many parts of the country. The dry air, the cold weather (and we have had some nasty cold weather in the Northeast!) and the constant hand-washing to avoid germs wreak havoc on our poor hands.

But no fear! I want to share my 5 favorite tricks to keep hands soft, smooth and hydrated. 

1) BUY A GOOD HAND CREAM This is the most important. Be sure to get yourself a really good hand cream. I know, sounds a little suspect coming from me :) but it is really is critical. There are zillions of hand creams out there. Some are fantastic, and some are just terrible. You can find terrible hand creams that cost a lot, terrible hand creams that are cheap, terrible hand creams that are filled with junk, and terrible hand creams that are natural. If a hand cream doesn't have the right balance of emollients and humectants then your skin will be lacking in one way or another:

Emollients: These ingredients soften and smooth the skin, and reduce the appearance of rough, flaky skin. So when your skin is chapped, red and flaky - emollients are what will make your skin look and feel better quickly. Emollients typically function by providing moisture to the top layer of skin and form a protective layer. Typically, they are vegetable-based ingredients like oils, butters, cetyl alcohol (despite the name, it is very different from isopropyl alcohol), and petroleum-based ingredients like petrolatum and petroleum jelly. Garden Girl products are free of petroleum products and rely on plant-based emollients.

Humectants: These complement emollients by drawing moisture in and trapping it in the skin, reviving it and keeping it fully hydrated from the inside. They actually increase the water content of your skin, which is critical. Some examples of humectants include glycerin, sugars (fructose, sucrose, honey, etc.), amino acids, collagen and hyaluronic acid. Garden Girl products incorporate a variety of humectants, but always have hyaluronic acid, which is one of the most powerful humectants. 

Keep hand cream everywhere - at sinks, in your purse, at your desk, at your bedside. This way you can use it when you need it. I keep small travel sizes in my purses and bags because I always seem to notice dry skin when I'm driving.

2) USE DISHWASHING GLOVES Yes, they seem so old-fashioned, but they are so important. Nothing can dry your skin out faster than washing a pile (or even a few!) dishes in hot, soapy water.

3) AVOID SUPER HOT WATER Your hands get washed so frequently in the winter, and we are all tempted to use super-hot water to keep germs at bay and warm us up. But warm water will be just as effective as long as you use soap and scrub for long enough. So skip the scalding hot water to keep hands happy!

4) MAKE A QUICK HAND SCRUB If your hands are getting flaky and chapped, create a quick and easy (and economical!) hand scrub by mixing sugar (any kind) with an emollient (now that you know what that is) of your choice. My go-to choices are olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil (slightly melted in the microwave - but be careful not to make it too hot!) or a combination. Scrub your hands, rinse gently with warm water and pat dry. Then apply hand cream. It really works - and use any leftovers on your lips (first!) and feet (definitely last!!).

5) SLEEP WITH GLOVES When all else fails, give your hands a chance to heal overnight by getting a pair of plain cotton gloves. Load up with hand cream just before climbing into bed, and then put those super-sexy cotton gloves on :). You will be amazed at how effective it is. Same goes for feet (obviously with cotton booties or socks - not gloves...).

Not rocket science but sometimes it's good to have a little reminder. Take good care of your hands - they work hard for you and are usually the first (gulp) thing to show your age!