Three Easy Ways To Avoid Dry, Cracked Hands In The Colder Weather

The leaves are covering the ground and pretty soon, snow will begin to fall. While these season changes are beautiful to look at, they can also be difficult for your skin to adjust to.

One common symptom for those who live in colder weather is dry, cracked hands in the winter months. This can be an unattractive and uncomfortable symptom for so many people so we’ve done the research on the three best ways to prevent dry, cracked hands for good!

Wash Your Hands With Warm Water

When it gets cold outside, it’s understandable to want to rush your hands under a burning hot tap to warm them up when you get inside but that’s actually doing some serious damage.

Experts suggest washing your hands in colder months with lukewarm water as a prevention to dry, cracked hands. Washing your hands frequently will also help prevent the spread of germs and colds in the winter months when it seems everyone around you is coughing and sneezing.

Avoid Harsh Soaps

Antibacterial soap sounds like a normal soaps super powered big brother, but the reality is, they’re harming your hands and making them extremely dry. All soaps are made to wash away bacteria and residue and there isn’t really any evidence to suggest that an antibacterial soap does a better job anyway.

To keep your hands soft and supple this season, use a mild, moisturizing soap when washing your hands. This will allow your hands to be cleaned without stripped away essential oils they need to stay moisturized and will keep them from drying out and cracking. You also want to avoid soaps with strong fragrance as that has been proven to have a drying effect on your hands as well.

Hand Cream Is Your New Best Friend

Preventative is always better than reactive and caring for your hands is no different. Between the months of November and March, you should be applying hand cream as often as possible to prevent your hands from drying out in the first place.

The easiest way to make sure you are never without hand cream when you need it is to purchase smaller, travel sized bottles and leave them everywhere you go on a daily basis. Throw one in your purse, in the car, on your desk, in the kitchen, and beside your bed to make sure you never skip out on moisturizing your hands.

It will only take a few days of consistent use to notice but your hands will feel as soft and supple as a baby’s bottom, all winter long.

What are your tips to deal with dry, cracked hands in the winter? Let us know in the comments below!