How To Keep Hands Soft & Hydrated This Winter

Last Monday I was a guest on the #meagapichristiana show on AlphaTV Cyprus presenting The Organic Pharmacy.  Christiana Aristotelous, the host, mentioned my hands, and how soft and hydrated they looked.  This sparked today’s article, and it is also a special request from my sister too as she suffers with very dry hands, especially in the winter.

I will certainly take extra care to keep my hands looking and feeling good this winter, as I am washing my hands and using antiseptic gels a lot due to the baby.

Here are my top tips to keep hands soft & hydrated this winter:

1. 

   Exfoliate – Hard working hands are nothing to be ashamed of but dry winter skin can lead to unnecessary roughness and chapping. To keep a buildup of dead, dry skin at bay, it’s essential to keep hands exfoliated.  When exfoliating my face, I always take the time to exfoliate my hands too, once to twice per week.  Crabtree & Evelyn London, La Source Miracle Moisturising Hand Scrub is an excellent choice and available at your local Beautyline store throughout Cyprus.

2. Become A Hand Cream Addict – Every time we wash our hands, we must moisturise and we must do it consistently.  This will help stave off dryness and add an extra layer of protection to our skin.  Keep moisturiser by the sink and keep travel-sized hand creams in the car, in the handbag, and in the office drawer. In the winter, our hands can’t get enough moisture. Keep moisturising throughout the day, to keep skin soft and smooth. And keeping it handy everywhere will help ensure dry skin doesn’t become a problem.

3. 

   Apply SPF – This is the biggest tip I can give you and a lot of you will ignore it.  I wear SPF on my hands every single day.  I use the once-a-day formula from Ultrasun in the morning and every morning.  I look for good quality hand creams with SPF to use during the day for added protection. The Hero Project Diamond Dusted Hand & Nail Therapy with SPF 20 is a very good option available from Amazon UK and L’Occitane Velvet Hands SPF 15 is another.

4. Wash With Tepid Water – It is very tempting to wash with hot water in the winter to get us warm but it is very drying on the skin.  Instead, keep the temperature tepid or luke warm around 38/39 degrees celsius.
5. Use Quality Hand Soap – Our hands work so hard, so give them the love and care they deserve.  Opt for a gentle and moisturing option.  I love my L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Wash but I also regularly buy Molton Brown.  I recently came across Maison du Savon  de Marseille. Their

   

   liquid soaps are produced in the heart of Provence in the traditional way of Marseille and contain less than 10 ingredients from renewable raw materials for skin and hair care, such as coconut oil.  They us pure organic olive oil, rich in omega-9 fatty acids, stimulates cell activity and helps prevent ageing. The soaps are free of paraben and synthetic surfactants.  They are also environment friendly because they are biodegradable by more than 98%.

6. Wear Gloves – When the weather is very cold, the extra layer of protection that gloves provide, will not only keep hands warm, it will help keep the elements from damaging our skin. Be sure to wear rubber pair when cleaning. Abrasive chemicals in cleaning products, combined with hot water temperatures, can wreak havoc on hands and nails.
7. Don’t Waste Skincare – After applying my skincare, I rub any remaining residue into my hands.  If it is good enough for my face then it is good enough for my hands.

8. 

   Deep Moisturise Hands At Night – Every night I layer on my L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. It is  enriched with 20% Shea Butter, as well as a blend of almond, honey, and coconut oil for added nourishment and jasmine and ylang-ylang ensure hands are left smelling heavenly after use.

If you have any questions, please send me a message.