As the autumn season passes and winter is here, I cringe, knowing that my hands will take a toll this particular season. The constant hand-washing, sanitizing, doing the dishes (‘tis the season!), and bitter chill outside chap my hands to the bone! They become red, flakey, dehydrated, and sore. Does that ever happen to you, too? I told myself this winter will be different, and that I wanted to keep my hands well-protected and soothed.
After some thorough research, I found helpful information to keep our hands healthy. Let’s start with the basics: moisturize. Five or six applications a day will provide ample protection. Only moisturizing your hands once a day is enough protection for five minutes. Let’s step it up!
Choosing the right moisturizer can be tricky. There are many options! Don’t get overwhelmed. You want to choose a moisturizer that has emollient ingredients such as lanolin, jojoba oil, vitamin E, isopropyl palmitate, propylene glycol linoleate, squalene, and glycol stearate. These ingredients act as oil on the surface of the skin, keeping the skin soft and smooth. You also want to choose a moisturizer that has humectant ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, propylene glycerol, urea, and lactic acid. Humectants keep your skin well-hydrated and plump. And who doesn’t want plump skin?? Definitely look for both emollients and humectants in your moisturizer. Sometimes you may need a heavier moisturizer. It is best to choose a thick, rich moisturizer that contains ingredients such as dimethicone, aloe vera, cocoa or shea butter, or beeswax.
At Oasis, we use Maddison Avenue Soy Protein Hand/Body Lotion. We have fallen in LOVE with the way it makes our skin feel. It’s non-greasy application will leave your skin instantly smooth and soft. Don’t forget to repeat moisturizer step multiple times a day. Next time you're in, ask us to try it out the benefits.
Finally, don’t be afraid to imitate your grandmother and heavily apply your moisturizer before bed then slip on some beauty gloves to let the moisturizer work into the skin while you snooze!
Just a recap:
- Moisture frequently, six times a day
- Check your moisturizer’s ingredients
- Emollients and Humectants are your friends
- Use beauty gloves while you sleep to keep moisture in the skin
