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We associate many a sensation with the wintertime—kids jingle-belling, parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, carolling out in the snow, Mariah Carey—oh, and chapped, cracked hands. The cold, dry winter air dehydrates our skin, and it is often seen strongest in our hands. That’s because we use our hands for so many things; in addition to constant elemental exposure, our hands are also being sanitized, washed, and dried a dozen times in a day, and used to do 1,000 different tasks. It’s no wonder they dry out so quickly.
But this year, it’s gonna be different. Whether your mitts need TLC ASAP or you’re taking a proactive approach, follow these winter handcare tips to achieve soft, smooth skin all season long.
Lower the water temperature
While temps drop around us, we all feel the pull to crank up the water heat. It soothes the senses, sure, but it’s quite tough on the skin. Make sure to wash with lukewarm or medium-warm water. Ditto—sigh—for showering.
Use hydrating soap
The best advice we can offer when purchasing soaps is this: Unless it’s a reputable “syndet” bar (that is, synthetic detergent) like Dove, then it helps to invest a small bit of coin into your hand soaps. That’s because the best ones have ultra nourishing oils and extracts that keep hands soft despite the microscopic germ massacre happening all around your skin. (You shouldn’t feel like you just swam in a chlorine-dense pool after washing your hands, right?)
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Get a great hand cream and actually use it
We tell guys that they should moisturize their face twice a day after cleansing: Once in the morning, and again before bed. But you should hydrate your hands even more than that. To simplify things, just give yourself a fresh coat when you get out of the shower, before you go to bed, any time you do something that causes moisture loss, like after washing your hands or doing the dishes.
Exfoliate
Exfoliation keeps skin smooth by buffing away dead skin cells. And in winter, our hands accumulate a lot of dead skin cells (manifesting as rough patches.) Find a gentle but gritty hand scrub for the task, and use it once a week or as needed. You can even add an exfoliating chemical hand peel, whose intensity will dictate frequency of use (be sure to follow the recommended instructions from each brand).
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Sanitize strategically
Rightfully, we’ve grown a bit too comfortable sanitizing our hands after touching any foreign surface. On the one hand, it’s a smart practice against germ spreading. On the other hand, we really are overdoing it, in terms of what our skin can tolerate. For better or for worse, try to sanitize only as much as you need to—like at the doctor’s office. Otherwise, you can avoid germ proliferation by simply touching your face less.
Apply balm around knuckles and nails
Balm protects the skin and prevents moisture loss. The good ones are thick, and can be a little excessive to slather all across your hands, but targeted use goes a long way. If you’re prone to hangnails and dry fingertips in winter, then give each nailbed and the surrounding fingertip a generous, balmy swaddling each night before bed. You can do the same on cracked knuckles (or yet-to-be-cracked knuckles).
