For the majority, our hands are very much overlooked in any skincare or beauty routine, yet they come into daily contact with various substances such as soap and shampoo and harsh substances such as detergent and other household cleaning chemicals. Holly Wagman, NPD Manager of Skin Academy, talks about the importance of looking after you hands and steps you can take to healthy hands.
One of the worst culprits for drying out hands and being a real source of irritated, dry skin, is in fact water. It is important to thoroughly dry hands after being in contact with water to prevent dryness and irritations. Once skin becomes irritated, it becomes a vicious circle; but we can’t stop washing our hands every day. Not only for health and hygiene reasons, but people wash vegetables, clean dishes and for other reasons, come into contact with water. Therefore a dedicated skin care routine for hands really is a must in our opinion. I would urge everyone to take note and start to think about giving their hands some TLC.
It’s quite a common notion that your hands are one of the first parts of the body to show the ageing process and giveaway; or worse … even lie about your age if they are not looked after properly. What is the point in having a glowing complexion and perfectly manicured nails when the rest of your hands look dry, sore, irritated, withered or even excessively wrinkled? It is exposure to all these substances, UVA-UVB rays and chemicals that are regularly used daily, which collectively are responsible for showing early signs of ageing when you least want them too!
To prevent this from happening, we would highly suggest making those simple steps in your beauty routine to include self-care on your hands.
Hands are particularly susceptible to the cold weather and weather changes. Therefore in order to prevent hands getting dry and sore, it would be beneficial to start taking care of your hands all year round.
Top tips for keeping hands healthy!
Turn down the temperature
There is nothing better than a hot soak in the bath but unfortunately hot water can strip moisture from the skin and cause further dryness. We recommend limiting the amount of time you spend in the bath or shower to just five minutes or using colder water. This will eventually help to avoid dry and irritated hands.
Moisturise and moisturise
Chemicals and general environmental pollution strip moisture from the skin so it’s recommended to invest in a good moisturiser and use throughout the day, particularly after washing hands. This will help maintain the moisture level in the skin, preventing skin from drying out. Another tip is to moisturise your hands with a moisturising glove and you can look after your feet at the same time too, by popping some Skin Academy socks on as part of your bedtime routine.
Protection
It is vital to try to reduce the amount of bacteria left on hands. This can be done by keeping nails trimmed and regularly cleaning underneath the nail tip. Try and keep hands from being exposed to the elements by investing in a good pair of gloves. Whether they are worn for washing up, gardening or general daywear, make them a fashion statement!
Drink Water
Surprisingly, hands need moisture and can become dehydrated from the inside too. So as the summer months beckon, keep drinking plenty of fluids, water and fruit teas. A little warm water with lemon can be very refreshing, cleansing and hydrating at the same time, ensuring skin is left glowing and thoroughly hydrated!
Sun protection
Sun protection is commonly applied during the summer months. However, UVA-UVB rays are actually prominent all year round and therefore everyone should wear minimum Factor 30 throughout all seasons. This helps protect exposed skin from UVA-UVB rays, which are frequently disregarded. It is also common for people to apply moisturisers then rub their hands with a towel afterwards to get rid of the residue; this in fact just wipes the protection off. Instead, apply sun protection and then leave for a couple of minutes for the moisturiser to soak in to the hands too!
Skin Academy has a range of products that can repair and protect the hands, including new Moisturising Hand Gloves, available in Bodycare stores (RRP £1.99) and Daily Hand Moisturisers available online at Boohoo.com. Other products in the range such as Sheet Masks, Face Masks, Lip Masks and Gel Eye Patches can all be used to keep your hands healthy.
For more information on Skin Academy, please visit www.skin-academy.co.uk
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