8 home remedies for dry hands caused by frequent hand washing

Like us, even you must have realised how no matter how much you moisturise your hands, they stay dry. Well, stay rest assured, you are not alone.

After coronavirus outbreak, we’ve been left with no choice but to wash and sanitize our hands frequently.

But this bathing in sanitizer and frequent hand washing is making our hands super dry.

The chemical in soap and sanitizer is even leading to skin peeling for some. Worry not, here are some home remedies that can soothe your dry skin.

1. Aloe vera
Aloe vera has a soothing and calming effect on your skin. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe vera is easily available over the counter or you can even use the fresh aloe vera if you have a plant at home. It works as a natural and safe moisturizer.

2. Petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly, which is a mineral has been used as a moisturizer for years. Petroleum jelly works wonder in acting as a barrier over your skin and thus locking the natural skin oils.

3. Sunflower seed oil
A study conducted in 2013 found that sunflower seed oil improves hydration when used as a moisturizer. The same study found that using olive oil can make the skin by damaging the skin barriers. Not all-natural oils are suitable to be used as moisturizers.

4. Bathe in oats
Adding raw or cooked oats to your bathing water can help rejuvenate the skin. You can mix the oats with olive oil and rub the mixture on your skin or directly put oats in the water and take a bath from it.

5. Wear gloves
With no house help, we are left with no choice but to do all the household chores on our own. An easy solution to this can be wearing rubber gloves while washing utensils, clothes and mopping.

Prolonged exposure to water can dry the skin as it washes away all the natural skin oil. The gloves will give your hand a protective layer and prevent your hands from drying out.

6. Lemon juice
Lemon juice works well when it comes to fighting dry skin. Lemon is a rich source of potassium that can help rejuvenate dry skin. Vitamin C in lemon can help delay fine lines caused by prolonged dry skin.

7. Coconut oil
A 2014 study found that coconut works great for the moisturisation purpose. Coconut oil is as safe and effective as petroleum jelly for treating dry skin. Using coconut regularly improves hydration and the number of lipid fats on the surface of the skin.

Coconut oil contains saturated fatty acid that has emollient properties. An emollient is a fat that works as a moisturizer by filling the gaps in the dry skin and thus making it smooth.

8. Honey
Honey moisturizes your skin and has anti-inflammatory properties. Honey is one ideal home remedy to treat dry skin. It’s completely safe to apply honey directly to the skin.