Guide

Dry skin? How to treat your hands well in the winter

Maike Schuldt-Jensen
10.1.2024
Translation: Eva Francis

For me, winter is synonymous with snow, cold and cracked skin on my hands. Agree? If you also struggle with dry skin, here are a few skincare tips that might help.

Add frequent hand washing and hot air to the reduced sebum production and your hands will dry out. The good news? There are ways to get through winter with smooth and healthy hands.

Wear gloves – the right ones

Gentle washing

Of course, you can’t stop washing your hands entirely. But don’t use too hot water, even if it’s tempting in sub-zero temperatures. Wash your hands with lukewarm water instead. This protects the skin barrier. And use pH-neutral soap to avoid attacking the skin’s acid mantle.

Take a hand bath

A hand bath is a very simple and effective way to moisturise your hands. Half a litre of camomile tea and two tablespoons of olive oil is all you need to create a spa experience for your hands. Treat them to 15 minutes in the soothing, lukewarm water. This will help your stressed skin.

Use moisturising creams

There’s no way around moisturisers. The cream does what the sebaceous glands usually do. Creams containing urea are particularly suitable. I’m a fan of the Eucerin moisturiser.

Moisturisers containing panthenol or plant oils such as avocado or sea buckthorn oil or shea butter also help sooth dry skin.

Drink enough

This sounds simple, but is often forgotten: stay hydrated. Drinking enough is essential to keep your body, including hands, hydrated. It’s also important to eat foods with plenty of nutrients such as vitamins, zinc, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. However, speak to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Intense overnight cure

Tried all the above and nothing worked? There are also great overnight treatments for dry hands. How about slipping into a hand mask before going to bed? One with shea butter is available on our shop. Alternatively, apply a thick layer of Vaseline to your hands and put them in gloves. To avoid having to use your regular outdoor gloves, use thin cotton gloves for your hand mask. I promise your hands will have a relaxing and revitalising night.

Header image: Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

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