Dry, Cracked Hands This Winter?
Even though the skin on our hands is the second thickest on our body, it still gets pretty beat up in the winter. Why does this happen? Well, in the quest to avoid catching anything infectious from a friend or foe, I have definitely ramped up the frequency of handwashing and use of hand sanitizers. If you are nodding your head because it sounds like you, you probably also have noticed that your hands have become more dry, irritated, or all-out cracked.
The use of soap and water disrupts the delicate and fine-tuned balance of your skin barrier. Not only does soap affect the lipids that act as a mortar around the bricks (keratinocytes) of your skin, but detergents (surfactants) have been shown to break down the protein structure of keratinocytes, adversely affecting their function.
The surfactants in soap disrupt the delicate balance of your skin barrier. (Photo by Matthew Tkocz on Unsplash)
There is actually a “hyper-hydration” phase once skin is exposed to surfactants, in which excess water is absorbed. Once this excess water evaporates, keratin is damaged, unable to bind as much as water as before, resulting in a decreased barrier function. Think of a used and wet paper towel - once it’s wet and soggy, it loses its structural integrity. Once the barrier is disrupted, your skin becomes much more susceptible to irritation from things that normally would not be an issue.
Structure of your skin barrier: bricks = keratinocytes; mortar = lipids and proteins. (Photo: Valeriy Kryukov on Unsplash)
Things that you may be doing that are inadvertently disrupting the barrier function of your hands:
Washing dishes in scalding hot water without gloves on
Solution? Wear gloves! It’s a little nerdy, but your hands will thank you.
Overusing alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Solution? Use an alcohol-free foaming sanitizer. It doesn’t do the same damage to your skin barrier.
Walking outside in the frigid cold without using gloves
Solution? Wear gloves! Duh.
Washing your hands and then not using any hand cream.
Solution? ALWAYS use a thick hand cream after washing your hands.
Okay then, what makes a good hand cream? Not all creams are created equal and the best hand creams are the ones formulated with ingredients that seal water in the skin, as well as restore your skin barrier. In addition to creams with occlusive ingredients (like petrolatum or mineral oil), the most effective hand creams have glycerin.
What is glycerin? It is a humectant derived from plants, which draws water back into the upper layers of the skin, helping to actually further moisturize, not just trap in water that is already present. Think of a sponge that sucks in water - that is essentially what glycerin does on a microscopic level.
My absolute favorite hand cream is the Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream, which is packed full of glycerin. It feels a little sticky when first applied (that’s the magic ingredient, glycerin), but that quickly goes away within a minute and your hands will just feel soft and moisturized. I love it because it keeps my hands feeling great for hours. Other hand creams formulated without glycerin leave my hands dry again shortly after I’ve applied it.
THIS. IS. THE. STUFF.
Other faves are O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream and Avene Cold Cream Concentrated Hand Cream. If you are a frequent hand-washer and none of the above creams are cutting it, a pro-tip is to use 3M Durable Cavilon Barrier Cream. This is a dimethicone based product, used as a skin protectant in medical settings, such as protecting the skin around ostomy bags. It stays on the skin through several hand washes, so you don’t have to apply it every time you wash your hands.
Lastly, Superglue works fabulously to seal up any painful fissures or cracks. It acts as a liquid bandage so cutaneous nerves aren’t exposed to the air and water, making life a bit more bearable as they heal. Just don’t glue those fingers together!
If your hands are still not doing so hot after adopting these tips, it might be time to seek some face time with a dermatologist. Sometimes preventative measures are not enough and you may need prescription-strength medications to help your skin heal. I hope these tips will help you get through winter with happy, smooth hands!
References:
Wolf R, Parish LC. Effect of soaps and detergents on epidermal barrier function. Clin Dermatol. 2012 May-Jun;30(3):297-300.