Dry hands are a fairly common problem and although dry skin is pretty harmless, it’s still a good idea to keep good care of your hands. If you don’t take action, your hands may start getting even worse, sometimes to the point of bleeding.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has imprinted the importance of proper hand hygiene on people across the globe. This renewed interest in hand-washing may have saved you from a few bouts of the common cold, and it may even have saved your life. But there’s a price — dry, flaky, and cracked hands. Sometimes even bleeding hands, which is a problem because micro-injuries leave you vulnerable to topical infections.
Dealing with dry hands can be rather annoying, especially if you don’t know where to look. Pharmacies offer all kinds of hand creams to treat dry hands and cracked skin, but no one wants to pay that much for cream (OK, maybe Elon Musk). Instead, you might just find that the solution has been hiding in your fridge or kitchen cabinet all along. That’s right! That olive oil can do more than just season your salads.
What Exactly Causes Your Dry Hands?
Your hands can become dry for a variety of reasons, and understanding why your hands are dry in the first place may help you find the best natural remedy for you. Hands have a special coating of natural oils and lipids that keep them moist and smooth, and certain things make your skin lose this layer.
Your hands may be dry because of:
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Excessive Hand-Washing — There’s always too much of a good thing, and hand-washing is no exception. Although washing your hands is important, you shouldn’t wash them too much. Washing your hands eliminates the skin’s protective layer of natural oils, which results in cracked, itchy, and dry hands. Not fun!
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Soap — The soap you use to wash your hands makes a big impact on their dryness. Certain soaps may leave your hands cracked and dry, which is why it’s always a good idea to avoid fragrant and sulfate soaps.
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Aging — Getting older has all kinds of effects on your body, including making your skin drier and thinner. Your skin no longer produces natural oils and lipids in the same quantities as it ages, which is why older people are more prone to dry skin.
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Cold Climates — Cold and arid climates can leave your hands dry and cracked because of a lack of moisture.
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Eczema — This common skin condition makes your skin dry, flaky, cracked, and inflamed. Not only can eczema strike your arms, but it can also do a number on your hands.
OK, so you know what causes dry hands, but how can you treat them?
Natural Remedies For Dry Hands
With so many different sites claiming that all sorts of things can make your skin look young and soft again, how can you be sure what works? Are these natural remedies even worth trying? Absolutely, yes! Certain home remedies can work wonders for your hands, and you might not even have to spend any extra money — because you can find all of these things in your kitchen (or maybe not, but if you add them, you can make tasty things with them too).
Let’s dive right in!
1. Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the best moisturizers for your skin because it’s full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fats. You might have heard that olive oil can be good for your face, and the same can be said about your hands. Not only does olive oil moisturize your hands, but it also reduces the effects aging has on your skin and it’s anti-inflammatory!
Simply apply a small amount of olive oil on your hands, and wipe of any extra oil with a cloth.
The best part? Out of everything on our list, olive oil might just be the most common kitchen item, and you probably already have it laying around. Just make sure that you’re using extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil with added preservatives won’t be useful, and could even make your hands worse.
2. Avocado
Avocados make for a perfect natural remedy for your dry hands. Why? These tasty fruits are abundant in vitamins and fatty acids such as vitamin C and E, which can help repair your skin. Avocados also prevent inflammation and sun damage.
The biotin in avocados is one of main reasons it acts as a great moisturizer for dry hands. Although many places may offer avocado oil or cream, you can just apply the fleshy fruit straight onto your skin. This is a lot cheaper and offers just as many benefits, and it’s natural! Think of this as a facial for your hands, because they’ll be green, and you don’t want to go out like that.
3. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is popular in many recipes as well as often used to fix damaged hair, but it can also be incredibly effective for treating cracked, dry hands. Coconut oil is different from the other things on our list, because studies have shown that this oil can also be effective in treating eczema.
Like the other things on this list, coconut oil has many antioxidants and fatty acids. Just like the olive oil, you’ll want to make sure you get the real-deal coconut oil.
Remember that not all of these home remedies work for everyone, and some may be more effective for you than others. Before you apply anything on your hands, you should test how your skin reacts to it. Your skin could be sensitive to any one of these remedies, which could cause inflammation. To test if your skin has a bad reaction, start out applying a small amount on a patch of your skin, and seeing how it reacts. If you don’t see any inflammation, go ahead and apply the rest to your hands.
Dry hands can be tricky to deal with, but these three home remedies can go a long way. Just apply a little bit avocado, coconut oil, or olive oil to your hands and you may find them to be smoother than ever before.
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