First aid against/for dry hands

"Help, my hands are super dry. Is there anything I can do about this?" A question we get a lot these past few days. Now that it is a must because of corona to wash your hands more often and longer. Because of all that washing, we also wash the good bacteria off our hands. And many soaps damage the protective layer of your skin. Fortunately, you can do something about it. Both prevent, prevent it from getting worse and recover. You can read how in this blog.

Prevent dry hands

Only use natural soaps
We have to wash our hands often and longer in this corona time. But that doesn't necessarily have to be harmful to your skin! Fortunately, there are natural alternatives to soaps with foaming agents that are aggressive to the skin, synthetic perfumes or other questionable ingredients that damage your skin!

Why are these natural soaps not harmful, but even caring for your skin? Below is a summary. Read more in the Werfzeep blog about this or in the Werfzeep book (you can immediately start making your own soaps yourself - fun activity together with children!)

• When oils are saponified, caring glycerin is created. In large-scale factory-made soaps, oils are no longer saponified, but extracted fatty acids are used. Which does not produce glycerin,
• Naturally manufactured soaps contain a little 'overfat'. Oil that has not been saponified. This is released when washing with the soap.
• Natural soap is usually made using the 'cold method process'. This keeps the active ingredients of the ingredients intact. Also the caretaker! However, this is a time consuming procedure. Most factory soap is boiled, so you can make a lot of soap in an hour. Only all beneficial ingredients are boiled to death in this way.
• Natural soaps do not contain synthetic perfume substances that dry out your hands. Only plant extracts, essential oils or no fragrances at all
• Natural soaps often add caring ingredients that are more complex and time-consuming to make, such as calendula macerate. In a factory-based process there is no time for this or it is too expensive.
• Nature nurtures!

Natural soaps that are enthusiastic about are the organic Werfzepen , the liquid Shikakai soaps from Dr Bronner (including mild baby and anti-viral tea tree version) and the purifying cleanser from Abloom that can also be used as soap. But of course there are many more pure soaps.

Use a disinfectant with mild alcohol
The common disinfectants contain so-called (denatured) hard alcohol. For example isopropyl alcohol or specially denatured alcohol (SD). This irritates your skin and dries out your skin super.

Fortunately, there are alternatives with soft alcohol - a skin's own alcohol - from grain or grapes, which is denatured in a natural way (without the use of toxic substances). However, this alcohol is much more expensive to produce than hard alcohol. Examples of disinfectants with soft alcohol are Pinks Boutique Crystal Sanitizer, which we have been using in our salon for years), Dr. Bronner's Organic Hand Sanitizer and Abloom's Soothing Lotion (or Dr. Alkaitis' Soothing gel). The latter is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-septic and multi-purpose: super helpful with (burn) wounds, acne, softens the skin.

Wear gloves
You can of course also wear preventive gloves if you have to do an errand. So you have to wash your hands less. And throw away the gloves after use or when it starts to wash out. Throwing it away is just not so environmentally friendly,

Eat enough fats
Make sure you eat enough (plant-based cold-pressed) fats or oily fish or fish oil rich in omega 3. This way you nourish and protect your skin from the inside out.

Use a hand care product
This protects your hands and can help repair damage already done. Think of a hand cream or richer hand/body oil or butter. Make sure you always have a (mini) tube or jar at hand so that you can lubricate if necessary. Please note: if you want to disinfect your hands, they must be free of dirt and grease, otherwise the disinfectant will not work as well. Here you will find our selection of pure, organic hand care products.

Avoid hand care with paraffinum liquidum or petrolatum
Think of vaseline and sorry but also the blue level can (check the ingredients list yourself if necessary) . They make your skin feel soft, but also close it off. As a result, your skin can no longer exercise its natural protective function. You need more and more to achieve an effect. If you stop using the cream, your hands will become very dry. Parrafinum liquidum and petrolatum are cheap residues from the oil industry.

Prevent your hands from getting even drier

This is of course possible with all the measures that also apply to prevent your hands from drying out. To repair damage, you can apply one or more of the hand skin repair solutions.

Restore hands

It will take some time for your hands to feel smooth and soft again after taking restorative measures. The skin needs time to form a new protective layer. I think this is also going slower now that we wash and disinfect a lot. Even if this is with pure means. What can you do? In addition to the measures already mentioned above.

Avoid industrial soaps and disinfectants with hard alcohol
I think that goes without saying, alternatives have been mentioned earlier in this blog

Masks & cures

• Night cure Apply a pure body balm, oil or butter. For example, coconut oil is also possible. Put on cotton pantyhose gloves and let it work all night. Not exactly sexy, but effective. Repeat as often as necessary.
• Hand mask A nurturing boost for your hands. Preferably use at least twice a week. Make one yourself if necessary. Not difficult! There are many recipes and tips in this blog . If you don't feel like or have the time to make your own mask, the following face masks also work great for your hands!: Dr Hauschka cleansing mask , moisturizing or revitalizing mask. Or Dr Baumann's Cream mask or Liposome-vitamin-ceramid mask or cream mask for dry / very dry skin from the classic line.
• Restorative treatment from within LaVieSage has created a super-powerful restorative combination especially for very dry, eczema-prone skin (this works, we have already seen in various skin measurements of before and after use): SkinHydrate and Epidermoil . Not cheap, but effective.
  
  

Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate
With caring hand cream, oil, butter or balm. Here you will find our selection of pure, organic hand care products. My personal favorite (for my demanding hands) is Dr Baumann's SkinIdent Handcare . This is not included in our selection, because Dr Baumann may not be sold online. We always have these in stock.

Nutrition from within - see 'eat enough fats' in Preventing dry hands

Sources : Werfzeep, maxvandaag.nl,