We hear it everywhere and we, ourselves, keep on repeating it: the most important gesture to limit the spread of the Coronavirus lies in washing our hands very regularly. However, for individuals with particularly dry, damaged, or sensitive skin conditions such as eczema or some other skin problems, excessive hand washing can lead to extremely painful skin infections and disorders. Indeed, by repeatedly using hydroalcoholic gels, the skin starts to peel. More, even for individuals with healthy skin, excessive use of soap or hand sanitizers can lead to dryness and even cracked or chapped hands.
So, is there anything we can do to avoid ending up with dry hands? What about using moisturizers? Will this have a cancellation impact on the effect of soap or hydroalcoholic gels? Can we still use these without having them canceling the effects of one another? The answer is: YES!
In fact, we can still efficiently and effectively clean and disinfect our hands without damaging them. According to many dermatologists, the use of a moisturizing cream does not eliminate or decrease the antibacterial effect of an alcoholic gel or soap. If you carefully follow the instructions highlighted below, you will find yourself with beautifully soft hands by the end of this CoronaVirus nightmare.
- Try to wash your hands with soap and reduce the use of hydroalcoholic gel as much as you can.
- Don’t use Marseille soap or Aleppo soap, which are too harmful to the skin. Privilege the use of “soap-free” soap generally found in pharmacies or drugstores.
- If you find yourself obliged to use hydroalcoholic gels, and your hands get dry as a result of this, you should nourish them with moisturizing cream after each wash/use of gels.
- Coat your hands with a good layer of healing cream in the evening before going to bed but do not use cosmetic oil, which is considered to be too greasy.
- Prepare some Grandma’s recipes: A mixture of coconut oil, shea butter, sweet almond vegetable oil, essential oils, and borage oil can be miraculous.
- Scrub your hands once a week to remove all dead skin. You can, for example, scrub them with coffee grounds, powdered milk, baking soda, etc…