Home Remedies To Treat Dry Hands Caused By Frequent Washing While In Quarantine

Friday, October 16, 2020, 16:19

With the Coronavirus pandemic, our lifestyle has taken a drastic turn. Not only are we working from home, but also following certain social norms to keep ourselves and the people around us safe. Sanitizing our hands all the time and maintaining social distance is two important precautionary measures to keep everybody safe.

While these measures to maintain hygiene are great, they have introduced some skincare issue. Washing the hands all the time and over sanitising our hands had made them dry and rough. And that isn't a pretty feeling.

Luckily, this is not a problem you can't do anything about. So, if your hands are getting extremely dry while in quarantine, here are five amazing home remedies to rectify that. Use these remedies to get soft, moisturised and beautiful hands.

Home Remedies For Dry Hands In Quarantine

1. Aloe vera

Aloe vera does many things for our skin but moisturising remains one of its top benefits. Packed with nutrients, aloe vera is soothing and hydrating on the skin. It helps to keep your hands soft and your skin beautiful.[1] And thanks to it being transparent, you can use it anytime and anywhere.

What you need

Aloe vera gel, as needed

Method of use

Apply the aloe vera gel on your hands.
Rub your hands together to massage the aloe vera gel into your skin.
Leave it on like that. It will get completely absorbed into your skin in a few minutes.
Use this remedy multiple times a day, whenever you feel your hands are getting dry.

2. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is proven to be a great ingredient for moisturising the skin.[2] It has excellent emollient properties that lock the moisture in your skin, hydrates it immensely and thus solves the problem of dry hands.[3]

What you need

Coconut oil, as needed

Method of use

Pour a few drops of coconut oil on your hands.
Rub your hands together to spread the oil all over your hands.
Massage the oil into your hands until it is completely absorbed by the skin.
Leave it at that.
Use this remedy multiple times a day, whenever you feel your hands are getting dry.

3. Sunflower seed oil

A study has found that sunflower seed oil is a great way to give a moisture boost to your skin.[4] It makes your hands soft and hydrated. Besides, the regenerative and antioxidant properties of this oil make your hands beautiful.

What you need

A few drops of sunflower oil

Method of use

Apply the sunflower oil all over your hands.
Massage it into your hands until the oil is completely absorbed into the skin.
Leave it at that.
Use this remedy multiple times a day, whenever you feel your hands are getting dry.

4. Honey

Honey is probably the most-used natural moisturising remedy. Various studies have proven the moisturising and healing properties of honey.[5]It is a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin, leaving it beautiful and hydrated. Besides, it is also extremely beneficial in rejuvenating your skin and adding a natural sheen to it.[6]

What you need

Honey, as needed

Method of use

Apply the honey all over your hands.
Massage it into the skin for a couple of minutes.
Leave it on for another 10-15 minutes.
Rinse it off later using normal water.
Use this remedy every day to get soft and hydrated hands.

5. Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly is as effective as coconut oil when it comes to moisturising the skin.[7] It has been found to be an effective way to moisturise the skin and improving skin barrier.[8] This results in soft, beautiful and moisturised hands.

What you need

A dollop of petroleum jelly

Method of use

Apply the petroleum jelly all over your hands.
Massage it well into your skin until it gets completely absorbed.
Leave it at that.
Use this remedy multiple times a day, whenever you feel your hands are getting dry.

Tips To Keep Your Hands Moisturised

Apart from these home remedies, there are certain important tips that will also help you immensely in keeping your hands soft, smooth and moisturised. Read on to know what these tips are.
The best time to moisturise your hands is when they are still damp. This allows the moisturiser to get absorbed better into the skin and keeps your hands well-hydrated. So, as soon as you step out of your shower, put on your body lotion and moisturiser while your body is still wet. This will also save you a ton of product.
Do not use hot water on your skin. Hot water strips the natural oil and moisture of your hair, leaving them dull and dry. Washing your hands frequently and using alcohol-based sanitiser makes thing even worse. Always use cold or lukewarm water to wash your hands. It will keep the moisture in your hands intact.
Wearing gloves while doing household chores is vital if you already have dry skin. The dishwasher soaps and detergents have harsh chemicals that can strip your hands dry and rough. So, protect your skin by wearing rubber gloves whenever you are doing any household chores.