Dry Cracked Hands

Painful, dry, and cracked hands can hamper one's daily routine. Hands appearing like dried-up riverbeds not only causes discomfort, but also appears quite embarrassing. The main reason for this dryness is the loss of moisture from the hands, especially during the winter months. This is because during winter, the humidity levels are low and the dry atmosphere sucks out the moisture from one's skin, thereby causing it to crack and chap.

Moreover, overwashing and under moisturizing the skin causes natural oils in the skin to deplete and crack. Then again, the harsh chemicals our hands come across on a daily basis like detergents, washing powder, nail polish removers, paints, solvents, etc., irritate the skin of our hands and make them dry, thick, and hard.

The stores are flooded with all kinds of commercial skin creams and lotions touting their healing properties. There are some effective lotions that treat this condition, however, if you are one of those who prefers to stick to home remedies, here are some you can try out.

Vitamin E is well-known for its superb antioxidant, moisturizing attributes that heals dry skin and fills up the fissures. Just take one or two vitamin E capsules, nip off their tips, and apply the oil contained within it onto your cracked hands. The ruptured skin will heal and rejuvenated skin will take its place.

Olive oil also has excellent emollient properties and is a safe remedy. After soaking your hands in tepid water for 5 minutes, dab your hands clean with a soft towel. Then, apply olive oil onto your hands and allow the olive oil to work its way into the ruptured layers of the skin. You could also add olive oil into the water, and then soak your hands or even add it into your bath.

Prepare a scrub with granulated sugar and fresh lime juice. The sugar will exfoliate the skin's surface, while the lime juice will reduce dark spots. Apply this paste onto the hands and allow the mixture to work on the skin for a minute or so. Rinse your hands and pat your hands dry. You could also prepare a paste of baking soda and water, and apply it onto your hands to exfoliate the skin. After exfoliating the skin, use a moisturizer immediately.

Pure lanolin, jojoba oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and Shea butter are wonderful natural moisturizers. Before going to bed, moisturize your hands with small amount of any of these natural moisturizers. When you wake up, you will find your skin smooth and soft.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, so, make sure you take care of your skin. Use gloves every time you use detergents or other harsh cleaning agents. It's always better to use an effective physical barrier to protect your hands, rather than relying on creams that claim to protect your skin from damage. Avoid using drying soaps and hot air dryers in public restrooms. Keep your hands moisturized and prevent your skin from getting dry.