Happy New Year! It’s finally 2018 and we’re off to a rather chilly beginning. Well, okay, maybe it’s more than just a little chilly. Whether you’re braving the bomb cyclone on the East Coast or putting up with the blistery winds of the Windy City, we all have a few more months of low temperatures. When it comes to dryness, nothing suffers more than our hands. From texting to getting in and out of stores, our hands are constantly cracking this time of year. Have no fear! Your time with painfully dry hands is over! Read on to find out how you can have soft, silky hands all winter long.
It’s tempting to walk into a store and pick the best smelling hand wash out there; however, maybe the best smelling soap isn’t necessarily the best for your hands. Most of the time, soaps with scents, added detergents and other chemicals will cause some serious drying to your hands. Luckily, when you choose a hand wash that’s all natural, you don’t have to worry! Natural soap is made out of the stuff soap should be made out of- fats and an alkalizers- so, you don’t have to worry. These will ensure your hands are as hydrated as they are clean.
When it comes to moisturizing, the first thing we reach for is the most expensive lotion we can find in hopes it will be the solution to all our winter problems. Unless you’re carefully reading and understanding what ingredients go inside, lotion can cause your hands to dry out even more. If you’re not one to stand and read every last ingredient, don’t waste your time. Instead, switch to oil. Hand oils are great since they’re what lotion is made with! Instead of all those additives, oil will do its magic with no extra help. Aveda’s Stress Fix Concentrate is a perfect, lavender scented oil to keep your hands soft and hydrated.
Moisturizing during the winter should become a ritual especially before you hit the hay. It’s essential you moisturize before you go to bed since this is the time you’re not constantly working with your hands. Moisturizing before bed allows oil to sit and soak in without rubbing off on other objects you might touch throughout the day. Putting on a little extra oil and a pair of gloves is a great way to help it deeply penetrate your skin- think of it like a deep conditioner for your hands. If you’re prone to extremely dry, cracked hands, try this trick once or twice a week to give them a little extra TLC. Finally, make sure you hold yourself accountable and stick to it, get three moisturizers: one for home, one for on the go and another for work. This will help remind you to keep your hands soft and crack-free.
When it comes to the winter, we don’t have to suffer. With a little tender love and care, we can survive the polar vortex moisturized and ready for spring. Winter’s harsh, but our hands don’t have to be.
