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There are many reasons your skin may be feeling itchy and dry, or may be cracked and painful. Luckily, there are ways how to keep your skin healthy, smooth, and moisturized.
Feeling that itchy, tight, achy, uncomfortable skin sensation? Maybe your hands are feeling a little lizard-like, especially if you’ve been washing up more often to help ward off COVID–19. Or, maybe you’re in the middle of an acne breakout you just can’t seem to control no matter what you do.
You aren’t alone! Nearly everyone struggles with skin problems now and again. Age, hormones, and diet can be a factor, as can environmental influences. But in some cases, there’s really no identifiable cause and all you have is a few nagging symptoms you’d really prefer to be rid of.
Learning How to Keep Your Skin Healthy
While your first step should always be to consult your doctor or pharmacist when you have concerns about your skin, there’s a lot you can do right at home to keep your skin healthy. Here are a few of the most tried-and-true steps for healthy, smooth, and beautiful skin.
1. Don’t Stop Washing – But Wash Smarter
First and foremost, even if your hands are a little dry right now, you should still keep washing them often. This advice comes straight from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Handwashing is by far the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 germs on surfaces from entering your body.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t wash smarter, either. Make sure the water you wash with is warm to hot, but not so hot that it’s turning your skin red. Additionally, skip the harsh bar soaps and try washing with a good foaming antimicrobial cleanser instead. These are often gentler on the skin while still killing just as many germs.
2. Adjust How You Sanitize
Still using a sanitizer that contains alcohol? Unfortunately, this may actually be part of the problem. High alcohol content – which is necessary to kill the virus effectively in most cases – can strip moisture out of the skin. This might leave you parched, scaly, or even experiencing a little bit of dermatitis.
If you have a legitimate reason to use hand sanitizer, don’t stop without checking in with your pharmacist. But do try to wash whenever it’s an option for you instead so that you can save the sanitizer for when you need it most.
If you do find yourself needing to use your sanitizer while on the go, there’s an easy way to mitigate some of the impact: keep your skin healthy and smooth by using a moisturizer afterward. Just be sure to leave the product on solo for at least two minutes to ensure it has a chance to really kill off germs.
3. Moisturize
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize – it’s the “location, location, location” of the skincare world, which is to say it’s incredibly important to keep your skin healthy. When skin doesn’t have the right moisture balance, it can’t effectively slough off old dead cells or regenerate new ones. Debris, dirt, and excessive oils can start to build up, causing irritation, and you might even notice cracks developing across your palms.
The best way to ameliorate this is to make moisturizing a regular part of your day. Try to determine what kind of shape your skin is in now – dry, excessively oily, cracked, or just really rough – and choose a moisturizer specifically designed for that state. Keep it with you as you go about your day. Apply at least three times and/or after washing and sanitizing, but feel free to use it more often if you find it helps.
Skin feeling greasy or oily after you moisturize? This may be a sign that you’re using a formula that’s too rich for your skin. Back off a little bit and try a gel moisturizer instead. Conversely, if you aren’t seeing results, amp it up to a rich cream containing skin-soothing vitamin E or avocado oil instead.
4. Give Gloves Some Love
Gloves are a great way to protect your hands and an even better way to cut down on how often you need to use sanitizer. Wear them when you’re out and about, when you’re doing anything impactful (such as washing dishes in hot soapy water), and whenever you need protection from the elements. Change them out often especially if you’re touching surfaces outside of your home.
As for which gloves you should wear, latex or nitrile medical gloves typically work best. But you can also wear a second thicker, heat-resistant pair on top for washing dishes and handling household chemicals. Still, only latex and nitrile truly have the ability to block out germs – so keep that in mind.
5. Try a Soothing Balm
Hands feeling over-the-top cracked, irritated, and just plain intolerable? Try taking a little advice from eczema and dermatitis sufferers: try a skin balm instead. This includes products such as Vaseline as well as higher-end formulas like CeraVe’s Healing Ointment skin salve. They work because they’re thick and help to restore the skin’s natural moisture barrier, blocking out further harm.
If your hands are REALLY bad, you can also try a little spa session with your favorite skin balm. Coat the front and back of your hands fully, then slip your hands into a pair of soft cloth gloves. Sleep in them to give the product extra time to soak in. By morning, you should see a noticeable difference in how your skin looks and feels.
Final Thought
If you’re still struggling with ways to keep your skin healthy, it may be time to reach out for help. Give your pharmacist a call and explain your symptoms – they may be able to recommend a compounded skincare formula with more advanced prescription ingredients instead.
