Five Skin Tips To Help Dry, Cracked Winter Hands

Updated 1/20/15. For many people, dry hands in the winter can be a real problem. The lack of moisture in the air combined with the drying heat can take a toll on the hands. Add in all the alcohol-based hand sanitizers being used to prevent colds and flu’s, and it really makes for rough, cracking dry hands. Here’s my tip for keeping hands soft and moist all winter long.

#1 Wear gloves whenever possible. Not only does it help protect your skin from the dry elements of the air, but also when worn in public places, there is no need for the use of hand sanitizers as your hands are already protected. Also, be sure to wear rubber gloves when washing dishes and always keep hand lotion by your sink, so it’s conveniently located right at your fingertips.

#2 Exfoliate using with glycolic acid. Don’t think exfoliation is exclusively for the face. Your hands could also benefit from removing dry skin cells.  Two nights a week I like to exfoliate my hands by mixing a few drops of AHA Smoothing Serum 20% in with hand lotion. It turns the lotion into an exfoliating lotion and really, really helps to keep my hands baby soft and moist…

#3 Keep hand lotion in your bag and use throughout the day. Keeping lotion on the hands throughout the day is essential, especially after washing your hands when the water tends to be drawn out of the skin into the dry air. Apply at least twice during the day.

#4 Moisturize and sleep with cotton gloves. Applying a good moisturizer to the hands before sleeping is a must in the winter, but sleeping with cotton gloves can really repair dry, cracked hands. I know it’s not always practical to sleep with gloves, but even if you can do it once a week, it will really make a difference.

Read my secret for relieving dry, cracked heels.

5) Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night. To best prevent dry skin, it’s important to keep moisture in the air. The nightly use of a humidifier helps you do just that. Keep it in the place where you spend the most time – your bedroom. By keeping moisture in the air, you can keep it in your skin as well.

Read: Secrets To Beautiful, Younger-Looking Hands From A Hand Model
Read: Five Winter Skin Care Tips
Read: Are Natural Products Better For Sensitive Skin?

Which skin care products are best for you? See our nine skin types or take the Skin Type Quiz and get products recommended.

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Renée Rouleau

Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”