With all the necessary hand washing we’re doing at the moment, many of you may find your hands are dry and rough, or worse still, cracked and bleeding!
This is a common reaction to the amount of cleaning your hands are getting, and here’s why. When you wash your hands with soap and water it strips away germs, but also any oils and moisture present. After you have done this numerous times you can feel the skin on your hands getting drier and rougher.
Most of us combat this by applying hand cream. This is great but we have a trick that will help even more! After you have washed and dried your hands, dampen them again with water (NO SOAP), either under the tap or using a wet flannel. THEN apply your moisturiser while they are still damp. Many of us put moisturiser onto dry hands, expecting it to add moisture too. But moisturiser can’t do this. By wetting the skin first and then applying moisturiser, that precious moisture is then locked in.
If your hands are really struggling you could use the Janesce Soothing Mist to not only wet the skin but also soothe any irritation. While your hands are still damp with the Janesce Soothing Mist, apply a small amount of Janesce EC Lotion B. EC Lotion B was designed for skin with dermatitis or eczema so it has no emulsifiers or other additives in it. Hence it has an unusual texture especially in cold weather, but it certainly helps soothe and moisturise the skin.
We recommend you follow this routine after every hand wash even if your hands are feeling ok at the moment. Prevention is easier than cure.
For those whose hands are showing signs of dermatitis already we recommend doing this every time you wash your hands and also using the Janesce Soothing Mist and EC Lotion B between hand washes to increase skin hydration.
If you have been prescribed hydrocortisone it is fine to apply a small amount of this last, on top of the Janesce products. It also pays to limit the amount of shampoo your hands are exposed to. My hands are very sensitive and all the hand washing and sanitising is already taking its toll. I use big kitchen gloves to wash my hair. This helps protect them from shampoo which is designed to cleanse the oiliest part of our body – our scalp! Even natural or organic shampoos will quickly strip your hands.
It is also worth mentioning that you must be vigilant about using gloves when you are cleaning too. We all know this but it is easy be tempted to quickly clean down surfaces or do the dishes without first protecting your hands. I make sure I have gloves in a number of places around the house so they are always handy.
Of course, we can’t forget to take our Bestow Beauty Plus Oil and Beauty from Beneath as well. This will help support your skin’s barrier from within.