Washing your hands at regular intervals and maintaining hygiene holds more importance today than ever. It is recommended to wash your hands for about 20 seconds for thorough cleansing, paying heed to the areas that are likely to be missed out, like parts between your fingers and around the nails.
However, excessive washing can lead to dryness, leaving your skin rough and scratchy. Regular sanitizers too can be drying. “After washing, dry your hands with a clean towel but leave them a little moist, which will in turn help retain the moisture on the application of a product. Apply a pea-sized amount of a moisturising and restoring hand cream, soon after washing your hands or applying sanitizer,” advises Dr Aparna Santhanam, skincare expert consultant from ITC Dermafique.
Here are five common household ingredients that can double up as a hand moisturiser:
Simply pour a drop or two of this oil onto your palm and massage it gently all over your hands. For skincare, one should go for the sweet variant of almond oil.
A powerhouse of antioxidants, aloe vera gel, offers the skin-healing benefits of vitamin C, E and beta-carotene, which keep the skin hydrated for long and improve its natural texture. Read more…
