Dry skin is a common problem that affects people of all ages. Although dry skin can affect any part of the body, the hands are especially vulnerable. Especially individuals who often come into contact with chemicals, cleaning agents or strong soaps risk drying out their skin.
Within the healthcare and food industry, high demands are placed on hygiene and the employees wash and disinfect their hands many times every day, which affects the well-being of the skin. Dry skin is not something you have to accept to live with. It can be prevented, avoided and treated through good skincare.
Dry skin can be painful and it is not something you have to accept and live with, it can be prevented, avoided and treated through a good skincare routine. Dry skin is a condition that occurs when the surface layer of the skin dries out and looses its natural protective layer of lipids. There is no single cause of dry skin, it can have both internal and external causes. Internal causes can be, for example, age and genetics. External causes depend on what your skin is exposed to.
Signs of dry skin
How much dry skin you suffer from naturally affects the extent to which you experience problems with irritation, pain and how much it inhibits your everyday life. Common signs of dry skin are:
Itching
- Rough, flaky and dry skin
- Red spots
- Dry cracks that bleed easily
Having dry skin is not usually a serious condition, but it can be annoying and painful. If it develops into a rash, eczema and dry cracks, it can be very unpleasant for the sufferer. In severe cases, dry cracks can become wounds that bleed and last, which can be a challenge if you work within the healthcare and food industry, where open wounds are a risk of infection. Dry skin can be troublesome both in work and private life. Many individuals experience the problems as something embarrassing and worry about what others will think.
Prevent and heal dry skin – moisture is the saviour
It is not always easy to deal with dry skin without treatment. Dry skin often causes itching and it can be difficult to resist the urge to scratch the irritated area. By scratching, you risk aggravating the problems as the skin does not get the opportunity to rest and heal.The only way to heal the skin and avoid dry skin in the future is to moisturize it. How you should moisturize your skin depends on your particular needs. There are many different moisturizing creams on the market - such as lotions, creams and ointments. The difference between the products is:
- Lotion: Contains mainly water and is recommended for use on the body
- Cream: Contains both water and oil
- Ointment: Oil-based product
Hand creams and ointments can contain different levels of lipids. A rule of thumb is that severe cases of dry skin should be treated with products that contain high levels of lipids. Ointments generally contain higher levels of lipids than skin creams, making them a better choice for those who struggle with very dry skin.
Sometimes dry skin and skin rashes can be due to allergic reactions, for example, perfumes or preservatives found in certain products. To avoid this, we recommend that you choose organic products. Among other things, you can look for Nordic Ecolabelled products or products approved by the Asthma and Allergy Association.
Our wide range in skincare contains all the products you need to keep your skin protected, soft and supple.
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Tip
- For soft hands without dry skin, we recommend using products that contain oil, such as creams and ointments.
- A product with a lot of lipids is absorbed more slowly by the skin than a product with less lipids. Avoid sticky hands by using the product before going to bed and it will work overnight and you can wake up with soft hands.
Did you know that healthy skin needs more than a hand cream?
Getting soft, healthy hands requires more than choosing the right hand cream. There is a lot you can do to avoid dry and irritated skin, for example choosing a good hand soap.
An adult's hands usually have a pH value of 4.5-5.9 and even if hand soap is specifically intended for the hands, the pH value is not always within the correct range.
Sometimes the pH values can be as high as 9-11, which means you risk drying out and damaging your skin. Try to get into the habit of trying to check the pH value of your hand soap to give your hands the best conditions.
3 simple steps to healthier skin
If you work within the healthcare and food industry, your hands are very exposed and may need a little extra care. In order to moisturize and protect your skin throughout the day, in addition to choosing a product with the right content of lipids, you can look at the specific properties of the products. We recommend that you do the following three steps:
- Before work: Use an ointment with a high content of lipids and barrier effect. In this way, you strengthen the skin's natural protection against dehydration during the day.
- At work: When you wash and disinfect your hands several times a day, it is no wonder that your hands become dry. Be sure to use a hand cream that absorbs quickly into the skin so you can continue working without delay.
- After work: When the working day is over, we recommend using a product with repairing properties. It can be an ointment with a high content of lipids that deeply moisturizes.
As a supplement to your hand care routine, you can use these tips:
- Moisturize your hands often with the right products.
- Be careful what you expose your hands to.
- The skin dries out faster if it is exposed to high or low temperatures. Nordic conditions with cold and dry weather during the winter make the skin more prone to drying out.
- Avoid using hand dryers after going to the bathroom, as they dry out your hands more than paper towels.
- Use gloves when working with substances with a high or low pH value to protect your hands from unnecessary stress.