How to Heal Your Hands from Washing too Much

Washing your hands is at the top of everyone’s list of priorities right now to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The protocol is to wash your hands with water and soap for at least twenty seconds. However, too much hand washing can leave you with dry and cracked hands.

While having dry and cracked hand skin is a small price to pay to stop the further spread of COVID-19, it’s also a good idea to minimize these side effects.

Here are some things you can do:

• Avoid washing with hot water – Water in room temperature should do just fine. Just remember that when washing your hands that you scrub between your fingers. Also, don’t forget your fingernails and your wrists as well.
• Moisturize after washing – However, not just a regular lotion, but with a moisturizing cream with agents that can replenish your skin’s barrier. 
• Look into moisturizing soaps – Two birds with one stone with this one, as you can have clean hands, and moisturized hands. Regular soaps can have too high of a pH that can make your hands really dry, while moisturizing soaps are formulated to be a lot more gentle while still keeping yourself clean.
• Be gentle when washing – Yes you’re supposed to scrub your hands clean with soap, but that does not mean you should be harsh on them when washing. Too much friction can damage your hands and can lead to inflamed skin, so just be gentle.
• Dry your skin by blotting, not wiping – Wiping your hands dry with a paper towel or with a cloth can cause small abrasions. This can cause irritation and can be painful. What you should do is to gently pat the skin dry with a soft cloth instead.

Slow the spread of the virus by washing your hands more. Together we can fight this pandemic, and it all starts with a little hand washing.