With all this hand-sanitizing and washing – Remember to wash for 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice – our mitts can get dryer than beef jerky. And constant hand washing can lead to hand eczema or dermatitis, as health-care workers and food preparers can attest. (We know: Yet another thing to worry about.)
But hang on: This is one problem we’ve got covered. Because right next to your hand soap and sanitizer, you should have a bottle of hand lotion or a rich hand cream. (You can also use sanitizer and soap that have a built-in moisturizer like aloe vera. We’ve always found Dove, a longtime champion of moisturizing washes, to be a great product. (Or products. The selection is varied.) Hempz sanitizer, enriched with coconut oil, is another good choice.
Now for the lotions and potions, so to speak. Looking for a bargain? Check out Cetaphil or Eucerin hand lotions and creams, a staple of hospitals, at your local drugstores. They’re sure to give your hands a quench. (Remember that creams will always be richer than lotions, so for more protection or a more luxurious feel, opt for the cream.) We’ve also been loving the Neutrogena Norwegian formula Hand Cream, with the gel our preference over the lotion. Crabtree & Evelyn Ultra-Moisturizing Gardener’s Hand Cream Therapy feels marvelous and has an irresistibly spicy scent.
Looking to splurge? We recommend the Sisley Paris Confort Extrême Mains Hand Cream, with its combination of nutritive and healing ingredients (shea butter and sunflower oil) and hydrating properties (guava and carrot extracts). This is particularly nourishing for nails as well.
– Fatime Muriqi
