Moisturize and glove your hands
Moisturize after every hand wash and wear gloves for wet work, chores and cold weather.
- How often
- Daily
- Time
- 1 min, several times a day
- Recommended for
- 7 factors
How to do it
- Keep a fragrance-free hand cream near every sink and in your bag, and apply it after each wash while your skin is still damp.
- Choose creams or ointments over lotions. Look for petrolatum, glycerin, dimethicone, shea butter or lanolin.
- Wear gloves for dishes, cleaning, gardening and other wet work, and in cold, dry weather.
- Wash with lukewarm water rather than hot, and pat your hands dry.
- At night, apply a thick layer of ointment.
Why it helps
Frequent washing, sanitizer, cleaning products, cold air and wet work strip the oils that keep skin sealed. Cracked skin hurts and lets irritants in. Moisturizing right after washing traps water in the skin.
Be careful
See a dermatologist if your hands stay cracked or itchy after a few weeks of this, if a product burns or stings, or if you think you are reacting to something at work. Household gloves are not chemical protection. For drain cleaners, solvents, strippers or pesticides, use the gloves the product label or safety data sheet names.
Recommended for
Auto mechanic
Under hoods and cars, bent over engines, hands in grease and solvent.
occupationDental hygienist
Leaning over patients, fine instruments in hand, eyes inches from teeth.
hobbyGardening
Kneeling, digging, lifting and pulling weeds for hours in the sun.
occupationHairstylist
Arms up, scissors in hand, standing behind the chair all day.
occupationJanitor
Mopping, lifting and scrubbing, often on night shifts, with strong chemicals.
occupationNurse
Twelve-hour shifts on your feet, lifting, turning and rarely sitting down.
occupationPlumber
Under sinks, in trenches, on your knees, twisting into tight spaces.