How to help dry hands

What should you do after washing your hands?

1. 1Wash with a mild, fragrance free cleanser and warm water, not hot water.
2. 2Gently pat your hands dry with a clean towel rather than rubbing. Dry between your fingers carefully, leaving the rest of your skin slightly damp.
3. 3Apply a generous amount of moisturizer immediately. Smooth it gently over your skin.
4. 4Cover your palms, the backs of your hands, fingers, spaces between fingers and wrists.

Keep moisturizer beside the sink at home, at work and beside your bed, so applying it does not become a household treasure hunt. Reapply after each wash, not just when your hands finally feel uncomfortable.2

Which moisturizer helps dry hands?

For chapped hands, thick creams and ointments are better choices than thin lotions. Plain petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, is another option. A daytime cream and a greasier ointment at night can make the routine easier to keep.12

Emollients are ingredients that soften skin. Moisturizers can also contain humectants, such as glycerin and urea, which attract water, and occlusives, such as petroleum jelly, which help hold existing moisture in the skin. These are different jobs, and many products combine them.5

For sensitive skin, choose a fragrance free formula with few ingredients. Introduce one new moisturizer at a time so you can identify the cause if a reaction develops. Check whether the product contains medicine such as hydrocortisone: a medicated cream has different directions from an ordinary moisturizer.5

How can you stop everyday tasks drying your hands?

Soap, detergents, solvents and repeated water exposure can dry and irritate hands. Moisturizer helps, but reducing contact with the irritant matters too. If work exposes you to something that triggers dermatitis, tell your employer so protective measures can be arranged.24

• Wear protective gloves for washing dishes, cleaning and handling irritating products. For hand dermatitis, lined PVC or vinyl gloves are options; cotton gloves can go underneath.
• Limit these protective gloves to 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Remove them immediately if water gets inside, and let the insides dry before reuse.
• Wear gloves outdoors in cold weather.
• Remove rings for housework because irritants can collect underneath them.
• Avoid handling hair dye, polishes and citrus juice with bare hands when you have hand dermatitis.

Rings can trap irritants during housework, which is an unimpressive second career for jewellery. Clean the inside of rings regularly and rinse them thoroughly.2

Alcohol based sanitizer can further dry cracked or chapped hands. When you have a choice, use a mild, fragrance free cleanser and water. Use soap and water when hands are visibly dirty, before eating and after using the toilet. When sanitizer is needed, choose one containing moisturizers.15

What helps very dry hands?

Use an ointment for very dry areas and moisturize 2 to 4 times daily, or as directed by your doctor, as well as after washing. Smooth the product on rather than rubbing hard. Keep a separate supply at work if repeated washing or irritant exposure happens there.4

At bedtime, apply a greasier ointment and wear thin cotton gloves to protect the sheets and reduce scratching damage. Cotton gloves help keep ointment off the bedding, which has not volunteered for a skincare routine. For damaged cuticles, petroleum jelly around the nail edges before wetting your hands can help protect the gaps.2

Wet glove treatment is another option for severe dryness: apply thick ointment, put on damp white cotton gloves, then cover them with dry cotton gloves overnight. Remove them and moisturize in the morning. If you have recurring itchy blisters, ask about suitability first, because excess moisture and sweat can trigger dyshidrotic eczema.16

Could dry hands be eczema?

Tiny, intensely itchy blisters on the palms or between fingers, followed by peeling and cracking, can occur with dyshidrotic eczema. Contact dermatitis is skin inflammation triggered by an irritant or allergen. Persistent soreness, inflammation or recurring blisters need assessment rather than assuming that a heavier hand cream is the whole treatment.46

Do not pop blisters: the skin covering them protects against infection. For dyshidrotic eczema itching, a cool compress for 10 to 15 minutes, followed by air drying and immediate moisturizing, can help. A clinician can identify triggers and decide whether prescription treatment is needed.6

Can you use moisturizer with a prescription cream?

Yes, but follow your medicine's directions for order and spacing. For contact dermatitis, general instructions are to apply emollient first and wait around 30 minutes before a topical corticosteroid, a medicine applied to skin to reduce inflammation. These medicines usually start working within a few days.4

Mometasone has its own instructions: leave at least 20 to 30 minutes between it and another skin product. Do not apply mometasone to cuts or broken skin. If treating your hands, do not wash it off afterwards. Check before covering a prescribed treatment with gloves or dressings; children must not have mometasone covered with dressings.7

How long does recovery take?

Regular emollient use helps relieve discomfort and prevent cracks, but there is no single healing deadline for dry hands. With hand dermatitis, continue protection, gentle cleansing and moisturizing for at least 4 to 5 months after the skin looks healed, because the skin still needs to rebuild its strength.25

How can you help dry skin?

The same moisture retaining approach applies beyond hands. Use a gentle cleanser and warm water, pat dry, and apply emollient while skin is damp, ideally within three minutes of bathing. Reapply an ordinary, nonmedicated emollient whenever skin feels dry. Choose the texture for the area rather than assuming every dry patch needs the same product.5

When should you stop a product or get help?

Stop a moisturizer if your skin reacts to it, and ask a pharmacist about an alternative. Seek medical advice for cracks or wounds that will not heal, persistent irritation or worsening symptoms.45

Get prompt medical advice for pus, yellow crusting, swelling, severe pain or skin that feels warm to the touch. Seek emergency care for a rapidly spreading rash, a rash with fever, or red streaks around a rash.56

Creams and ointments can leave residue on clothing and bedding that makes the fabric more likely to catch fire. Keep treated fabrics away from naked flames.7