Is hand cream the same as lotion?

What is the difference between hand cream and hand lotion?

Both formats moisturize skin, so the packaging has made a family resemblance look like a rivalry. Moisturizers add moisture and help prevent water from escaping. An emollient is a moisturizing treatment that forms a protective layer on the skin. Cream and lotion are two options; ointment is thicker and oilier than either.123

Which should you use on your hands?

For dry hands, choose a cream rather than a lotion. For very dry or thickened skin, an ointment holds more moisture in and is useful overnight. A cream or lotion can be more practical during the day. You can use different textures at different times rather than making one product do everything. A comfortable texture matters because hand moisturizers need repeated use; an untouched pot is mainly a storage solution.167

How should you apply hand moisturizer?

1. 1After washing, gently pat your hands dry, including between your fingers, then apply moisturizer immediately.
2. 2If the moisturizer comes in a tub, remove it with a clean spoon rather than your fingers to avoid contaminating the contents.
3. 3Smooth the moisturizer gently over your hands in the direction of hair growth. Cover the palms, backs of the hands, fingers, spaces between fingers and wrists.
4. 4Reapply after every hand wash and whenever your hands feel dry. Keep a tube or dispenser by the sink and another at work.
5. 5For an overnight ointment, cotton gloves can help keep the bedding from getting greasy.

Why do your hands keep getting dry?

Frequent contact with water, soaps and cleaning products can remove the protective oils that keep hands moist. Moisturizer helps repair the skin, but reducing contact with irritants matters too. Wear protective gloves for cleaning and other wet work. For dry or itchy hands, an emollient soap substitute is an option instead of ordinary soap. Follow your workplace's hand hygiene rules where these apply.27

How long should improvement take?

When home care is effective, dry skin tends to improve within two weeks. Moisturizing effects do not last all day, which is why reapplication matters. After hand irritation looks better, the skin can remain vulnerable for several months, so keep up the hand care rather than stopping as soon as the surface looks normal.47

What if cream or lotion irritates your hands?

Choose a fragrance free moisturizer for dry or sensitive hands, since fragrance can irritate dry skin. Cracked, sore hands can briefly sting when moisturizer is applied; that alone does not mean an allergy. Stop using a product that makes your skin itchy or sore, and ask a pharmacist about an alternative. Seek medical help if dryness persists, worsens, becomes painful or causes cracking, bleeding or persistent stinging.1367

Can you use moisturizer with a prescribed cream?

If you use a steroid cream or another skin treatment, ask your clinician which to apply first. General emollient guidance advises leaving 20 to 30 minutes between products to avoid diluting the treatment or spreading it to unaffected skin. Allow greasy moisturizer to absorb before driving or operating machinery. Keep emollients and fabrics carrying their residue away from flames and cigarettes, including when the product contains no paraffin.27