Natural helpers Never again dry hands in winter thanks to avocado and honey
Dry and cracked hands in winter don't have to be a problem. With the right care, cold or dry air can no longer harm your hands.
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- Natural care routines with hand creams, oil baths and scrubs protect hands from drying out in winter.
- Gloves protect the skin from the cold, chemicals and hot water, while moisturizers such as urea or aloe vera strengthen the barrier.
- Sufficient hydration, humidification and a balanced diet with omega-3 fatty acids also support skin health.
The first remedy of choice for chapped hands is hand cream. With lipid-replenishing substances such as shea butter, urea or almond oil, it moisturizes your skin and strengthens the skin barrier.
You should apply cream to your hands twice a day and after every wash. If your hands are very damaged, you can apply a thick layer of cream and leave it on under cotton gloves.
A few tips on choosing your hand cream: Not all hand creams are the same.
Some products only work for a short time or irritate the skin more than they protect it, e.g. due to artificial fragrances. Look out for moisturizing ingredients such as glycerine or urea - these ensure that the cream achieves the desired effect. Urea and glycerine moisturize, make the skin more supple and reduce feelings of tightness.
A few helpful tricks for those in a hurry
- Honey helps your stressed skin in winter. It moisturizes and accelerates the healing of chapped areas. Apply it to affected areas of skin, leave it on for ten to 15 minutes and then wash it off with warm water.
- Aloe vera is a magic plant in the fight against dry skin. Either apply the juice of the plant directly to your hands or buy an aloe vera gel. Other plants such as camomile, cucumber, coconut, avocado or marigold also have a moisturizing and protective effect.
- Avoid excessively hot water and choose PH-neutral skin care products. Wear gloves outside, rubber gloves around the house and drink enough water.
Gloves also help
To protect your hands from the cold, you should always wear gloves outdoors. Dry air and cold are responsible for our skin drying out and cracking in winter. Gloves not only keep you from freezing and look good, they are also an important part of skin protection in winter.
Gloves generally help your hands stay healthy
Hot water and washing-up liquid also attack the skin barrier and encourage your hands to dry out and crack. That's why you should always wear rubber gloves when cleaning and washing up,
This is not only recommended in winter, but all year round - especially when handling aggressive cleaning agents or if you generally have sensitive skin.
Oil baths have a nourishing effect
Another way to care for dry hands is to use an oil bath. Use olive, almond or jojoba oil for this, as these oils are particularly nourishing and rich in nutrients. Warm the oil slightly, soak your hands in it for about ten minutes and massage the oil in gently. Adding a little oil to your bath water is also a good idea: this prevents the bath water from drying out your skin.
You can make your own scrubs
Scrubs are not only available for the face, but also for the hands. It gently removes dead skin cells.
You can make your own hand scrub: Simply mix sugar, honey and olive oil until you have a grainy mixture. Gently massage the scrub into the skin and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Don't forget to moisturize afterwards!
Drink up to two liters of water or tea a day
Your skin's lack of moisture can also be the result of not drinking enough.
Especially in winter, when you sweat less and are therefore less thirsty, drinking is often forgotten. Yet it is particularly important for healthy skin. Therefore, drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water or tea per day.
Humidity is also important
Dry heating air in the home makes a significant contribution to chapped skin in winter.
You can make the air more humid with simple means such as a bowl of water on the radiator. A humidifier that both measures and displays the humidity is even more effective. However, the humidity in the air should not exceed 60 percent, otherwise mold can develop.
Aloe vera, the magic plant from nature
Natural remedies such as aloe vera can also moisturize the skin. Either apply the juice of the plant directly to your hands or buy an aloe vera gel. Other plants such as camomile, cucumber, coconut, avocado or marigold also have a moisturizing and protective effect.
Hot water is no help
Hot water dissolves the skin's natural oil film and therefore dries it out particularly badly. You should therefore only use lukewarm water instead of hot water whenever possible, for example when washing your hands.
Rubber gloves can protect you from the hot water when rinsing and cleaning. You should not bathe or shower more often than necessary.
UV protection also makes sense in winter
UV rays also dry out the skin. This is more of an issue in summer, but not only.
Especially in the mountains, where it is cold but still sunny, sun protection is often neglected.
But visits to the solarium in winter can also damage your skin. So if you have problems with dry skin, it's better to avoid it and apply sun cream in winter too!
Honey - not just for tea
Honey can also have a positive effect on the skin, moisturizing and accelerating the healing of chapped areas. Apply it to affected areas of skin, leave it on for ten to 15 minutes and then wash it off with warm water.
Keep your eyes open when choosing a soap
Of course you want care products to smell good. However, there are fragrances that are very irritating to the skin. These are usually artificial fragrances. You are on the safe side with fragrance-free or hypoallergenic products. For soaps, pH-neutral products are particularly recommended if you have sensitive skin.
A balanced diet also helps
The health of your skin also depends on what you eat. A balanced diet with lots of healthy fats, vitamins and nutrients protects your skin from drying out. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in nuts, fish and avocado, for example, are particularly important. Proteins, zinc and vitamins C and E are also important for a strong skin barrier.
Don't neglect the psyche
The impact of psychological factors on skin health should also not be underestimated. Stress and mental strain make your skin more susceptible to drying out and cracking and can even cause skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
So give yourself plenty of breaks and treat yourself regularly. It is not said for nothing that the skin is the mirror of the soul.
Introduce a regular skincare routine
Although you can feel the effect of applying cream immediately afterwards, healthy skin with a strong barrier requires more than just selective care. So give your skin continuous attention in winter and not just when it's too late and your hands are already chapped and cracked.
Introduce a skincare routine at the start of the cold season that includes daily moisturizing and the other protective measures mentioned. This will keep your skin supple and beautiful throughout the winter. If you only start caring for your hands when they are already chapped, it often takes time for the skin barrier to be restored and wounds to heal.
