Hands can build a strong first impression, either through a handshake or a warm wave. Therefore, you need to keep your hands as smooth, soft and healthy as possible. While hand care may seem easy, you need to make sure you're using the right products to wash and moisturize them so that your skin doesn't dry out and crack. In addition, it is important for you to protect your hands from things that can trigger irritation such as exposure to sunlight, water, and household chores.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Keeping Hands Clean
Step 1. Wash your hands with a moisturizing hand soap
It is important for you to keep your hands clean. However, the use of antibacterial soap can dry out the skin. Therefore, use a soap that contains moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil, or aloe vera so that natural oils are not removed from the skin.
- When washing your hands, do not use hot water as it can dry out the skin. Hand wash with warm water.
- Don't be afraid if you feel you are washing your hands too often. It is important for you to wash your hands regularly to keep your hands free of germs. At the very least, wash your hands before eating and after using the toilet. You also need to wash your hands after changing a baby's diaper, interacting with animals, or whenever your hands are visibly dirty.
Step 2. Clean the underside of the nail with a nail brush
Even if you wash your hands regularly, there may still be some dirt and oil that doesn't lift under your nails. When washing your hands, use a high-quality brush brush to brush under the nails and remove any trapped dirt.
- When using the brush, hold the brush downward so that the bristles are perpendicular to the nail. Rub the brush all over your nails in a back and forth motion to remove dirt and grime.
- When you're done brushing, rinse your nails with soap and water as usual.
Step 3. Trim and keep the shape of the nails
You can keep your nails clean easily if you are diligent in tidying them up. Use nail clippers to trim your nails to the desired length. After that, smooth the tip of the nail with a crystal file (or a regular board file) until it's a neat shape (eg "flat" square or oval).
It's a good idea to use a cuticle lifter or pusher to keep your fingertips looking neat. The cuticle is the thin skin around the nail. A tool like this smooths the skin so you can easily push it with a metal cuticle pusher or a manicure stick (known as an orange wooden stick). Never cut your cuticles because the skin around your nails can become infected
Step 4. Exfoliate once a week
Use a hand scrub once a week to remove dry and rough skin, and keep hands soft and healthy. Wet hands with warm water, then massage a little scrub on both hands in a circular motion. Rinse hands with warm water, then apply hand cream afterwards.
- Wash your hands with a moisturizing soap before exfoliating.
- You can buy hand scrubs from pharmacies, beauty stores, and other stores that sell bath products.
- If you want, you can make your own natural hand scrub with ingredients from the kitchen. Mix sugar and olive oil in equal proportions, then use the mixture to slough off dead skin cells from your hands.
Part 2 of 3: Moisturizing Hands
Step 1. Use hand cream regularly
To keep hands smooth, use hand cream several times a day. Choose products with formulas that contain emollient ingredients, such as glycerol, shea butter, and natural oils. Massage the cream into your hands after you wash your hands in the morning and before going to bed at night. When hands start to feel dry during the day, reapply the cream.
- If you're worried about your hands feeling greasy, look for a product that's specially formulated to absorb quickly. The cream will get into the skin quickly without leaving a residue that makes hands feel slippery.
- Men's hand skin tends to be thicker, oily, and hairy. Therefore, try to buy products that are formulated for men's skin. Usually, creams like this have a thicker texture and don't contain fragrance.
Step 2. Use vitamin E oil to moisturize your nails
When you use a hand cream, you are actually spreading the product across your nails to keep them moist. However, it is also important for you to treat your nails directly with more intensive care. To keep cuticles healthy, apply vitamin E oil around your nails every night before going to bed. Vitamin E oil works to prevent chapped and sore skin.
- You can buy creams specifically formulated for cuticles to moisturize and protect the area around the nails.
- Both men and women need to take the time to moisturize their nails and cuticles. If you ignore cuticles, you can develop a painful hangnail regardless of whether you get regular manicure treatments or not.
Step 3. Treat cracked skin on hands with ointment
When the conditions are very dry, the skin of the hands can crack or even open. To deal with this condition, the skin needs more intensive moisture than regular hand cream provides. Look for a thick ointment that provides moisture to the hands, as well as a layer that protects and heals the skin.
If you don't have a special ointment for your hands, try using Vaseline
Step 4. Treat hands with a mask once a week
Even if you moisturize your hands every day, your skin may not be getting the moisture it needs. Use a hand mask once a week to provide additional moisture that can maintain soft and healthy skin. Use the mask on dry and clean hands, and leave it on for the recommended time according to the instructions for use on the product packaging. Rinse hands with warm water, and continue the treatment with hand cream to retain moisture.
- You can buy hand masks at pharmacies, beauty stores, and other stores that specialize in skin care products.
- You can make your own moisturizing hand mask with leftover avocado. Mix avocado with 1 egg white, then apply it on your hands. Leave the mixture on your skin for 20 minutes before rinsing your hands.
Part 3 of 3: Protecting Hands
Step 1. Apply sunscreen on your hands
Like any other area of skin, your hands are also susceptible to sun damage. This damage includes dark spots that make the skin look old. To protect your hands from sun exposure, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 (or higher) every day.
- Make sure you reapply sunscreen throughout the day, especially after washing your hands.
- If you want to simplify or streamline your skincare routine, use a hand cream that contains SPF 30 (or higher).
Step 2. Wear gloves when doing household chores
There are many household chores that can actually damage the skin of the hands. Therefore, always wear protective gloves first, whether you are washing dishes, cleaning or tidying the yard, or using utensils. Thus, the skin of the hands will not be dry, cracked, and callused.
- For jobs that require you to submerge your hands in water, plastic or rubber gloves may be a better choice.
- For outdoor work such as tidying the yard or gardening, cloth gloves are usually quite effective at protecting hands from dirt and dust.
- For jobs that are more difficult and require heavy tools, work gloves made of leather or suede provide better protection for the hands.
- You also need to wear gloves to protect your hands from cold weather which can cause dry skin. Knitted or leather gloves can be good choices. However, try to find gloves that have an insulating layer of materials like fleece or cotton to keep your hands warm.
Step 3. Apply retinol on dark spots on hands
If the skin on your hands has dark spots or discoloration, using a retinol cream may be the best treatment to try. Retinol helps encourage the production of new skin cells so that it can disguise dark spots. Apply a retinol-based cream on your hands before going to bed to keep your hands looking clean and smooth.
Retinol products make the skin more susceptible to irritation from sun exposure. Therefore, make sure you protect your skin with sunscreen and use a retinol cream only at night
Tips
- Keep a tube of hand cream next to hand soap in the shower. That way, you'll always remember to reapply the moisturizer after you've finished washing your hands.
- Carry a tube of hand cream with SPF in your bag when you travel. You can moisturize your skin and reapply sunscreen when needed.
- Do not cut the cuticles that stick out as this can lead to infection. Instead, use a metal cuticle pusher or a wooden manicure stick (wooden orange stick) to push the cuticles.
