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A good hand cream is essential for winter, providing the right amount of skin care for your hands. Winter’s cold weather can make it tough to keep your hands soft and moisturized, especially if you live in colder regions.
Why Moisturize?
Nobody likes cracked, weather-beaten hands with bleeding knuckles, brittle nails, and frayed cuticles. Moisturizing is crucial to avoid dry, flaky hands, which are not only unsightly but also uncomfortable. The low humidity in winter and the fluctuating temperatures between dry indoor heat and cold outdoors make it hard to maintain soft, glowing skin, making you appear older.
Moisturizers are Irreplaceable
Only moisturizing can treat dry hands; water alone won’t do the job. While drinking water is good for overall health, it doesn’t directly hydrate your skin. Washing your hands frequently can give a temporary moist feeling, but only a good moisturizer can prevent water from evaporating and keep your skin looking great.
Why Not Use Body Moisturizer?
Hand creams are thicker than body lotions, providing the necessary moisture for hands. The consistency of hand creams, achieved by the ratio of oil and water, is designed to meet the specific needs of hand skin, which varies in thickness, pore size, sensitivity, and frequency of use. Hand moisturizers create a protective layer to prevent moisture loss, often feeling stickier or greasier.
Types of Moisturizers and Their Ingredients
Moisturizers can be categorized based on skin type, purpose, and usage time (day or night). The main types include:
Humectants – Moisture Absorbers: Ideal for dry, thick skin in humid climates. Key ingredients include glycerin, lactic acid, urea, hyaluronic acid, and AHAs.
Emollients – Space Fillers: Fill gaps between skin cells, making skin smoother and hydrated. Best for extremely dry skin. Key ingredients are petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil.
Ceramides – Skin ‘Glue’: Essential for retaining moisture in normal to combination skin. Key ingredient: ceramides.
Occlusives – Moisture Sealers: Suitable for mature, dehydrated skin, more for body use than face. Ingredients include hazelnut oils, rosehip, and avocado.
Moisturizers for oily skin are oil-free to balance oil content, while dry skin benefits from oil-based ingredients like petrolatum. Night creams are heavier for overnight protection. Some moisturizers include added benefits from minerals, vitamins, and plant extracts, such as sunscreen for daytime use. Natural oils like grape seed, jojoba, and olive oil boost collagen production and keep skin moisturized.
How to Use Moisturizer
To get the best results from your moisturizer, follow these steps:
1. Wash your hands with lukewarm water to open pores and remove germs.
2. Exfoliate to remove the flaky upper layer of skin.
3. Apply a generous amount of hand cream, ensuring it’s well absorbed.
4. Wear gloves overnight to keep hands soft.
5. Rinse off any residual lotion with warm water the next day.
6. Repeat consistently for best results.
Reviews of the 5 Best Hand Moisturizers in 2016
1. R. Watkins Anti-Aging Hand Cream: A thick, creamy, 99% natural hand cream that leaves skin feeling soft without greasiness, thanks to ingredients like retinol, coconut oil, and shea butter.
2. EOS Every Day Hand Lotion in Cucumber: Portable and convenient, this hand cream keeps hands continuously lubricated with ingredients like glycerin and aloe, making skin feel pampered and soft.
3. Kora Organics by Miranda Kerr Daily Hand Cream: Provides substantial results quickly with rich ingredients like macadamia-seed oil, olive oil, and shea butter, hydrating and filling in cracks.
4. Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Skin-Fortifying Hand Crème: Features a unique pH5 buffer to maintain skin’s pH level, with added glycerin, vitamins, and mineral oil for long-lasting moisture.
5. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream: Ideal for extremely dry skin, combining panthenol and glycerin to provide intense hydration and a luxurious feel.
