3 Things Getting In The Way Of Having Softer, Hydrating Hands

As those with perpetually dry, rough hands know: It's a real struggle to keep the skin adequately hydrated. If I'm not slathering my hands with hand cream multiple times a day, then my skin almost instantly turns crinkly and flaky.

My skin is just naturally dry and sensitive—all over, but most specifically on my hands. (I've written about my "old-looking hands" before. It's my lot in life, I guess.) Even with my best efforts, I still will likely deal with patches of dehydrated skin. 

Sulfates are harsh detergents that disrupt the microbiome, strip the skin of its protective barrier, and can trigger inflammation. This is why most beauty companies have started moving away from the ingredient and formulating with gentle cleansing ingredients instead (why you see more and more sulfate-free shampoos and face washes!).

However, they're still quite ubiquitous in the hand care space. While you can't always control what hand wash you're using (public bathrooms, for example), I do recommend switching to a sulfate-free hand wash in your home, such as mindbodygreen's postbiotic hand wash. 

Folks are always looking for magical, do-it-all products that can solve just about any skin issue. Well, we've had it this whole time: sunscreen. 

Sunscreen can shield your skin from inflammation, dryness, premature aging, and all the myriad issues that come with prolonged, unprotected UV exposure. "The DNA in skin cells gets damaged when the skin is unprotected and exposed to UVA and UVB radiation from the sun," explains Jodi LoGerfo, DNP, who is a doctor of nursing practice and a family nurse practitioner certified in family medicine and dermatology.

And while there's certainly more awareness about the benefits of wearing sunscreen daily, most folks only apply it on the face. But the hands are often just as exposed to UV rays as the face. 

The best thing to do is wear gloves when you know your hands will be exposed to drying ingredients (such as dishwashing), but you should also use barrier-supporting topicals.

Hand creams that strengthen the barrier can help your skin become more resistant to damage and irritation. For example, the skin microbiome plays a critical role in your skin's immune function by crowding out potentially pathogenic bacteria. 

You can support your skin barrier function and biome by using biotic-friendly ingredients. For example, pre- and postbiotics can balance and nurture the skin barrier. mindbodygreen's postbiotic hand cream contains biotech that are shown to improve skin firmness, help with wrinkle prevention and reduction, as well as support epidermis framework regeneration.