Hand care basics: why washing dries your hands, and what a hand cream needs
Why hands peel when you wash often, how to read a hand cream label (humectant, emollient, occlusive), when to apply it, sunscreen for hands, and gloves at the sink.
- Water and soap strip the fats that form the skin's barrier. However often you wash, moisturise that often, while hands are still damp.
- A good hand cream usually has three ingredient groups: a water-drawer (humectant), a softener (emollient) and a seal (occlusive).
- Pick fragrance-free, dye-free, a cream or ointment in a tube or tub. They are usually gentler than a thin pump lotion.
- Backs of hands get sun every day: broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, and gloves every time you wash dishes or handle chemicals.
Hands meet more water, soap, dish detergent, alcohol and sun than any other skin on the body, and they are the part gel-nail people look after least, because the eye goes to the nails. This lesson is general hand care drawn from dermatologists’ advice, not treatment. If your hands have anything beyond ordinary dryness, see a doctor.
Why frequent washing dries skin
The outermost layer of skin holds natural fats that work like grout between tiles, keeping water in and the outside world out. Water and soap, especially hot water, wash some of that grout away every time. The water that soaks in while you wash then evaporates and takes existing moisture with it. Ten washes a day is ten openings of the barrier, so the skin feels tight, flakes, and eventually cracks along the knuckles.
For people who must wash often, the AAD advises:
- Lukewarm water, not hot, for a full 20 seconds, including between the fingers and around the nails.
- Some soaps dry more than others. If your hands feel very tight, try a different one.
- Pat dry but leave the skin slightly damp.
- Apply cream or ointment straight away while still damp, and work it into fingertips and nails.
- Alcohol gel (CDC: at least 60% alcohol) is very drying. Let it dry fully, then moisturise.
As many washes as you do, that many applications of cream, and always on damp hands.
Reading a hand cream label the easy way
You do not need brand names, just three jobs. Hand creams that work tend to cover all three (based on a review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology and the ingredient list the AAD suggests).
| Group | What it does | Names you will see | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humectant, the water-drawer | Pulls water from deeper skin and the air into the outer layer | glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, urea (low strength) | Used alone, the water it draws can evaporate away, so it needs a seal alongside |
| Emollient, the softener | Fills the gaps between cells with fats; skin feels soft and flexible | ceramides, shea butter, jojoba oil, fatty acids/alcohols, squalane | Gives the smooth feel; need not be greasy |
| Occlusive, the seal | Forms a film that stops water escaping from the skin | petrolatum, mineral oil, dimethicone, lanolin | Petrolatum seals best: at only 5% it cuts water loss by more than 98%, but it is greasy |
Extra things the AAD says to look for: the words “fragrance-free” (not “unscented”, which can hide a masking scent), no dyes, and a cream or ointment in a tube or tub rather than a pump lotion, because thicker textures usually carry more sealant. Skin that is already cracked should avoid alcohol (other than in hand sanitiser), fragrance and retinoids.
Example: one day for someone who does their own nails
Say an ordinary day: 8 hand washes, alcohol gel twice, one 20-minute round of dishes.
| Time | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Wash face and hands | Hand cream (1), then sunscreen on the backs of the hands before leaving |
| Midday | Wash before/after eating, twice; alcohol gel twice | Cream after every one (2-5); keep a small tube in your bag |
| Evening | 20 minutes of dishes | Rubber gloves, with thin cotton gloves underneath if wearing them longer than 10 minutes; cream when they come off (6) |
| Night | Gel removal or a manicure; acetone and gel cleanser on skin | Wash, cuticle oil, hand cream (7) |
| Bedtime | A thick layer of ointment on the backs of the hands and knuckles, cotton gloves on overnight (8) |
About 8 applications a day at a pea-sized amount each still makes a 50 ml tube last around a month, so it is less wasteful than it sounds. Caring for nails specifically after gel removal is covered in lesson 14.
Sunscreen on the backs of the hands
The backs of the hands get sun all day, on the steering wheel, on the phone, out shopping, yet hardly anyone covers them. The AAD recommends daily, year-round sunscreen on all skin clothing does not cover: broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB), water-resistant, SPF 30 or higher, applied about 15 minutes before going out and reapplied every 2 hours or straight after washing hands, swimming or sweating. A light, easy-spreading sunscreen lotion is practical for hands. Many people who wear gel also apply sunscreen before putting their hands in the lamp to reduce UV on the backs of the hands, which follows the same principle.
Gloves: when and which
- Dishes, laundry, cleaning: waterproof rubber or nitrile gloves. If you wear them longer than 10 minutes, hands sweat inside; thin cotton gloves underneath help.
- Nail work: when removing gel with acetone or handling solvents, nitrile gloves resist the chemicals. Details in the chemicals and ventilation lesson.
- Cold, dry weather: fabric gloves against wind that cracks skin.
- Bedtime: cotton gloves over a thick layer of cream is the AAD’s suggestion for very dry hands.
Common mistakes
| What people do | Why it does not work |
|---|---|
| Moisturising only when hands feel dry | By then the barrier is already damaged. Cream after every wash is prevention |
| A thin pump lotion on peeling hands | Little sealant, water evaporates fast, hands are dry again within the hour |
| Washing in very hot water because it feels cleaner | Strips more fat than lukewarm water and does not kill more germs |
| Choosing a cream for its scent | Fragrance is a common irritant on skin that is already cracked |
| Bare hands in the dishwater, cream afterwards | 20 minutes in detergent water is a long soak that strips the barrier; gloves prevent it from the start |
| Sunscreen on the face but not the hands | The backs of the hands collect sun damage just as the face does |
When to see a doctor
The basics in this lesson are for ordinary dry skin. If you follow them and still have any of the following, see a dermatologist rather than waiting:
- Deep cracks, bleeding, or pain that interferes with using your hands
- Itching, redness, a rash or blisters, especially after contact with uncured gel (see the gel allergy article)
- Thickened skin, peeling in sheets, or patches of changed colour
- Red, swollen or weeping skin around a nail, or a nail changing shape (details in the next lesson)
Some people need a prescription cream, and conditions such as atopic dermatitis have to be treated at the cause. An ordinary hand cream will not do it.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology, Dry skin relief from handwashing: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/coronavirus-handwashing
- American Academy of Dermatology, Dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dry-skin-relief
- American Academy of Dermatology, Skin care tips for your hands: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/skin-care-tips-hands
- American Academy of Dermatology, How to apply sunscreen: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/how-to-apply-sunscreen
- Sethi A. et al., Moisturizers: The Slippery Road, Indian Journal of Dermatology 2016 (PMC4885180): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4885180/
- CDC, About Hand Sanitizer: https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/hand-sanitizer.html
FAQ
If I moisturise right after washing, am I undoing the wash?
No. Dermatologists (AAD) state plainly that moisturising after handwashing does not cancel its benefit. The opposite is true: cracked skin lets germs in more easily than intact skin.
What is the difference between an ointment, a cream and a lotion?
The ratio of oil to water. Ointments are the greasiest, with little water, and seal in moisture best. Creams sit in the middle. Lotions are mostly water, absorb fast and seal the least. Peeling hands usually need a cream or ointment; a lotion suits days when skin is fine.
My hands are cracked and sore and cream is not helping.
If you have followed the basics and your hands still crack, bleed, itch or break out in a rash, see a dermatologist. Some people need a prescription cream, and some cases are a skin condition that needs treating at the cause. This article is not a diagnosis.
General guidance. Products differ between brands: always follow the label. If you react to a product, see a doctor.