Dry Cracked Hands

Painful dry cracked hands can hamper one's daily routine. Hands appearing like dried up river beds not only conduce to terrible discomfort, but also appear quite embarrassing at work. The main reason for cracked hands is loss of moisture from the hands and it is most common during the winter months. This is because during winter, the humidity levels are low and the dry atmosphere sucks out the moisture from one's skin, thereby causing it to crack and chap. Moreover, over washing and under moisturizing of the skin causes natural oils in the skin to deplete and crack. Some of the other dry cracked hands causes is the use of the large platter of harsh chemicals our hands come across on a daily basis like detergents, washing powder, nail polish removers, paints, solvents, etc. that irritate the skin of our hands and make them dry, thick and hard.

The stores are flooded with all kinds of commercial skin creams and lotions touting their healing properties. There are some effective lotions that treat dry cracked hands, such as the 'gloves in a bottle' lotion. Scores of people suffering from extremely dry and cracked hands have used this product and been satisfied. However, if you are one of those who prefers to stick to natural home remedies, here are some remedies that you can try out.

Remedy 1
Vitamin E oil is well-known for skin care. Its superb antioxidant moisturizer attribute heals dry skin and fills up the fissures. Just take one or two vitamin E capsules, nip off the tip of the vitamin E capsule and apply the oil contained within it onto your cracked hands. The ruptured skin will heal and rejuvenated skin will take its place.

Remedy 2
Olive oil also has excellent emollient properties and is a safe dry cracked hands remedy. After soaking your hands in tepid water for 5 minutes, dab your hands clean with a soft towel. Then apply olive oil onto your hands and allow the olive oil to work its way into the ruptured layers of the skin. You could also add the olive oil into the water and then soak your hands or even add it into your bath.

Remedy 3
Pure lanolin, jojoba oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and Shea butter are wonderful natural moisturizers. Before going to bed, moisturize your hands with small amount of any of these natural moisturizers. When you wake up, you will find your skin smooth and soft.

Remedy 4
Prepare a scrub with granulated sugar and fresh lime juice. The sugar will exfoliate the skin's surface and the lime juice will reduce dark spots. Apply this paste onto the hands and allow the mixture to work on the skin for a minute or so. Rinse your hands and pat your hands dry. You could also prepare a paste of baking soda and water and apply it onto your hands to exfoliate the skin. After exfoliating the skin, use a moisturizer immediately.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, thus, it is only wise to prevent skin cracking instead of allowing the skin to crack and then run around trying out different dry cracked hands cures. You can do this by using kitchen rubber gloves every time you use dish cleaners. Avoid getting your hands from coming in direct contact from harsh detergents, etc. It's always better to use an effective physical barrier to protect your hands, rather than relying on creams that claim to protect your skin from damage. Avoid using drying soaps and hot air dryers in public restrooms. Keep your hands moisturized and avoid the pain of drying and cracked hands.