Whether it’s coronavirus or the flu, the advice is the same: wash your hands. Naturally, increased hand-washing might result in drier-than-normal skin. In an effort to curb that, we suggest adding a hydrating soap to your rotation — plus a good hand cream, which will come in handy if your skin is feeling especially stripped of moisture during these trying times.
Despite hand washing’s prevalence in our day-to-day lives, most of us don’t give it a lot of thought unless we’re dealing with dry skin from cold winter weather or more consistent scrub-downs to avoid sicknesses like the flu or coronavirus (COVID-19). We’re currently going through hand soap at an aggressively rapid rate, which is why we wanted to offer a few DIYs that are not only easy to make but also won’t dry out your skin.
Most DIY hand soaps contain hydrating agents like glycerin, a humectant that retains moisture by pulling water into the skin. When cleansing the skin, it is important to remove dirt and oil, but maintain the health of the outer skin layer. Ingredients like glycerin and Vitamin E can help maintain hydration and prevent skin irritation during the cleansing process.
TIPS FOR MAKING DIY HAND SOAP
- It is normal for the DIY hand soap to separate, just give it a shake before use.
- Add your favorite essential oils to give it an inviting or clean scent
- The vitamin e is optional. But we recommend it for extra moisturizing power and to help it keep.
- Use distilled water to help prevent bacteria growth, especially if you know it will take you a while to use it up.
DIY Liquid Hand Soap
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup castile soap liquid
- 1/2 cup distilled water
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin
- 1 tablespoon vitamin E oil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil or olive oil or jojoba oil (optional)
- 15 drops tea tree essential oil optional
- 5-10 drops lavender essential oil optional
Instructions
- In a mason jar or recycled soap dispenser, add the water first (to prevent bubbles) then the liquid castile soap, glycerin, followed by the oils. Shake the ingredients together.
- Shake the soap dispenser before using, then squirt a small amount on your hands as needed, rinsing with water.
As we diligently wash hands more frequently than usual, skin experts share tips that can help keep your skin healthy.
- Wash with warm water (not hot) – Very hot will eventually dry things out and doesn’t improve efficacy
- Use moisturizing soap – many soaps can strip the skin and cause them to be dry and cracked.
- Apply moisturizer immediately after washing – when water isn’t sealed into the skin after washing, it can dry out your hand.
- Wear gloves – after you apply a moisturizer, and wear gloves for 1 to 2 hours. This will ensure that the surface moisture gets where it needs to go.
- Use skin balm – If you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis and find your dry skin is becoming increasingly drier, use skin balm such as Vaseline and applying it directly onto sores or cracked areas.
- Blot dry – When drying your hands, blot, don’t wipe to prevent micro-abrasions on the skin.