Dry skin on the hands: causes and how to care for it

In short: dry skin on the hands is most often caused by cold, wind, dry indoor air, frequent hand washing, sanitisers and detergents. Four things help: a gentle soap, a daily hand cream, gloves (for frost and for cleaning) and a mask or peel once or twice a week. If cracks bleed, or itching and redness do not go away despite care, see a dermatologist.

Why the skin on the hands dries out

Signs include flaking, tightness, microcracks, itching and, in winter, redness. The causes are external and internal:

• Winter — frost, wind, dry indoor air and frequent hand washing weaken the skin's protective barrier.
• Sanitisers and strong detergents — they wash away the lipid layer.
• Not enough moisturising and skipping basic care.
• Internal causes — dehydration, a lack of vitamins A, E and B, too few healthy fats in the diet.

Caring for dry hands: 4 steps

1. Gentle cleansing. Swap a strongly foaming, heavily scented soap for a mild product with moisturising ingredients.
2. Daily cream. The hand and nail cream with allantoin, snail extract and shea butter moisturises, softens and reduces flaking. The cream with collagen, elastin and peony extract reduces dryness and creates a protective film on the skin, while peony strengthens the nails. For intensive nourishment — the nourishing cream with shea butter and sea buckthorn.
3. Protection. Warm gloves in frosty weather, rubber gloves for cleaning — especially when working with household chemicals.
4. Extra care once or twice a week. The hydrogel mask with rose petals moisturises the skin of the hands for 24 hours and softens the cuticles. Before a cream or mask you can remove dead skin with the peeling gel with rose hydrolate, pomegranate and AHA acids — it exfoliates without abrasive particles and eases tightness.

Ingredients worth looking for in a cream

• Glycerin and hyaluronic acid — bind water and help keep it in the skin, without stickiness.
• Shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil — nourish and support the skin's protective barrier.
• Vitamins A and E and panthenol — useful when the skin is irritated and has microcracks.

A quick salon option: gloves with emulsion

Shelly disposable manicure gloves with an emulsion of keratin, collagen and lotus extract soften even very dry skin and prepare the nails and cuticles for further care — without a water bowl.

When to see a dermatologist

• cracks are painful and bleed;
• itching, redness and irritation do not go away;
• there is no improvement despite gentle products, moisturising and protection.

It may be a sign of a skin condition such as eczema — then care alone is not enough.

FAQ

How can I quickly moisturise dry hands?

Cream after every hand wash, gloves for frost and cleaning, and a hydrogel mask once or twice a week.

How often should I use a hydrogel mask?

1–2 times a week, in a course of up to 10 treatments.

Do sanitisers dry out the hands?

Yes, they wash away the skin's lipid layer. It is worth applying a cream afterwards.