By now, everybody knows that the best and most effective way to prevent getting sick is by washing your hands on the reg.
But repeated hand washing with ordinary soap can dry out your skin very quickly and make it more prone to cracking. That's a bad thing. Why? Because your skin is the first line of defence against germs entering the body. Besides being uncomfortable and unappealing, dry or cracked skin is a chink in your natural body armour. Not good.
And please tell me you're not still using bar soap! Their exposed area makes them slippery little bacteria farms. Especially next to the loo! You deserve better.
If you ever needed to justify investing in fancy hand soap, this is it!
I work from home, so am washing my hands constantly. My skin is naturally dry, so I always slather on a good amount of Hand Cream after every washing.
But even the best soap won't help if you're not using it correctly. I just re-read the official Hand Washing Protocols on the CDC website (I know, I'm that weirdo). But seriously, most people don't realize how long you have to wash your hands and how to do it properly.
The Official Proper Way to Wash Your Hands:
- Turn on the water (preferably warm).
- Use Liquid Hand Soap (Spread the soap from palm to palm, between fingers, and use a brush on the fingertips, fingernails, and backs of hands.
- Do this for at least 20 seconds or as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song (it seems like forever, but you get used to it).
- Rinse hands and dry thoroughly.
- Always follow with a solid hand cream to keep your skin supple and less likely to crack.
EXTRA CREDIT:
If, like me, you get dry, flaky cuticles, then do yourself a favour and keep a Nail Detox Kit near the sink. I roll on the Cuticle Oil to prevent dryness, and the Detox Oil brightens my nail beds. If you use the Hand Cream afterwards, the Detox oil will bolster your protection against germs because of the Lemon Myrtle + Tea Tree Oil. Plus, it smells amazing. Much better than Tea Tree Oil alone, which smells like plasters to me. Plah!
Your hands will be clean, soft, and well-protected.
Stay well!
xx, mk
