What dangers are exposed to the skin of the hands in the cold season, what are the features of winter hand care, the main means and methods of protecting and nourishing dry epidermis of the hands. Hand skin care in winter is a set of measures designed to reduce the negative effects of cold air on the epidermis. In the winter season, care for thin and prone to dry skin of the hands should include both the use of special clothing and special cosmetics.
How winter hand care differs from summer care
Hands are the least protected organ from adverse environmental influences. The skin on them especially suffers in the winter season. Under the influence of negative temperature and wind, a sharp narrowing of the capillaries occurs. This disrupts the water and fat balance. This is the reason for the violation of the protective properties of the epidermis. In addition, add "troubles" and household factors: water, chemicals.
Thus, the fragile protective layer of the skin of the hands is weakened. Therefore, so often in the cold period, the epidermis of the hands becomes rough, flaky, dry, rough. But the most important negative point is that under such influence, the skin begins to age rapidly.
Due to vasoconstriction, the nutrition of the cuticles and nails deteriorates. The latter also suffer from frost - they turn blue, exfoliate, break and crack.
It should be added that in winter, the body, as a rule, does not receive enough vitamins. Therefore, the condition of the skin and nails worsens for this reason.
In addition, frequent changes in temperature, for example, when leaving a warm room to the cold and back, are also stressful for the skin of the hands.
Cosmetics for hand skin care in winter should be as gentle as possible. It is recommended to use non-water-based nourishing creams. Water molecules evaporate quickly, and can also freeze on the surface of the epidermis and in superficial cells and further injure it. It is necessary to lubricate the skin of the hands with a cream before going out into the cold at least an hour so that it has time to be absorbed and bring maximum benefit.
You should never go out into the cold with wet or damp hands. Dry them thoroughly after any contact with water, and avoid it altogether outdoors.
Watch your cuticles carefully. Temperature changes, lack of nutrients will provoke the appearance of burrs. Cut them off as soon as they appear.
Hands should be washed in cold season with water at room temperature. Do not use hot water for hygienic purposes, as it additionally dries out and degreases the epidermis. In winter, it is recommended to skip thermal hand dryers if you wash your hands in a public setting. Better to blot them with a paper towel.
Hand care products in winter
The delicate and sensitive skin of the hands in winter needs regular home and salon care. The most popular products are fatty nourishing creams, scrubs, masks. It is also useful to carry out various salon procedures.
Winter hand care with cream
In cold weather, it is necessary to use a special cream designed specifically for the care of the epidermis in low temperatures. This is a tool that performs other functions than the "summer" one:
- Prevents dry skin … Epidermal cells lose a lot of moisture when exposed to low temperatures, and hands become dry. A special winter cream prevents this.
- Protects from frost, wind, precipitation … After applying such a drug, a film forms on the skin, preventing frostbite and chapping.
- Strongly nourishes the epidermis … All body systems in the winter work in conditions of hypovitaminosis. Winter creams are designed to saturate the skin with vitamins and nutrients.
- Repairs damaged cells … If in frosty weather it was not possible to protect the skin of the hands from low temperature and wind, the winter cream will restore the epidermis and relieve inflammation.
- Restores water-lipid metabolism … The fat reserve of the skin in the cold season is depleted, so the winter cream replenishes the lipid supply in the cells and activates the protective functions of the epidermis.
The composition of winter care products is different from all others. They are usually greasy. These fatty components form a film on the skin. But there are few or no moisturizing ingredients in such products. Nutrients are introduced in order to enrich the cells with a full range of essential substances.
Also, silicone is often added to winter cream. It also helps to form a protective film on the hands. Silicone is not absorbed, but lays a thin layer on the skin, like gloves.
Many winter creams contain various extracts of medicinal plants: chamomile, currant, linden and others. They help to heal microcracks and minor injuries.
Fatty saturated oils and lipids are added to restore the water-fat balance of the skin. Allantoin regenerates and repairs the epidermis damaged by frost. Vitamins improve the structure of the skin, protect it from beriberi.
Frequent "guests" in the composition of winter creams are bee products, for example, wax, propolis, honey. They reliably protect the hands and provide adequate nutrition to the cells.
It is quite easy to tell what you are holding a winter cream by its special consistency. First, it is much heavier than a standard summer skincare product. This is due to the presence of a large amount of silicone and lipid substances in the composition. Secondly, winter creams are oily, than they resemble nutritious ones. However, a high-quality product after application should be quickly absorbed without a trace and leave no shine.
In addition, you should follow the simple rules for applying winter cream to the skin of your hands:
- Apply only to clean epidermis. Moreover, it is recommended to wash your hands during the cold period not with ordinary solid soap, but with a softer liquid analogue.
- Apply 30-60 minutes before going out. This time is necessary for all the components to be absorbed into the deep layers of the skin and take effect.
- You need to apply the cream in the same way as putting on gloves on your hands - from the fingertips, working them in turn to the wrist area. Pay particular attention to the spaces between your fingers and cuticles. These are hard-to-reach places that are often left without maintenance.
- If you plan on being outdoors or outside for a long time, take your beauty care products with you to reapply.
- Find a quality hand cream for your hands at night. It can be any nourishing or moisturizing agent. Such winter hand creams have proven themselves quite well in the market: Natura Siberica, Biocon "Winter care", Velvet handles "Winter care", Oriflame "Winter dreams".
You can also make an effective winter cream at home. To do this, you will need: a couple of tablespoons of lanolin, one tablespoon of honey, two tablespoons of any citrus juice or aloe extract, two teaspoons of almond oil, a couple of teaspoons of liquid paraffin. All components, with the exception of juice, must be melted and cooled. After that, add juice to the mass and mix thoroughly. You need to store such a homemade cream in the refrigerator.
Caring for dry hands with scrubs
In winter, the skin of the hands is often chapped and flaky. It is imperative to remove dead particles of the epidermis. A scrub is great for these purposes. Means intended for treating the skin of the hands in the winter, as a rule, are cream-based. Also, the scrub contains mild abrasives, sometimes cosmetic clay.
It is recommended to carry out the procedure for treating hands with a scrub a couple of times a week. Thanks to this peeling, dead cells are eliminated, and the skin opens, which allows the nutrient components to actively influence it. It is not recommended to use a scrub too often, especially in winter. Otherwise, the skin will become thinner, becoming vulnerable to germs, dirt and cold.
Scrubs should be applied to clean, slightly damp skin of the hands with light circular movements.
There are many suitable winter hand care products available. Almost every cosmetic company has a hand scrub in its line. Quite good reviews for preparations from the winter series Faberlic, Mary Kay, Biocon, Velvet handles.
In addition, there are many recipes for making winter hand scrubs at home. Let's consider the most popular ones:
- Scrub with sea salt … Add some fine sea salt to any greasy hand or body cream. With this tool, you need to massage the skin of the hands for a couple of minutes. After the procedure, wash off the scrub with warm water.
- Citrus peel scrub … Grind the tangerine zest and some sea salt in a coffee grinder. Add a few drops of sandalwood oil and lemon juice to the composition.
- Honey scrub … Mix a couple of tablespoons of honey with one tablespoon of natural ground coffee. Apply to the skin and massage for a couple of minutes. The result is smooth and velvety skin.
- Ginger Lemon Scrub … This is a real storehouse of vitamins for the skin of the hands tired from the long cold weather. Mix five tablespoons of jojoba or coconut oil with the crushed zest of one lemon. Add half a cup of sea salt and one medium ginger root, previously grated. We store the product in the refrigerator.
- Apple scrub … Mix three tablespoons of applesauce, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, and one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply to the hands, treating the cuticle area as well.
After using the scrub, be sure to soften your hands with a nourishing or moisturizing cream. The latter can only be applied if you do not plan to go outside or at night.
Cosmetic hand skin care using masks
From time to time in the cold season it is necessary to pamper the pens with special masks. It is enough to do this once every 7 days. Unlike daily cosmetics, masks have a deeper healing effect on the skin.
Before applying the mask to your hands, it is recommended to hold them in warm water for a few minutes. Apply the product with gentle movements, trying not to pull the skin. A light massage should be carried out starting from the ends of the fingers towards the palms. After application, wrap your hands in foil and put on cotton gloves.
The exposure time of the mask is about twenty minutes. Then it can be washed off, and the skin can be moisturized with a cream.
There are many different hand masks on the market. Products from Green Mama, Oriflame, Organique, Jerden help well in winter.
Also masks can be prepared at home:
- Mask with honey … Take a tablespoon of honey, egg yolk, a couple of tablespoons of almond or peach oil. The mass should turn out to be homogeneous and viscous. We distribute it over the outer part of the palm and fingers. We stand it under cellophane and with gloves for 20 minutes.
- Lemon mask … You can use such a tool only if there are no cracks and abrasions on the skin. We take one yolk, juice from 1/2 lemon, a couple of tablespoons of any vegetable oil. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply a thick layer on your hands for fifteen minutes.
- Sour cream mask … Peel one medium carrot and rub on a fine grater. Add a couple of tablespoons of fat sour cream to the gruel and apply the mask to your hands for 20 minutes.
- Oatmeal mask … Grind a few tablespoons of oatmeal in a coffee grinder and fill with warm milk. We are waiting for the mass to swell. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and apply on the skin of the hands for 20-25 minutes.
- Potato mask … Rub the raw potato on a fine grater. Add to it four drops of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey. Apply on hands for twenty minutes and rinse with cool water.
Hand care gloves
In addition to warming gloves and mittens, which are extremely important to use to protect your hands from frost and wind, you should also pay attention to cosmetic gloves that have recently appeared on the beauty market.
Their assortment is quite extensive. It can be as simple cotton products that are worn over the hands treated with a mask or cream. There are also gloves with gel impregnation.
It is recommended to use such gloves especially in the cold season, when hands need special care. It is most convenient to put them on at night. By morning, your hands are nourished with nutrients and vitamins and will look perfect. Beneficial components penetrate deep into the skin due to the thermal effect, which is achieved in such gloves.
The impregnation of gloves can be different. As a rule, the composition of the cosmetic gel includes plant extracts, vitamins A and E, vegetable oils.
Most of the gloves are reusable gel-coated. After the impregnation cosmetic is finished, these gloves can be used like plain cotton gloves, applying the nutrient of your choice to the skin of the hands.
How to take care of your hand skin in winter - watch the video:
Hand skin care at home is quite simple if you follow the basic recommendations and use a set of tools and methods. The main rule of winter care is nutrition and protection. Keep your hands out of frosty air - be sure to protect them with warm mittens or gloves.
