If your hands are feeling tight and sore from all the extra washing with soap and slathering with hand sanitiser, you’re not alone! Both soap and hand sanitiser are great at destroying the fatty coating of the coronavirus (we talked about this in our last blog), but they also remove the natural oils from your skin. At Mokosh, we talk a lot about how important it is to look after your skin’s barrier function - and the development of sore, irritated hands demonstrates exactly what happens when your barrier is compromised.
When the skin’s barrier starts to fail, the skin on our hands starts to feel tight and itchy, and if left unchecked, a painful infection could develop. Hands that are sore and damaged are much more difficult to wash, and hand-washing is something that is simply not negotiable right now. For this reason, looking after your hands is almost as important as washing them. If moisturising your hands is something you’ve not prioritised before, now is the time to make it part of our daily routine. Applying a rich, creamy moisturiser regularly throughout the day will replenish the lost oils and help restore the barrier function to your skin.
Our water-free moisturisers will protect your hands
Because our moisturisers are made without the addition of water, they are extremely concentrated and very rich in nutrients - just what you need to help restore your skin’s barrier. To protect your hands, we recommend one of 3 products: Frankincense & Orange Body Cream, Pure Face & Body Cream and Pure Body Balm. The latter two are fragrance free, and therefore suited to sensitive skin. All three contain unrefined shea butter, which creates a waxy barrier, while our Pure Body Balm is even more protective because of the addition of both beeswax and cacao butter. The two creams, on the other hand, include essential fatty acids which can help boost the skin’s ceramides, an important part of the skin’s own barrier function. You will need a tiny amount, around a half pea-sized amount, to moisturise the front and back of both hands. Take a minute or so to massage all over your hands and fingers, paying particular attention to the skin around the nail beds, which are often the area most prone to cracks and a common site area of infection.
Home-made hand mask - for an intense treatment
A hand mask will give your hands an extra nourishing protective boost, and requires your favourite moisturiser with the simple addition of a pair of cotton gloves. Apply plenty of moisturiser to your hands and massage well into the skin. If using one of our moisturisers, a pea-sized amount will do. Slip on the gloves and leave them on for 20 minutes or longer. If you wish you can leave them on overnight. This is a simple soothing treatment that will give your skin’s barrier function a much needed boost. Take the chance to lie down somewhere quiet and peaceful while you do this to make it a time to deeply relax.
Taking care of yourself and those around you
Our thoughts go out to everyone who is suffering right now, from the loss of loved-ones, loss of income, and the disruption of hopes and dreams. We hope that the crisis will allow the best side of humanity to shine through. Taking the opportunity to share what we have, checking in on anyone who may be vulnerable, and reminding ourselves to be patient and kind to ourselves and those around us will make a huge difference to how we come out on the other side.
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