How Excessive
Hand Washing
Can Damage Your Skin
Learn how
to best take care of your hands
even if you have to wash them often as apart of your job.
Health
care workers, doctors, and nurses all know the trials and tribulation
of skin damage caused by excessively washing their hands. If you work
in the health care field and have to wash your hands repeatedly every
day, it's good to know that there are some things you can do for your
skin to help your hands heal while you are away from work.
To
begin, make sure you understand that this is personal advice only
and that it's imperative for you to always abide by the safety
and sanitation guidelines that your hospital or health care facility
has set. Always follow the rules to make sure that you're in compliance
with any rules or regulations your job entails.
Washing
your hands excessively will damage your skin. There is no getting
around this fact. If you're washing with soap, the caustic foaming
agents that make the soap produce suds will actually strip your skin
of it's natural moisture and protective oil layers.
If
you're washing with Alcohol the situation is even worse. Alcohol,
especially Isopropyl, SD Alcohol 40, and Ethyl Alcohol, are
all drying alcohols. This means that when the alcohol gets on your
skin it literally seeks out and "eats" all the moisture
around it. It can be far more dehydrating than washing with soap because
Alcohol can not only strip the skin of it's protective oils, it also
robs it of all available moisture.
When
you wash your hands more than 7 times a day (and I mean thoroughly
scrubbing, not just splashing in water like many of us do) your skin
doesn't have time to recover the moisture it lost or repair
the damage to its protective oil layers. There is a natural layer
of oil, called sebum, that protects and waterproofs your skin. The
palms of your hands do not have oil glands so once they dry out it
takes much longer for those areas to get moisturized and protected.
Once
your protective oil layer has been stripped away, your skin can easily
become irritated, especially if you're using a soap with pumice
or other abrasive material. This is literally scratching the surface
of your skin, creating microscopic cuts that have trouble healing
because of how intensely dry your skin has become.
The
solution for all this skin damage is not very easy. You cannot stop
washing your hands, which would honestly be the quickest and most
surefire way of eliminating the problem. Instead check the regulations
for lotion at your workplace. If you're allowed to use lotion
during work, try using a healing, Aloe Based Lotion to soothe your
skin after you've washed your hands. Never apply lotion and then put
on gloves. Often oils in lotions can disintegrate the latex.
L'Bri
Pure n' Natural offers a wonderful Aloe Based
Lotion that can heal skin damage caused by excessive hand washing.
Many people think of aloe only when they get a burn, but this healing
plant can actually be used for a wide range of skin issues. Dry,
damaged skin can especially benefit from the soothing, hydrating
effects of Pure Aloe Barbadensis.
If
you can't wear lotion at work, keep it in your car. As soon
as you leave work, apply a thick layer of to your hands and wrists.
It will dry in less than a minute and immediately start to heal the
skin damage on your hands.
Once
you're at home and have a minute to yourself, try applying L'Bri's
soothing Pure Aloe Jelly to your hands
with a little water. After applying the Aloe Jelly, apply more Aloe
Lotion to complete the skin healing process.
In
times of inclement weather I'm sure you've noticed your hands getting
drier and feeling more painful. Always remember to wear gloves
every time you go out in the winter. It's good to get into
the habit of applying lotion and then put on your gloves. This will
protect your delicate skin from the cold and wind and add the healing
benefits of Aloe to your skin on the way to work.
You
can significantly reduce the pain and discomfort of your skin damage
by taking care of your hands properly. I suggest L'Bri's Aloe Lotion
and Jelly because they both contain more healing, soothing Aloe
Barbadensis than any other ingredient. It's very important that
you apply a product that will actually penetrate your skin, soak in,
and work to heal the damage immediately.
Many
lotions are water based and therefore ineffective at penetrating
the skin. Others contain mineral oil which just sits on the
surface and suffocates skin tissue. I'm sure you've tried countless
lotions and salves that just seemed to sit on the surface of your
skin and never made the damage go away. They couldn't work because
they were ineffectively formulated and had no power to heal your condition.
L'Bri's
Aloe Lotion and Pure
Aloe Jelly can heal your skin and make a difference in the redness
and irritation you deal with every day. Trust
in products that contain more soothing, healing ingredients than anything
else!
