For the past few months, our lives have been turned upside down not only with stay-at-home orders and having to wear masks everywhere, but also with the constant hand-washing and hand-sanitizing due to COVID-19. Do you feel your hands are taking a beating and are becoming more sensitive and dry? Let’s explore the good and bad effects of this routine.
The Good First
Sanitizers containing over 70% alcohol are good at killing bacteria and viruses, and hand washing with soap removes dirt and bacteria and also kills coronavirus.
Now The Bad
Alcohol is drying for the skin, not to mention other ingredients that may be present in hand sanitizers. For hand washing to be effective at killing coronavirus, you have to suds up the soap and do it for 20 seconds before rinsing it off. During that period, you are removing the natural hand oils that serve two functions: 1. Protecting the skin from invasive elements, 2. Maintaining moisture inside the skin.
What To Do
Firstly, you can make your own anti-viral hand sanitizer that’s moisturizing and soothing with just two ingredients – grain alcohol and fresh aloe vera. Best yet, these are edible ingredients with no artificial preservatives. Secondly, when it comes to hand washing, do not use soap that’s drying. Use a moisturizing hand wash that contains aloe vera. Last but not least, be sure to use an antioxidant moisturizer every time after you wash your hands to replenish the moisture and re-form the moisture barrier.
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