World Why Are My Hands Always Dry?

[Crystal]

SORELLINA HUGGIES, goop, $4,100; LIZZIE MANDLER RING, goop, $1,640; BY PARIAH NECKLACE (similar style), goop, $890

Why Are My Hands Always Dry?

Our bodies give us signs when there’s an imbalance. If you’ve been washing your hands a lot with soap and water or using considerable amounts of hand sanitizer—all good things to do, of course—dry, rough, wrinkled-looking hands are a common result, particularly if the soaps and sanitizers are made with harsh chemicals that can strip natural oils from your skin.

Living in climates with low humidity pulls moisture out of the skin, too, leaving it dry and craving moisture. If your climate is very windy and cold, your skin can also become dry. (Heating your home with a wood-burning fireplace, central heating, or space heaters creates a dry indoor environment, leading to even drier skin.) In warmer months, sun, heat, chlorine, and salt water also dry out your skin, so giving your hands extra moisture and sun protection and cleansing gently go a long way, no matter the season.

Whatever the cause of the dryness, a few easy steps can get your hands back in shape; add in a few skin-care moves typically reserved for facial skin and you can supercharge your results for hands that look as healthy as they feel.

1

Moisturize.

Creams with nourishing butters that easily absorb into the skin add and seal in moisture, leaving your hands soft, supple, and smooth (and keeping them that way for longer). Use hand cream immediately after washing your hands (and more as you need it).

1. ULTRAMOISTURIZING HAND CREAM

   
   It’s rich and renewing, yet it sinks into skin like magic, leaving even the driest hands ultrahydrated instantly—and it comes in the easiest, most adorable tube.
   
   
   goop Beauty GOOPGENES Nourishing Hand Cream goop, $25/$23 with subscription
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2. HYDRATING HAND CREAM

   
   Silky and plumping, this cream is made with Dr. Sturm’s essential ingredient, purslane, to help soothe skin.
   
   
   Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Hand Cream goop, $65
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1. HAND WASH AND CREAM SET

   
   In big, gorgeously minimalist pump bottles, both the hydrating hand wash and the moisturizing cream smell of orange peel, cedarwood, sage, and vanilla.
   
   
2. 
   Grown Alchemist Hand Care Kit goop, $49
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2

Wash gently.

While conventional hand washes seem to try to outdo one another in terms of harshness, with antibacterial compounds like triclosan (which has recently been shown to contribute to antibiotic resistance) and powerful surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate packed into formulas, gentle, clean hand washes are just as effective. Infused with nourishing botanicals and essential oils, they leave your hands smelling beautifully clean.

1. CITRUSY-WOODSY

   
   Gently cleansing and hydrating, with a sudsy lather that smells faintly of cedar, sandalwood, and bergamot.
   
   
   Sangre de Fruta Garden of Earthly Delights Botanical Hand Soap goop, $48
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2. ULTRAFRESH

   
   Easy on skin and scented with ylang-ylang, lemon, and basil.
   
   
   L’AVANT Collective Natural Hand Soap goop, $34
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3

Always wear sunscreen.

Our hands typically get more sun exposure than the rest of our body, so some of the first signs of photoaging show up on our hands. Accordingly, reapply sunscreen (clean mineral sunscreen, of course) as you wash your hands throughout the day. The best versions are moisturizing, too. Dot a dime-size amount on the backs of your hands and rub them together to avoid getting sunscreen on your palms.

1. SPF 30

   
   This chicly packaged cream melts right into your hands for hydration and protection.
   
   
   Grown Alchemist Natural Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 30 goop, $39
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2. SPF 15

   
   Made especially for hands, this rich mineral sunscreen created for (and by) women of color blends seamlessly into any skin tone.
   
   
   Unsun Hand Cream SPF 15 goop, $27
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3. SPF 40

   
   Creamy, moisturizing, and blendable, this one is both water- and sweat-resistant.
   
   
   Supergoop Zincscreen 100% Mineral Lotion SPF 40 goop, $42
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4

Extra credit: Renew.

Treat the skin on your hands like the skin on your face and you can get similarly soft, thoroughly moisturized, rejuvenated results.

1. Treat

   
   Vitamin C has powerful brightening effects that help to even skin and to protect it from free radical damage. This formula, made with hyaluronic acid, moisturizes, too.
   
   
   goop Beauty GOOPGLOW 20% Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Glow Serum goop, $125/$112 with subscription
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2. Protect from the inside out

   
   Made with multiple antioxidants, including vitamins C and E as well as COQ10, this citrusy skin drink nourishes from within.*
   
   
   goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Morning Skin
   Superpowder goop, $60/$55 with subscription
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1. Exfoliate

   
   The famous peels can be used for more than just your face, it turns out: The 15% glycolic acid and potent fruit extracts sweep away dead skin cells, evening out skin tone and smoothing rough texture. Swipe on using the textured side of the pad for the silkiest skin.
   
   
2. 
   goop Beauty GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel goop, $125/$112 with subscription
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Related Reading

Introducing GOOPGENES Nourishing Hand Cream

Ultramoisturized Skin from Head to Toe

Get Your Hands in Their Best Shape Ever

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