- You can add soda bicarbonate (baking soda) in your bowl of warm water and soak your hands for up to 10 minutes.
- You may also choose to add oils to your water, such as olive, argon or essential oils to help soften thick skin.
- Always rinse your hands after soaking to help remove dead skin cells.
- Moisturize. Apply a quality moisturizing cream or lotion several times per day. ...
- Wear gloves. ...
- Decrease stress. ...
- Consider medication. ...
- Ask your doctor about UV light therapy. ...
- Treat them overnight. ...
- Ask about prescription cream. ...
- Apply hydrocortisone cream.
How to get rid of cracked skin on hands?
Massage the skin of your hands with olive oil, vitamin E oil, pure jojoba oil, coconut oil, beeswax or cocoa butter. These natural moisturizers retain lost moisture, prevent bacteria that forms between cracked skin, provide nutrients for the skin and make your hands super soft.
Why are my hands so rough?
Regardless whether your hands are dry, cracked or sore, it’s important that you read the warning signals and treat your ten fingers and two palms accordingly. Chemical products, dry air, soap and water tend to be the main causes of rough hands. If you can limit your contact with these items, or take preventative care then your hands will thank you.
How to get rid of dry chapped hands?
Keep the soap and cream at the sinks where you wash your hands and your extremely dry chapped hands will feel better quickly. Perfect hand cream for relief from dry, irritated and rough skin!
How can I prevent rough skin on my hands?
Preventing rough skin can be as simple as switching to a fragrance-free hand soap, which may contain fewer irritants. But Jaber also recommends carrying hand moisturizer for use after washing and drying your hands, suggesting a cream or an ointment rather than a lotion, as lotions are usually thinner and often contain alcohol.

How do you soften rough hands permanently?
One easy way to get soft hands permanently is by opting for an olive oil and sugar scrub. Olive oil proves to be an excellent moisturizer which can keep your hands supple and hydrated. Sugar contains exfoliating properties which can help to slough off the dirt and dead skin cells from the hand.
Why do my hands feel so rough?
In most cases, dry hands are caused by environmental factors such as weather conditions or exposure to chemicals which could dry your skin out. Washing your hands too much or more than normal can also cause sudden dry skin on the hands, but there are some medical conditions which can cause extremely dry hands too.
How can I soften my hands naturally?
On that note, here are 6 natural ways to get smoother and softer hands.Vaseline. Vaseline has powerful moisturising properties that will help you get softer hands. ... Coconut oil. Coconut oil is a great option to make your hands soft. ... Oatmeal. Oatmeal is another good option. ... Egg yolk. ... Honey. ... Aloe Vera.
Is Vaseline good for dry hands?
Vaseline is a very good moisturizer for dry skin. Applying a layer of Vaseline to dry skin helps lock in moisture.
What medical condition causes dry hands?
People with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis are more likely to have dry skin. Medical treatments. Some people develop dry, thick skin after undergoing treatment for cancer, receiving dialysis or taking certain medications. Aging.
Why are my hands so dry even when I moisturize?
Dry hands that persist despite the use of lotions and creams may be a sign of a condition called hand eczema. Eczema is a term for different types of skin inflammation (dermatitis). The symptoms of eczema commonly include itchy, reddened, dry skin.
Why are my hands and feet so rough?
This happens when your skin loses so much moisture that it breaks down. Most people develop cracked skin on their feet, hands, and lips, but it can affect any part of your body. You can usually treat cracked skin with remedies like petroleum jelly, moisturizing creams, mild hydrocortisone creams, and liquid bandages.
Why do my hands get rough?
Your hands do a lot of grunt work every day and suffer a great deal of skin damage as a result. This, coupled with the fact that your skin naturally becomes drier and thinner as you get older , has made dry, rough hands a common problem, especially in adults.
How to get rid of dry hands?
Rinse it off with lukewarm water. 5. Apply aloe vera gel. Aloe vera gel is renowned for its skin benefits, so it’s no surprise that this therapeutic substance can help with healing dry and rough hands. Mucopolysaccharides are sugar molecules found in aloe vera gel that are known for their humectant properties.
How to use beeswax on hands?
How to use: Apply the jelly or wax directly to your dry hands after washing them with lukewarm water. Apply any plant oil and then cover it with petrolatum jelly or beeswax.
What is the best moisturizer for hands?
Natural fats such as milk cream, shea butter, (13) cocoa butter, (14) mango butter, (15) and avocado butter can be used as effective hand moisturizers. They contain healthy fatty acids such as linoleic acid and oleic acid that are easily absorbed to deeply hydrate and nourish the skin.
How to make a scrubbing paste for hands?
Advertisements. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground oatmeal, ½–1 teaspoon of honey, and a little water in a bowl to form a paste. Gently rub this mixture on your hands for a mild scrubbing effect and to stimulate blood circulation in the hands. Let it sit on the skin for 10 minutes. Rinse it off with lukewarm water.
How to get rid of a swollen hand?
Wash your hands with lukewarm water and pat them dry. Gently massage a few drops of any plant oil of your choice into your hands. Reapply when the moisturizing effect starts to wear off or after washing your hands. 2. Apply jellies and waxes.
Why do lotions make your hands greasy?
Lotions have a thin consistency but can leave your hands feeling utterly greasy because of their oily composition. Moreover, lotions often contain alcohol that can irritate your dry, cracking skin.
What should you do to protect your dry, cracked hands if they are already severely chapped?
If you have chapped hands, you need to protect them from further irritation. This means wearing rubber gloves when you are touching irritating things like dish soap, house cleaners and even some foods like tomatoes, citrus etc.
How to get rid of chapped hands?
Before bed, soak your hands in warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes, towel dry and then apply a generous layer of a thick and rich, highly therapeutic ointment like Bag Balm (which contains lanolin from wool). In fact, I'm such a fan of Bag Balm that I've added this time-honored home remedy for chapped hands to my website.
What ingredients should you look for in hand creams and how often should you moisturize your hands?
Use only gentle soaps to wash. And then, apply a good moisturizer immediately after drying your hands as often as you possibly can. Look for gentle cleansers that contain glycerin and moisturizers with glycerin, lanolin and rich hydrating oils. I talk more about this below.
Why do I use moisturizing cream on my hands?
Fact: Using a Hand Moisturizing Cream is Important to Prevent and Heal Chapped Hands. Moisturize your hands often with a good quality hand cream immediately after toweling dry. It needs to be non-greasy so that you don't mind using it during the day. My favorite is my Dry Skin Hand Cream, which I use all day long.
What to do for chapped hands at night?
At night, give severely chapped hands a real therapeutic hydrating treatment with a lanolin-rich and heavy product.
How long does it take for chapped hands to heal?
This means that you need to keep using the gloves until the skin is entirely back to normal... plus at least a week or two. This is pretty inconvenient so it’s best to just take really good care of your hands before they become chapped by washing with gentle soaps, regularly moisturizing and not over using hand sanitizers.
Why does my hand not get irritated?
Hand (and foot) skin is much thicker than skin on the rest of your body. That’s why it doesn’t get irritated right away when you touch harsh chemicals (like house cleaning products), and it doesn’t chap as quickly as other areas of your skin (like your face, when you are exposed to harsh weather).
How to get rid of dry skin on hands?
For a more momentary relief from rough skin and dry conditions, you can do a nightly hand soak, which can calm and soften skin, as well as neutralize any fungus and bacteria. Libby suggests combining it with a foot soak using the same recipe—one as simple as using diluted vinegar. “Do this by mixing ½ parts warm water and ½ parts white vinegar in a bowl, and soak daily or several times a week for 5–10 minutes,” she says. “Then pat dry, and apply your medicated lotion or cream.”
How to preserve softness of calluses?
Massick outlines three steps you can take to ensure preserved softness: First, eliminate what caused the calluses, if possible. "If not, the calluses will reform in just a matter of time. If you can’t eliminate the primary cause, then protect your hands with gloves or protective tape," she says.
What is the goal of softening calluses?
Whereas, with softening calluses in particular, the goal is more to break down the dead skin, rather than trap in moisture. That’s what makes lotions ideal: “Advances in product formulations allow lotions also to deliver proper amounts of effective ingredients without the thickness or greasiness of a cream or balm.”.
Can calluses grow too much?
But calluses can become too much of a good thing. They can grow quite thick and firm and appear unsightly. More importantly, they can crack and split, causing pain when pressure is applied as well as bleeding or even causing infection with deep cracks. Plus, when a callus peels off, it leaves vulnerable skin exposed.".
Should I use hand lotion before bed?
Libby recommends applying a hand lotion before bed, too, for maximum efficacy. And while she advises doing so for the same reasoning, she adds one more argument in favor of this overnight wear: “While using hand creams at night does sync with your natural skin’s regenerative cycle, I also recommend using it at this time as you are giving more time for the medicated actives to penetrate your skin. You are not using your hands or hand-washing throughout the night, as you might be during the day.” Thus, you’ve got a longer runway to help enjoy those hand-lotion benefits, as opposed to during the day when your hands are hyperactive.
Can you buff out calluses?
It’s perfectly fine to take some friction to your calluses and buff them out physically. However, Libby cautions against removing too much skin, since that can then cause wounds or tears in the skin, as well as compromise your skin’s barrier functions (trapping moisture in, keeping bacteria out).
Can calluses be mistaken for other skin conditions?
Libby says to try these tips before seeing a dermatologist: “If you are not noticing improvement with these remedies, seek out professional help from a board-certified dermatologist or podiatrist. Often, calluses can be mistaken for other skin conditions (like warts).” Your doctor can determine the best remedy or help properly diagnose the condition in the first place.
How to make your hands soft?
Instead of simply rubbing olive oil on your skin, try using this DIY hand scrub made with olive oil and brown sugar to get soft and supple hands in less than a minute.#N#Olive oil contains essential fatty acids that work as a moisturizing and nourishing agent, healing the chapped and flaky skin of your hands. It also contains vitamin E that has antioxidant properties and can repair damaged skin.#N#The brown sugar acts as a mild exfoliator, sloughing off the dead skin from your hands.#N#Things you’ll need:
What is the best hand scrub for dry skin?
Oatmeal is another inexpensive and common ingredient found in your pantry that can work wonders on dry and lifeless skin. Oats are naturally rich in lipids that lock in moisture and the proteins in oats protect the skin’s barrier function. Oatmeal also works great as a gentle exfoliator and skin cleanser.#N#This oatmeal hand scrub also uses honey that further draws moisture into the skin and lemon that provides antibacterial properties to protect the skin. Lemon also has a bleaching effect and helps improve the skin’s complexion.#N#You can either use whole oatmeal or its ground form for easy application.#N#Things you’ll need:
What is the best natural remedy for dry hands?
Aloe vera is that single ingredient that can solve a multitude of skin-related troubles. It can soothe sunburns and minor accidental burns, heal acne and lighten skin, too. The gel, extracted from the aloe vera leaf, contains amino acids that soften hardened skin cells and help get rid of dry and scratchy skin.#N#You need not rush to the supermarket to get your supply of aloe vera gel. Simply get hold of an aloe vera le af and let it do all the magic to treat dry, rough hands.
How to keep skin from getting dry?
Use a humidifier in the winter and in dry climates to prevent your skin from becoming dry. Place one in your bedroom, so you can take advantage of it while you sleep.
How to treat cracked hands?
Choose a moisturizer. Moisturizing your skin is essential for treating cracked and callused hands. You will want oil-based, alcohol-free emollients and humectants that will lock in moisture like ointments and creams. Avoid water-based moisturizers which aren’t very effective, such as lotions.
How to make your hands soft?
Treat your hands daily or weekly with oils. Massage the skin of your hands with olive oil, vitamin E oil, pure jojoba oil, coconut oil, beeswax or cocoa butter. These natural moisturizers retain lost moisture, prevent bacteria that forms between cracked skin, provide nutrients for the skin and make your hands super soft. Plus, coconut oil and cocoa butter smell wonderful.
How to get rid of dry skin on hands?
Use an exfoliant. You can purchase a body exfoliant or one meant for your hands—a sea salt exfoliant is highly recommended. Use the exfoliant once a week to scrub off dead skin and keep the skin from thickening. Remember to be gentle on your hands, especially if they easily become dry and cracked.
Why do my hands crack?
See a dermatologist. If you take good care of your hands, moisturize regularly and try other treatments but your hands are still cracking, then you should see a doctor. Some underlying health conditions like hypothyroidism can cause dry skin. Skin conditions like eczema can also cause cracking skin and a doctor can prescribe you a stronger ointment to solve the problem.
How to make a scrub for hands?
You can also make a scrub for your hands. One way is to grind about 1 cup of uncooked oats into a fine powder and rub the skin of your hands with the powder.
What to wear when washing hands?
Wear rubber, vinyl or latex gloves. Gloves will protect your hands when being exposed to drying detergents and chemicals, such as while washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms. Even just dipping your hands in plain water repeatedly can be irritating to your skin, so wear gloves when you do that as well. You can purchase gloves from your local grocery or general store.
Why do you rinse your hands after soaking?
Always rinse your hands after soaking to help remove dead skin cells.
Why is it important to wash your hands?
Washing your hands frequently (and properly) is of paramount importance these days, especially when it comes to preventing the spread of germs and viruses -- including coronavirus.
How long should you wash your hands with soap and water?
“Everyone should listen closely to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NIH (National Institutes of Health)," Jaber urged, in reference to their guidelines for washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
What to put on hands before bed?
For hands with a propensity to itch or bleed when dry, Jaber told Fox News he often recommends that his patients slather their hands in Vaseline and put on white cotton gloves right before bed.
Is hand sanitizer dryer than hand washing?
All of this hand hygiene is taking a toll on our poor hands! 🖐 Remember - using hand sanitizer is actually less drying than hand washing. 💦 Don’t use super hot water to wash, lukewarm is just fine. 🧴 And use a great emollient hand cream like @eucerinus or @neutrogena afterwards to moisturize. Stay safe everyone!
How to treat a dry skin on the hand?
The best treatment, according to Reed, is prevention. If possible, avoid over-washing, especially with lathering soaps containing detergents that can further dry the skin. Moisturize several times a day with a thick, emollient (lubricating) hand cream or lotion. Look for ingredients like petrolatum, wax, and shea butter.
What to do if your hands are swollen?
Reed recommends speaking to your dermatologist or healthcare provider if your hands are causing you discomfort. In particular, seek medical attention immediately if your hands are swollen, bleeding, have a honey-colored crust on any cracks, or if you see red streaks moving up your arm.
How to get rid of irritated skin?
Moisturize several times a day with a thick, emollient (lubricating) hand cream or lotion. Look for ingredients like petrolatum, wax, and shea butter. A gentle hypoallergenic cleanser like Cetaphil tends to irritate skin less than soaps that contain lathering detergents.
What is the best glue for skin cracks?
Believe it or not, a popular solution for painful skin cracks is super glue. Part of a group of adhesive chemicals called cyanoacrylates, super glue can be used for very superficial cuts and cracks, according to Reed.
What is it called when your fingers are dry?
Cracks in your fingers can make even the simplest tasks, such as typing, turning a page, or buttoning a button very painful. Medically, dry skin is called xerosis. It is often a natural part of aging, though it can also be an early sign of a condition such as dermatitis. Most often, the skin becomes drier and more irritated in the winter months. ...
How to take care of your skin?
2 Less time in the sun, shorter and cooler showers and baths, and drinking a proper amount of liquids can help. Smoking and stress can also exacerbate symptoms, so avoiding those is a good idea as well.
Can you use super glue on a regular basis?
It is also recommended that you do not use super glue on a regular basis.

Home Remedies For Dry and Rough Hands
Self-Care Tips and Preventive Measures
- You can ease the dry skin in your hands or prevent them from going dry by following these self-care and preventive measures:
Most-Asked Questions About Dry and Rough Hands
- Why is constant hand washing so harsh on the skin?
The epidermis, which is the outermost layer of the skin, is made up of oils and wax that trap moisture within the skin. Regular soaps contain certain chemical detergents that mix with water to release froth bubbles that can strip away the natural oils from your skin. Thus, repeated hand … - Can foot cream be used to treat dry hands?
It may not be wise to apply foot creams on your dry, flaky hands since most of them contain ingredients that could further irritate your skin or trigger an allergic reaction. The skin of your foot is tougher and thicker than that of your hands, which is why what works with your foot may not s…
Final Word
- Hand dryness is a common skin problem that may not qualify as a grievous health threat, but it can certainly lead to a lot of discomfort and inconvenience. You need your hands to perform countless everyday tasks, which can gradually wear them out. While you can’t give up on using your hands, you can minimize their skin damage by making the above-discussed hand care routi…