A must-have item for the winters is a good hand cream that will provide just about the right amount of skin care for your hands. Winters bring along the obvious dilemma of keeping your hands soft and supple and one would go to any extent to achieve the desired feel. Especially if you live in the colder part of the world, you will realize that it is an endless battle to keep your hands moisturized.
Why Moisturize?
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Nobody likes cracked, weather-beaten hands with bleeding knuckles, brittle nails and frayed cuticles which is the very reason why the need to moisturize is an absolute necessity. Dry, flaky hands don’t look good and are also uncomfortable to be with. Due to the humidity in the air during winters plunging to low ebb, your hands are bound to become like this. Also the undesirable fluctuation of dry indoor heat and inhumane outdoor cold makes it difficult to achieve soft glowing skin, ultimately making you look older than you are.
Moisturizers have no alternative
Only moisturizing will treat your parched hands and water is obviously not a replacement for it. It is a common misconception that drinking water will help replenish your skin with the moisture that is needed. Washing your hands time and again might give you the moist, velvety feel for a short time and keep it bacteria-free, but for a certain time period. However, for obvious reasons, physically applying an effective moisturizer will keep the water from evaporating and give your skin the impeccable look.
Why Can’t I Just Use My Body Moisturizer Instead?
Even though there may be a minimal difference between the two, but hand creams are definitely thicker in nature and texture. For the obvious reason that different people require a different level of moisturizing and body lotions are much less viscous, not providing the level of moisture needed by the hands. This consistency is achieved by the ratio of oil and water mixed to make up the cream. Factors that affect the choice of creams include:
- Thickness of the skin
- Types of pores
- Level of sensitivity
- Specific beauty needs
- Frequency of usage
Hand moisturizers are made specifically to infiltrate the skin, forming a protective layer that effectively keeps off moisture loss from the skin. They usually appear stickier or greasier. These are just some of the technicalities to be kept in mind while picking up the best hand moisturizers for your skin.
Types of Moisturizer and the Ingredients contained in them
Moisturizers can be broadly categorized into several groups depending on:
- Specific skin type
- Special-purpose creams
- Day or night creams
- For different body parts
Creams or lotions are primarily used to keep the skin lubricated and give a peachy and luminescent glow to your skin. The major types of moisturizers are:
Humectants-Moisture Absorbers
These keep the skin hydrated as they are hydrophilic in nature and work best for dry, thick skins in very humid climate.
Key ingredients: Glycerin, lactic acid, urea, hyaluronic acid and alphahydroxy acid (AHAs)
Emollients- Space Fillers
Moisturizing lipids can resurrect your skin by filling in the gaps between your skin cells. Believed to make your skin smoother and supple, it keeps it hydrated and is either oil or water based. It works best for extremely dry skin devoid of moisture, needing serious care and attention.
Key ingredients: Petrolatum, lanolin and mineral oil.
Ceramides -the skin ‘glue’
Ceramides is an essential constituent found naturally in the skin and a decrease in quantity makes the skin devoid of essential moisture. By refurbishing the skin with ceramides you are able to preserve your moisture-laden skin. It is a perfect solution for normal to combination skin.
Key Ingredients: Ceramides
Occlusive – The moisture Sealers
Designed for mature, dehydrated skin due to its thick-based nature, agents present in such type of moisturizers soak the skin in moisture. They are recommended more for the body than the face. Not suitable for sensitive skin.
Ingredients: Hazelnut oils, Rose hip and avocado
Furthermore, moisturizers for oily skins are oil-free to balance the oil content. Whereas oil-based constituents like petrolatum are especially recommended for dry skin. For eight hour protection over-night, night creams are heavier than day creams.
Another essential piece of information is the fact that moisturizers may have added benefits due to the minerals, vitamins and plant extracts contained in them. For example, moisturizers including sunscreen are applied during the day time.
Natural oils like grape seed, Jojoba and Olive oil are proven to boost collagen (elastin) production. It also sets the new skin cells to start developing, makes the skin more elastic and keeps it moisturized 24/7.
How to Use Moisturizer
Until and unless a certain something is used the right way, it will not yield maximum benefit. Hence, to obtain and maintain soft and supple hands one should follow a proper procedure which starts with exfoliating your hands.
- Wash your hands with lukewarm water: This will open up the pores and expose them properly to the moisturizer and even make them germ-free.
- Exfoliate: You can use a home-made or a market bought exfoliator. Rub it thoroughly over your hands for a considerable period of time to ensure the flaky upper layer of the skin is removed
- Add your moisturizer: Take and apply a generous amount of hand cream and layer it smoothly so that it is infused into the skin.
- Put on your gloves: Keeping your hands covered all night will keep them soft.
- Rinse: Gently rinse the residual lotion off your hands with warm water the next day.
- Repeat: Be consistent in this treatment, for best results.
Reviews of the 5 Best Hand Moisturizers in 2016
1. R. Watkins Anti-Aging Hand Cream
A thick and creamy hand cream, it is 99% natural and does not give the skin a greasy feeling-the one most of usually don’t like. Its property of leaving your skin kissable and luscious is due to the abundance of ingredients it is loaded with such as retinol, coconut oil and shea butter.
2. EOS Every Day Hand Lotion in Cucumber
Ranking second on the list, this portable hand cream makes it easy for you to use on the go. Keeping your hands continuously lubricated with it will give you all the essential nutrients packed into it including glycerin, aloe and the like making the formula feel pampered and satin-soft.
3. Kora Organics by Miranda Kerr Daily Hand Cream
It’s a clean sweep when it comes to Kora organics, giving you substantial results within 10 seconds of applying it. Filling in the cracks perfectly well with the rich ingredients of macadamia-seed, olive oils and the very essential shea butter, this hydrating formula is sure to satisfy your skin care needs.
4. Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Skin-Fortifying Hand Crème
This cream takes it away from the others by having the unique pH5 buffer that keeps your skin’s pH level at exactly the desired level, and undoubtedly ever-lasting. With the added effect of glycerin, vitamins and mineral oil, this thick cream was one of the most commonly bought creams on the shelf in 2016.
5. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
Worry not if your skin type falls in the extremely dry category. There’s a solution for it too. Neutrogena presents a super-effective combination of panthenol and glycerin that makes your skin feel heavenly and luscious. Go for this cream if your hands really need the anti-dry treatment.