Hand washing and sanitising with COVID
Washing or sanitising hands for twenty seconds has quickly become known as the most effective method to stop the spread of COVID. As a result, excessive personal hygiene is now common as people take the precaution to the extreme. The skin complications from this have become a major with red, cracked and dry hands a widespread problem. An increase in dermatitis cases has also been seen. The hyper hydration effect of excessive hand washing/sanitising can aggravate an existing skin condition such as Eczema, Rosacea and Psoriasis.
While frequent hand washing is important to prevent the spread of COVID, there are steps you can take to prevent the inflammation of the skin.
Alcohol sanitisers and the effect this has on skin
In our recent blog we delved into alcohol sanitisers and the effect excessive use has on skin. While these sanitisers are completely necessary, the alcohol in the product can cause skin inflammation. Many sanitisers are filled with alcohols and parabens that significantly dry out your skin and can cause dermatitis. In addition, these alcohol-based sanitisers are particularly harsh to those already suffering with skin conditions and sensitive skin.
What we recommend:
- For hand washing: Grahams Natural Cleansing Bar
As hand washing is essential to the prevention of COVID, washing your hands with a natural, paraben free soap such as Grahams Natural Cleansing Bar can help control and prevent the inflammation of skin. The active manuka honey controls bacteria and nourishes the skin to ensure hydration.
- Prevention: Grahams Natural Bath and Body Oil
To prevent dry, cracked and red hands from hand washing, we recommend the use of our Bath and Body Oil. This can be applied topically before showering or put in the bath to hydrate and nourish your skin. This is crucial for people who suffer from dry skin. As it is 100% oil based, the product is entirely natural reducing inflammation and redness of the skin and preventing irritation caused by hand washing.
- Moisturising: C+ Eczema and Dermatitis Cream
After hand washing it is important to moisturise the hands to hydrate and protect the hands from drying out. For those who suffer from existing skin conditions this is even more important. Our Natural C+ Eczema and Dermatitis Cream contains clinically tested ingredients to prevent and control skin inflammation. The ‘oil-in-water’ formula provides a cool, soothing feeling to relieve pain and itchiness.
