Care for Corona-Ravaged Hands

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had an amazing weekend and feel rested and replenished, fully ready to embrace the week ahead.

One of the things that I’ve noticed and praised during the COVID-19 outbreak is the emphasis on fastidious cleanliness (YAY!) and encouragement to wash our hands more frequently than ever. As an enthusiastic hand-washer, this was much of the same for me. But I did have to change my hand soap because some of my favorite brands were often sold out whenever I went to the store. I found that these alternative soap options left my hands much drier than normal.

So it’s been my goal to offset the drying effects of my hand-washing routine while still maintaining the frequency of hand cleansing. I’ve gotten a very effective regimen in place that is easy and relatively inexpensive, and it has left my hands soft and lovely and no longer ravaged!

When washing my hands in the kitchen, I do an initial wash with soap, then I apply a vegetable cooking oil (usually olive oil, though it can be coconut oil or corn oil, depending on what’s closest to the sink) lightly to my hands, then wash one more time. Yes, I end up washing my hands twice and using a little oil in the process, but I find that the second wash removes just enough excess oil to keep from having extra-slippery hands.

When washing my hands in the bathroom, I do something similar, except I use coconut oil almost exclusively (a little more about that in a moment). Initial wash, apply coconut oil lightly, then wash again. It takes a few more moments but I love how soft my hands feel after the second wash. Of course, if your hands are especially dry, you can always skip the second wash and leave the oil to soak into your skin. However, I actually hate the feel of oil on my palms, but I don’t want to miss out on the benefits of replenishing moisture of the skin on the back of my hands, so the second wash is necessary for me.

I usually use Butcher Boy Coconut Oil BUT (here’s my big disclaimer) I purchase mine from the Dollar Tree, as opposed to purchasing it on Amazon. But if you’re unable to locate it near you, here’s a link to the product on Amazon.

I mentioned that I keep coconut oil on each of my bathroom vanities, but there is another oil that I use whenever I need extra moisture on my hands. I always apply pure Vitamin E oil to the back of my hands when the skin is particularly dry and sensitive. I don’t apply it to my palms (again, I don’t like the feeling of oil on my palms), but the back of my hands LOVE Vitamin E oil, and if I’ve been slacking on my hand-oiling routine, Vitamin E can quickly restore my skin back to health.

This is my personal favorite Vitamin E Oil brand

This is my quick tips to care for hands that have been ravaged by frequent hand washing. I hope this helps any of you that are trying to care for your skin!

*This post contains affiliate links.