Home Remedies for Dry and Rough Hands

What are Dry and Rough Hands?

Hands are the body part which can be considered the most hard-working as they often engage in multiple tasks at a time during the day. However, they are usually the parts which are neglected the most and not cared properly. Therefore, they turn into rough and dry and even looking old.

Normally, skin which is dry and rough is not considered a threat; nonetheless, it might make your hand look unsightly with wrinkles and cause you discomforts.

Also dry skin might get serious sometimes and become disorders which are referred as ichthyosis. Severe chronic dry skin will need consultation from dermatologists (professional doctors with skin specialization) ^[1].

What cause Dry and Rough Hands?

Even though, environmental factors are the majority of causes for dry hand, there are also diseases which can take impacts on your hand skin as well.

• Weather: Winter often makes your dry the most as it is low in both temperature and humidity. However, for extreme weather regions such as desert, temperature is extremely high but humidity is still low, your skin will still dry out.
• Heat: All types of heaters such as fireplaces, central heating, space heaters or wood-burning stoves might cause your hand skin dry due to excessive heat generation which decreases humidity.
• Hot shower and bath: Long time in either hot shower or hot bath can dry your hand skin out. Also swimming too long under pools which are chlorinated strongly can cause your skin especially your hand skin dry.
• Harsh soap and detergent: Detergent and soap are meant to dry your skin out especially antibacterial soap or deodorant and even shampoo.
• Sun exposure: Heat from sun can definitely dry your skin out especially your hand when working under the sun. The UV can even cause further damage to your skin.
• Other skin conditions: Conditions such as eczema or psoriasis can make the sufferers more vulnerable to dry skin.

Symptoms of Dry and Rough Hands

Symptoms of dryness of hand skin can vary based on health status, age, occupation, etc.

• Tight feeling after bath or shower or even swimming
• Have a rough appearance of feeling
• Itchiness, redness
• Mild to serious peeling and scaling, or flaking
• Have cracks or fine lines
• Skin that looks ashy or gray, especially for people with dark skin
• Cracks are rather deep and sometimes bleed

Here are the top 15 most effective home remedies for dry and rough hands which you can easily apply at home beside your products for nourishing your hand skin in order to improve your hand skin to be younger and softer effectively…

1. Olive Oil

The fatty acids and antioxidant property in olive oil can moisturize and soften your hand skin ^[2].

How to use:

• Use olive oil to massage your hands for about 10 minutes. Perform twice per day.
• Another option is mix sugar with olive oil to make a scrub. Apply this mixture onto your hands and massage. After 5 minutes, cleanse with warm water, dry your hands and apply moisturizer. Perform twice per week.

For information about the benefits and applications of olive oil, please read: Home Remedies for Scar Removal and Whiteheads.

2. Oatmeal

It is considered an exfoliating and cleansing agent from nature. Furthermore, the protein in oatmeal can moisturize and keep your hand skin moist ^[3].

How to use:

• Make a paste from 2 tablespoons of oatmeal with half or a teaspoon of honey and water. Adding lemon juice is an option.
• Apply this paste onto your hands.
• After 10 minutes, cleanse with warm water.
• Perform once per week.

Oatmeal is an excellent remedy for many problems from common to complex, you can find out more at: Home Remedies for Measles and Razor Burn.

3. Coconut Oil

Fatty acids in coconut oil are extremely effective at treating skin which is damaged by the UV rays from the sun ^[4].

How to use:

• Warm up some oil and apply onto your hands.
• Massage your hands for at least 5 minutes before bedtime.
• You might wear gloves in order to achieve the best results.
• Perform on a daily basis.
• Other options can be using different types of oil such as almond, grape seed, avocado or jojoba.

Coconut oil is extremely popular as both a household item and a home remedy. You can find out more at: Home Remedies for Diaper Rash and Increase Stamina and Energy.

4. Milk Cream

While the high fat content of the milk is considered a moisturizer from nature, the lactic acids play an essential role of eliminating dry skin as well as keep a balance level of pH on the hand skin ^[5].

How to use:

• Apply some milk cream onto your hands and rub. After 10 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform on a daily basis.
• Make a paste from 2 tablespoons of gram flour with 2 teaspoons of milk cream and apply onto your hands. After about 15 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform 2 to 3 times per week.

5. Honey

The humectant, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in honey can naturally moisturize as well as soften your hand skin ^[6][7].

How to use:

• Apply some honey onto your hands and rub. After 10 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform 1 to 2 times per day.
• Make a mixture of glycerin and honey. Apply onto your hands and after about 10 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform once per day.
• Another method is making a mixture of honey with few drops of olive oil and lemon juice. Apply onto your hands and after the mixture dries out, cleanse with warm water. Perform couples of time per week.

To know more about ways to apply honey to deal with skin problems, please read Home Remedies for Shingles.

6. Aloe Vera

Besides moisturizing your dry skin naturally, Aloe Vera can even act a layer to protect your skin as well as enhance skin tone ^[8][9].

How to use:

• Extract the gel from Aloe Vera leaves and apply onto your hands.
• Massage for couples of minute and after about 15 minutes, cleanse with warm water.
• Perform 1 to 2 times per day.

7. Lemon Juice

• Make a mixture of baking soda and honey with lemon juice and apply it onto your hands. Massage and after 5 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform 1 to 2 times per week.
• Another option is take a small tub with warm water and drop in some honey and lemon juice. Place your hands in there for about 10 minutes. After drying, put on some olive oil or other vitamin E oil to keep your hands moisturized. Perform couples of time per week.

Plus, lemon juice is also a perfect ingredient in many other trusted remedies, including Home Remedies for Acne Scar.

8. Yogurt

The lactic acid from yogurt can effectively and efficiently eliminate and remove dead cells of skin from your hands ^[10].

How to use:

• Directly apply some yogurt onto your hands and massage. After about 10 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Perform on a daily basis.
• Make a paste from gram flour with yogurt and apply onto your hands. After the paste is dry, cleanse with warm water. Perform 1 to 2 times per week.

9. Overripe Banana

The moisturizing property in banana can significantly improve your wrinkles as well as fine lines on your skin.

How to use:

• Take an overripe banana and turn it into paste. Apply onto your hands and after 30 minutes, cleanse with warm water. Then put on some moisturizers.
• Another option is adding some olive oil and honey into the banana paste. Apply onto your hands and after about 20 minutes, cleanse with warm water then again with cold water in order to prevent your hands from losing moisture.

10. Avocado

The monounsaturated fats as well as vitamin A, C and E is excellent against dry skin as it can improve your sagging skin effectively ^[11].

How to use:

• Make a paste from half of an avocado and a tablespoon of honey. Apply the paste onto your hands and after about 10 minutes, cleanse using cool water. Perform couples of time per week.
• Another option is massage using olive oil on a daily basis before showering or bathing.

11. Pumice Stone

Your hands look thick and dry is because of dead cells piling up on the skin. Pumice stone can help you remove them effectively in order to make your hands look smooth and young. Perform 2 times per week.

12. Hot Water Soak

By performing this remedy at night before bed on a daily basis, you can get rid of dirt and dead cells on the skin which are the causes of dry hands.

13. Petroleum Jelly

By applying petroleum jelly onto your hands before bed, it can get into the cracks on your hands which will effectively treat and heal your skin.

14. Vitamin E

In case the cracks on your hands bleed, you can open few capsules of vitamin E and apply their powder onto your hands. The powder will absorb into the cracks and treat, thus it can help improve the regenerating process of your hand skin ^[12][13].

15. Clarified Butter

Also known as ghee, it is effective at keeping your hands moisturized as well as treating cracks on your hands. Directly apply it onto your hands and rub. Perform 2 to 3 times per day.

Extra Tips:

• Keep out of harsh soaps.
• Avoid using dryers with hot air. Instead dry your hand using soft cloth or toilet paper.
• Remember to wear gloves when working to help protect your hands.
• Perform exfoliation once per week to remove old, dead cells on the skin.
• Remember to turn on humidifier on dry season in order to keep your hand from losing moisture.
• Remember to wear gloves when working out to prevent calluses from forming on your hands.
• Remember to put on moisturizers before bed.
• Consume more foods that rich in nutrients and vitamins.
• Keep yourself hydrated by consuming enough water.
• Remember to have your hands massage for at least 10 minutes per day in order to promote the circulation of blood in your hands.
• Remember to put on sunscreen in order to protect your hands from harmful effects of the UV rays.

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