My Hands Hurt From Washing, What Do I Do?
Hopefully everyone is doing well, staying home, and washing their hands. The CDC recommends cleaning your hands often. Ideally, one uses soap and water and washes for at least 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer is the next best thing, but it doesn’t come without its risks. The CDC recommends using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. With mounting anxiety surrounding the coronavirus, Americans are buying hand sanitizers faster than they can be stocked on the shelves. While sanitizers might bring you peace of mind, it’s important to note that the alcohol in hand sanitizer poses a risk of skin damage, especially when used often. Not to mention, other additives in sanitizers, such as fragrances pose a threat to endocrine (hormonal) health.
Damaged, cracked, dry skin caused by hand sanitizer use is not only uncomfortable, it also creates a prime environment for microbes to grow and flourish. Elaine Larson, a professor at the Columbia University’s School of Nursing and Mailman School of Public Health in New York put it this way: “You want to keep your hands free of the virus, but you don’t want to be rubbing alcohol on them multiple times a day.” She goes on to discuss how along with damaging your skin, sanitizers also kill off the germs that live on our skin as part of our natural flora and play a protective role. Remember that hand washing is superior to sanitizers, and only to use sanitizers when water and soap are not available.
While washing hands frequently is recommended by the CDC during this time to protect oneself from the coronavirus, it is also important to protect your skin from the damage caused by heavy washing. Heavy hand washing can lead to dry, scaly, cracked, inflamed skin. You can protect your skin and heal your skin by moisturizing daily, or each time after washing hands. If your hands are already showing signs of skin damage, start by moisturizing more frequently, and from there determine how often you need to moisturize based on the condition of your skin, at least moisturizing daily to help protect your skin.
The moisturizer you choose is also key. Not all moisturizers are created equal, and many contain alcohol, water (used to help water and oil blend), and even more harmful ingredients like unnatural fragrances and petroleum based oils, which will cause the very problems that you are seeking to resolve. Edye’s Face and Body Butter is an all natural and organic, anti-inflammatory moisturizer, which can help soothe and heal your skin. Edye’s Face and Body Butter is plant oil based, containing no drying alcohol or water. It is highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Edye’s Face and Body Butter was crafted with the health of your skin in mind. A blend of oils is used, hand-picked based on the different nutrients and minerals they offer. All of these oils, combined together, create a nutrient dense product, which acts like nourishing food for your skin.
Let’s take a look at the ingredient list in Edye’s Face and Body Butter, all of which are organic:
Shea Butter: Highly moisturizing and anti-inflammatory, shea butter penetrates the skin without clogging pores. It is high in vitamins A, E, and F. Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and are particularly helpful for sun-damaged skin. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This oil is loaded with antioxidants, including a rare and potent antioxidant called hydroxytyrosol which prevents free-radical damage. Olive oil also absorbs deeply and creates a protective barrier that traps moisture on your skin.
Avocado Oil: Helps to increase your body’s natural production of collagen, helping to repair and strengthen the skin. Also high in vitamins known for improving skin rejuvenation, including: Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, as well as beta-carotene, potassium, and lecithin.
Grapeseed Oil: Grapeseed oil is moisturizing without clogging pores. It contains Vitamins D, C, E, beta-carotene, fatty acids, and polyphenols. Grape seed oil helps to restore collagen and tightens the skin.
Coconut Oil: Of note, specifically in regard to protecting yourself from viruses, is that coconut oil contains high amounts of lauric acid. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which is a monoglyceride that can destroy lipid-coated viruses and bacteria. Coconut oil is also high in antioxidants.
New Jersey Beeswax: Beeswax is a natural product of worker honeybees, which has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
Camellia Oil: This oil is composed mainly of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, which studies show has unparalleled penetration power because it can permeate the lower layers of the stratum corneum; thereby, greatly enhancing the beneficial effects of collagen and skin elasticity by rejuvenating cell growth to give the skin support and flexibility.
Carrot Seed Oil: This oil is distilled from the seeds of wild carrots. It is high in carotol, which plays a role in skin rejuvenation.
Rosemary Oil: This oil is high in antioxidants and acts as a natural preservative.
Sweet Orange Oil: This distilled oil is used for its sweet scent, which is known to be uplifting in aromatherapy.
Himalayan Salt: Salt has natural antimicrobial properties, along with absorbent properties which help lock in moisture.
*Edye’s Peppermint Skin Repair can also be used as a daily moisturizer. It has the same ingredients as above, but in place of the Sweet Orange Oil contains Peppermint Oil.
Peppermint Oil: Peppermint oil has antiviral properties. Studies show that peppermint oil has had success in the treatment of herpes. Peppermint oil also offers a refreshing scent and has cooling properties to soothe inflamed skin. It can be particularly soothing to itchy skin.
Along with using quality, nutrient dense ingredients, Edye’s Naturals products are handmade in small batches. The attention to detail that Edye’s Naturals gives to each batch of products promises freshness and a high quality product you can trust.
