7 Alternatives to Moisturize Hands without Lotion or Oil
Lotions and Oils are some of the best ways to moisturize your hands but they do have their drawbacks.
One of the biggest drawbacks with moisturizers is that they can leave your hands oily and slippery which can affect people who work with their hands.
And some individuals have extra sensitive skin that just can’t handle the chemical additives used in moisturizers.
Now in this article, I will explore 7 easy tips and alternatives on how to moisturize your hands without using any lotion or oil.
1- Wash Your Hands with a Mild Soap
Using strong soaps such as antibacterial soaps can make your hands get severely dry. This is because these types of soaps tend to wash away your body’s natural oils which help to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized naturally. Citation.
So one of the easiest things you can do is use special types of soaps that come with naturally built-in moisturizers. These soaps will both wash away dirt and germs whilst moisturizing your hands.
One of my favorites is SoftSoap’s Honey and Milk Hand Soap – This brand of soap will both wash your hands and at the same time leave them feeling nice and soft. You can click here to see the price of a pack containing 6 bottles on Amazon.
2- Wear Gloves
Wearing gloves is one of the best ways to keep your hands moisturized.
Gloves help to hold in moisture which keeps your skin hydrated and thus softer and smoother and less likely to be dry and flaky.
They also serve to protect your hands from harmful UV rays from sunlight and from being directly exposed to dry air.
Dry air draws out moisture from your skin making your hands get dry. This is exactly why your skin gets extra dry in winter. You see in wintertime there is a drop in humidity (water content) in the atmosphere around us which draws out the moisture from our skin. Citation.
UV radiation from sunlight can harm your skin in two main ways either by:
- Accelerating the destruction of your skin cells causing premature aging
- And increasing the temperature leading to the moisture in your skin evaporating more quickly leaving your hands drier.
But not all gloves can work you will need gloves that are comfortable and breathable meaning it would allow air to circulate properly so Fabric Gloves are generally better than latex or rubber gloves.
I use UV protected gloves for extra protection. You can click here to see the price of a pair on Amazon.
These are fingerless so they are touchscreen-friendly, extremely comfortable, and plus they have microencapsulated aloe vera in its fabric which helps to keep your hands hydrated.
3- Keep Yourself Hydrated
One of the easiest ways to keep your skin soft and smooth without having to use any moisturizer or special products is to ensure you keep yourself well hydrated.
Dry skin is one of them main symptoms of dehydration. Citation.
You see your skin produces natural moisturizers in the form of sweat and oil. But our body needs an ample amount of fluids and water to produce these moisturizers as they are needed. And if you are dehydrated your skin won’t be able to produce enough of its natural moisturizers.
So always try to get your 8 glasses of water a day, your skin will thank you.
4- Wash Your Hands with Oats
Using a simple Oats and Water mixture is one of the easiest and most natural ways to moisturize and hydrate your hands without using any lotion or oils.
How to Moisturize you Hands With Oats
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of oats
- 1 cup of water
Instructions:
- The first thing that you need to do is to add your oats and water into a container.
- Now you can mash and mix the oats up in the water with your hands.
- Next, take the oats and water mixture and massage the mixture into your hands.
- Finally, wash away the oats with some warm water.
Any brand oats can work but avoid using any with added sugar.
How does Oats Work to Moisturize Your Hands
Oats have a huge amount of starches and a compound called beta-glucan. Both of these ingredients work to pull water into your skin and also form a protective barrier over your skin which prevents moisture from being lost. Citation 1 and Citation 2
5- Invest in a Humidifier
Dry air can cause your skin to get dry and cracked up. This is why your skin gets extra dry in the wintertime when humidity levels are extremely low. Citation.
You see when the air around us has a low concentration of moisture it draws out the moisture from our skin leaving it very dry and dehydrated. Citation.
So if you are in an enclosed environment with a low humidity level try to increase the moisture content in the air. You can do this by investing in a humidifier.
A humidifier is a device that allows you to increase the humidity of your surroundings. You can click to see the price of a one on Amazon.
6- Exfoliate Your Hands Often
Exfoliating is the process where you remove dead skin cells from your skin.
By removing dried up dead skin cells can make your hands feel smoother and softer without having to use any moisturizer.
There are different methods you can use to exfoliate your hands. But the same oats and water mixture that I featured earlier is an easy and natural method to exfoliate your hands and at the same time will help to hydrate your skin.
Exfoliation also helps to unclog and remove dirt from your pores which can prevent acne and other skin ailments.
7-Eat the Right Foods
Certain foods can help to keep your skin hydrated and also make it produce more of its own natural moisturizer.
Cucumbers are amazing at keeping you and your skin hydrated. This is because they contain a huge amount of water.
Added to that cucumbers are rich in vitamins and other nutrients that promote healthier skin – this is why a lot of spas apply them over your eyes to reduce puffiness and discoloration. Citation.
Most Seafood, Nuts, Avocado, and Olive Oil, are also great at keeping your skin moisturized naturally.
This is because they all contain a lot of special proteins and fats which help the body to produce its own natural moisturizer in the form of sebum. Citation.
Citation and References Used
How to Get Rid of Dry Skin – Harvard Health
