These days, you’ve probably found yourself increasing the number of times you wash your hands a day. In light of current events, you’re probably doing it basically after every time you touch something—from the doorknob to the TV remote and so on. And that’s good! Limiting germs on our hands is one of the most effective ways to avoid catching and spreading coronavirus, or COVID-19.
However, there’s one small nuisance to washing and sanitizing our hands so many times: cracked, raw skin. Sure, it’s a small sacrifice to make for such a big change, but it can still be annoying to deal with.
Luckily, there are lots of ways to help—and one dermatologist named Roxana Daneshjou just shared a host of tips on her Twitter handle for keeping your hands in tip-top shade during this pandemic (and no, the answer is not to wash your hands less!).
The tips she shared are below.
1) Try to avoid scented products if possible. Many of the ingredients used in scented products can be irritated or cause an allergic reaction. Unscented Dove bar soap is a good place to start for sensitive skin.
2) Have thick emollient available – something that is thick and comes in a tub (Cetaphil, CeraVe are options). Personally, I go for GREASY because that is most protective. Yup, I go straight for the vaseline. Nothing that comes in a pump bottle or is runny.
3) Try to avoid hot water. Use lukewarm water instead. Hot water feels good but dries your skin. Make sure you dry your hands afterwards – water is an irritant.
4) If your hands are in bad shape, apply vaseline at night and occlude with cotton white gloves. It will do wonders. Of course, if you are having a bad flare, you may need to hit up your dermatologist to get some topical steroids to help calm the inflammation.
All of the products she recommends are available online at sites like Amazon, so you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home if you don’t have them handy.
What started in Wuhan, China in December 2019 is now a nightmare in the United States. Coronavirus is spreading rapidly throughout the country, and, besides social distancing and staying quarantined, we can do our part to take even more precautionary actions.
While it’s customary to wash your hands when you go to the bathroom, at this point, we should be doing it throughout the day, especially after we come into contact with anyone sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose (and when you do, too).
In addition to washing your hands frequently, it’s important to take these measures below to avoid spreading disease:
• Avoid touching your hair and face as much as possible
• Avoid sharing items that could be potentially contaminated with germs—from towels to toothbrushes
• Stop sharing food, even with your spouse and kids
• Stay home and avoid crowds if you have a cough or fever or if you, in general, feel sick
Tell us: How has coronavirus outbreak across the world affected you? What are you doing to help flatten the curve and stop the spread of this virus?