Why Does Washing Your Hands Make Them Dry?

Washing our hands is an essential part of everyday life.

But if your hands regularly feel tight, rough or dry after washing, you're not imagining it.

Frequent contact with water and cleansing products can affect the natural oils that help keep the skin comfortable and moisturised.

So how can you keep washing your hands properly while taking better care of your skin?

Why can hand washing cause dryness?

The outermost layer of your skin acts as a protective barrier.

Water, soap and detergents can remove some of the oils from the surface of the skin. When this happens repeatedly throughout the day, hands may begin to feel dry, tight or irritated.

This can be particularly noticeable if your job or lifestyle requires frequent hand washing.

Healthcare workers, parents, people working with food, cleaners and many other professions can wash their hands far more frequently than they realise.

But even an ordinary day can involve numerous trips to the sink.

Water itself can play a part

It isn't only soap.

Frequent exposure to water is recognised as a common source of hand irritation.

This means repeatedly washing, rinsing, cleaning and doing other "wet work" can all contribute to dry-feeling hands.

The answer, of course, isn't to stop washing your hands.

It's to make moisturising part of what happens afterwards.

The habit that can make a difference

Try connecting two behaviours:

Wash → Dry → Moisturise

Rather than thinking of hand cream as something you apply occasionally when your hands become very dry, make it part of your normal hand-washing routine.

Keep hand cream:

• Beside the sink
• On your desk
• In your handbag or work bag
• Beside your bed

Removing the effort involved in finding it makes regular use much easier.

Don't forget to dry carefully

After washing, dry your hands thoroughly but gently.

Pay attention to the spaces between your fingers rather than leaving them damp.

Avoid aggressively rubbing the skin with a towel when your hands are already feeling sensitive.

Then apply your moisturiser.

What about very hot water?

Your hands don't need extremely hot water to get clean.

If hot water leaves your skin feeling particularly tight or uncomfortable, switching to comfortably warm water may make your routine feel gentler.

Always follow appropriate hand-hygiene guidance for your situation or workplace.

Give your hands some downtime

If frequent washing is unavoidable during the day, evening is a useful opportunity to give your hands some extra care.

A simple routine might look like:

During the day

Apply a lightweight hand cream after washing and whenever your hands feel dry.

Before bed

Apply a richer hand balm, paying attention to particularly dry areas.

Overnight

Wear soft Overnight Recovery Gloves over your chosen moisturiser to help keep it on your hands rather than your bedding.

When dryness may be more than dryness

Occasional dry hands are extremely common.

But persistent dryness accompanied by symptoms such as significant itching, inflammation, painful cracks, blisters, bleeding or weeping can sometimes indicate a skin condition such as hand eczema.

If your symptoms are persistent, painful or getting worse despite regular moisturising, seek advice from a pharmacist, GP or dermatologist rather than simply applying more cosmetic products.

The simple takeaway

You don't need an elaborate hand care regime.

If washing is leaving your hands dry, start with one simple habit:

Every time you wash, think about putting moisture back.

Small habits repeated consistently can make hand care much easier to maintain.