Why Do I Get Dry Hands From Cleaning?
Anyone who has ever had a cleaning job or is responsible for doing the cleaning at home will know exactly what this can do to their hands. My hands feel instantly dry and irritated just thinking about it. There are many factors that cause dry hands when it comes to cleaning, whether you’re cleaning your house or cleaning your own hands. Dry hands from cleaning is something no one wants and fortunately is something that can be avoided.
Causes of Dry Hands When Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning, there are a number of reasons why it causes dry and irritated hands. It can be caused by contact with harsh chemicals and products that irritate the skin, from frequent hand washing or even from wearing protective gloves while you clean.
Chemical Products
If you spend a lot of time cleaning, you are bound to be in contact with some pretty unpleasant chemicals such as chlorine bleach, ammonia and phenol, for example. With all the signs of ‘danger’ and ‘warning’ on the packaging, you can imagine the damage these can do to your skin. These chemicals do more than just dry out your skin. They damage the top layers of the skin, stripping away the layer of protection that your skin gives you. This allows the chemicals to get deeper into your skin and cause major irritation, inflammation and contact dermatitis. Obviously, when these chemicals come in contact with the skin, you need to wash your hands thoroughly.
Frequent Hand Washing
When working with different cleaning products, you are bound to be washing your hands frequently. While this is something you need to do, this constant contact with water and soap can also dry out your skin, stripping it of its natural oils and moisture. Frequent hand washing can also cause contact dermatitis or worse yet, cause an eczema or psoriasis flare-up.
Wearing Protective Gloves
One way to avoid having direct contact with harsh chemicals and constant use of water is to wear protective gloves while cleaning. Yes, this does protect your hands from the chemical irritants but what you might not know is that wearing gloves can just as easily cause dry hands. When you wear gloves for prolonged periods of time, your hands tend to sweat and the sweat stays on the top layer of the skin until you wash them. This sustained contact with your sweat can irritate your skin and dry it out. Not only that, the constant friction between your skin and the material of the gloves can aggravate your skin and cause contact dermatitis, or again, cause eczema or psoriasis flare-ups. Depending on what the gloves are made of, some materials are more likely to cause irritation and allergic reaction.
One Solution for All Three Causes
All of these situations all leave you with the same thing – irritated and dry hands from cleaning. In all cases, you’ll need an effective moisturizer that will help heal your irritated skin and help your skin get its natural moisture back. A shielding lotion like Gloves In A Bottle can help protect your hands from harsh irritants like chemicals, it can protect you from frequent hand washing and it can also protect your skin from the gloves you wear.
How?
Gloves In A Bottle creates an invisible shield on the top layer of the skin that helps to keep unwanted substances out – like the chemicals, soap and water – and keeps your own oils and moisture in. It keeps your skin hydrated because it protects the top layer of your skin from being damaged, which is what causes your own moisture to escape.
When working with unfriendly chemicals, go ahead and wear those gloves, and don’t worry about washing your hands when you need to. As long as you’re wearing Gloves In A Bottle to shield your skin, you’ll be on your way to avoiding dry hands from cleaning.