Hand health help

Constant hand washing and hand sanitiser have become a way of life this year, and rightly so. We have to all do our bit to ensure we don’t spread Coronavirus.

How does soap and hand sanitiser work?

Human skin is an ideal surface for a virus to enjoy a marvellous feast of the rich proteins and fatty acids contained within our surface dead skin cells.

As per the doctor’s recommendation, hand washing and sanitising is our best defence at killing unwanted *nasties* that might have hitch hiked their way home with you on your latest grocery run.

Soap does this by disrupting and breaking down the protective layering around the virus cell called the lipid bi-layer. The weak velcrolike bonds of the internal structures within that make the cell start to fall apart, thankfully rendering the virus unable to cause more trouble.

Alcohol based sanitisers work in a similar fashion, however you require a healthy amount to saturate the skin, hence experts recommend hand washing is superior to sanitising where possible.

But is this OK for our skin?

Whilst we’re totally on board with the agenda, as a skincare enthusiast my mind couldn’t help but dwell on how excessive washing and sanitising affects our skin. If you think the ease with which your dishwashing liquid strips away the grease off your plate, you can imagine the same action working on your hands. To simplify this, our skin maintains a delicate balance of oil and water. The constant stripping away of these natural oils wreaks havoc, deteriorating our skin barrier.

A compromised skin barrier is a concern for many reasons. For one, our skin is no longer effective at holding moisture in, leading to dryness, flaking, and in some extreme cases microtears that appear as cracks on the surface. When dry, our skin is less resilient to the invasion of harmful pathogens, and due to the disruption of normal bacterial flora (the good germs that live on your skin and actually work to protect you, now lathered and flushed away) we’re effectively making ourselves more susceptible. Yikes, I don’t want to use clichés, but even in this case, too much of a good thing could be a bad thing.

The hydrating products that work wonders for your face are perfect for your hands before bed each night to supercharge your hands’ hydration. Just make sure you apply cotton gloves after your skincare so it can properly absorb. Herbs and Heart have taken this one step further by creating their very own After Sanitiser Overnight Hand Mask, perfect for overnight hand replenishment.

By Jumana Shakeer founder of Herbs & Heart and advocate for ethical and sustainable living. Manufactured in Australia with locally sourced ingredients, the natural and cruelty-free AfterSanitiser Overnight Hand Mask retails for $24RRP. www.herbsandheart.com

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