Is handwashing bad for your skin?
Wash a lot and your hands will tell you about it. Here’s why, and how to keep washing without wrecking your skin.
Why washing dries you out
The outermost layer of your skin, the stratum corneum, is held together by natural fats (lipids) that lock water in. Soap and water strip some of those lipids away every time. Your skin rebuilds them, but if you wash many times a day it can’t keep up. Skin dries, cracks and gets irritated: the classic signs of contact dermatitis.
So should you wash less?
No. Wash when it counts: before eating, after the bathroom, when your hands are dirty, and after contact with blood or body fluids. Scrub for at least 20 seconds; WHO’s full procedure, from wetting to drying, takes 40 to 60 seconds. At other times, and for most moments in patient care, an alcohol-based hand rub is a good substitute and is gentler on skin.
Wash smart
- Use warm or cold water, not hot. They clean equally well, and WHO advises against hot water because it raises the risk of dermatitis.
- Dry your hands completely.
- Moisturize regularly. Hand cream reduces the dryness and roughness that frequent washing causes.
- At work, use the lotion your facility approves. Some products interfere with antiseptics or weaken latex gloves.