We don’t need to talk about the importance of washing your hands regularly to keep them clean and free of harmful germs.  But, what we do need to talk about is how to keep your hands clean and germ-free without paying the price with dry, chapped, and cracked skin.  Some hand soaps make our hands feel drier than others, so it’s important to know what to look for in a particular formula’s ingredients, especially if you have sensitive skin.

A Quick Word on Hand-Washing Habits and Your Skin

Before we talk about the formulas of hand soaps themselves, it’s important to bring up a couple of things.  First of all, some of us are more prone to getting dry hands than others.  If you have a naturally dry skin type, you might be very sensitive to many hand soaps, while someone else in your household can use the harshest formulas with no issues.

Also, if you’re someone who washes your hands excessively throughout the day, your hands may dry out pretty easily, even if you’re using a relatively gentle formula.  So, if your hands are becoming dry, don’t just consider the product you’re using, but your own hand-washing habits as well.

Sulfates and Their Effect on Our Hands

The biggest culprit behind a drying hand soap is a category of ingredients known as “sulfates”.  These are cleansing agents that effectively remove dirt and grease by binding to them, and then easily rinsing away down the drain.  Sulfates do a great job at cleaning, but they are also very “stripping”.  Meaning, they bond to the natural moisturizing oils on your skin that keep your hands from drying out.  So, sulfates in hand soaps can cause serious dryness over time, along with irritation.

A Lack of Moisturizing Ingredients

Hand soaps should be made with fatty acids that make them moisturizing, such as coconut oil or olive oil.  But, not all soap manufacturers prioritize developing a formula that adds moisture back into the skin.  Without the right amount of fatty acids, you’re just stripping moisture away from your hands each time you wash them, and this will have a cumulative effect that can potentially leave your hands chapped and cracking.

Too Much Fragrance

A lot of synthetic fragrances used by hand soap companies may smell heavenly, but at a cost.  Synthetic fragrances are typically derived from petroleum and other harsh chemical agents that are very irritating to the skin, and disrupt its natural, protective moisture barrier, making them more vulnerable to drying factors in our environment. 

Allergens

Finally, your hands may be getting dry and irritated because there’s an ingredient in a hand soap that you’re actually allergic to.  And, we can have various skin allergies without even knowing it, as they’re more common than we think.  If your hands also itch after using a particular hand soap, or if your skin starts flaking with repeated use, that’s a good indication that you’re allergic to something in the formula.

The Hand Soap at Grab Green Home: Moisturizing, Natural, and Free of Harsh Synthetic Fragrances

To wash your hands effectively without leaving them dry and raw, you’ll want to look for a formula that’s free of harsh synthetic ingredients and artificially derived fragrances, and opt for something natural, gentle and rich in moisturizing fatty acids.  Grab Green’s highly moisturizing and naturally-derived hand soaps are perfect for those people who are prone to getting dry hands.  Just choose between a variety of natural fragrances, as well as a fragrance-free option, to find the perfect solution for your hand-washing needs.