Can Your Hand Butter Fight Hand Eczema?

If you are suffering from dry, thick and scaly skin on your hands, chances are you might need moisturizers to rehydrate your skin. However, these symptoms can also be a sign that you might have more than just dry skin, especially if you have deep, painful cracks on your skin that bleeds. You may be suffering from hand eczema.

What is Hand Eczema or Hand Dermatitis?

“Hand eczema, also known as hand dermatitis is a common skin condition that is both painful and embarrassing. It is quite prevalent amongst healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses and those engage in medical practices,” says Dr. Doug, founder of ifootcare.net, a foundation that reviews the best eczema creams on the market.

According to the British Journal of Dermatology, 30 percent of healthcare providers had suffered from hand dermatitis in a year period. It is quite higher as compared to the general public.

Hand eczema causes hands to be dry, itchy, scaly and cracked. It can also show small and itchy blisters on your skin.  This condition can be debilitating even if you are not in the medical field. Hand eczema causes discomfort, itchiness and the pain can be unbearable, interfering with your daily activities.

Tips and Guides on how to Avoid Skin Eczema

So before you get this kind of skin condition, here are some precautionary measures you can do to prevent hand dermatitis.

If you are engaged in the medical field, you are required to regularly wash your hands in order to prevent the spread of infection, germs and diseases. This however can strip the protective lipids and oils from the outer layer of your skin. Continuous and excessive hand washing or exposure to water destroys the skin barrier making your skin dry and loses its elasticity. This makes your skin susceptible to cracks and fissures which make your skin more exposed to various irritants and allergens, not to mention bacteria.  To prevent hand eczema, try to reduce the frequency and exposure to water at work and at home. If you can’t reduce the frequency at least reduce the length of your hand washing. You may also use other ways to wash, say dishes. Instead of washing them manually, use a dish washer or ask a family member to wash it for you.

Avoid washing using hot water. Hot water can take away the lipids and oils on your hands faster than ordinary water.  Use lukewarm or warm water when washing your hands. You may use hand disinfectants instead of water and soap. The study also revealed that the use of hand sanitizers is not associated with hand dermatitis.

Use mild bar soaps. Bar soaps are gentler as compared to liquid soaps. They are not as harsh and strong than the liquid soap which strips away the oils and lipids. As much as possible do away with soaps that says, “antibacterial.”

Keep a bottle or tube of moisturizers handy. Use your preferred moisturizers immediately after each hand wash. Apply a generous amount of lotion or cream to your hands and massage until it is absorbed by your skin. Choose moisturizers that are fragrance –free and contain ceramides. Fragrant filled moisturizers can aggravate the condition of your skin while ceramides can help rebuild the barriers on your skin.

Pay extra attention to the fissures and cracks on your hands. Apply generous amount of hand creams, oils or lotion to reduce the incidence of itchiness, dryness and prevent further infections which could lead to hand eczema.

However, even if we are careful with our hands, there is still a slim chance that you will contact hand dermatitis. And if you do, is your hand butter capable of fighting hand eczema? Can hand butter combat eczema?

Can Hand Butter or Hand Creams Combat Hand Dermatitis?

Hand butters or hand creams are solutions that helps moisturizes the skin. They are specifically made to rehydrate, repair and protect the skin from dryness, roughness and cracks.  As mentioned above, hand eczema may be acquired when your skin is dry and cracked making it susceptible to the bacteria and infections which can lead to dermatitis. However, preventing hand dermatitis by keeping your hands moisturized, smooth and cracked free is the safest thing you can do to avoid this embarrassing and debilitating skin problem. But if you do acquire hand eczema or hand dermatitis, there are hand butter that can help combat this skin issue.

Hand butter containing natural ingredients that posses anti inflammatory properties can help in fighting hand eczema.

“Hand butter that has essentials like Angelica, Bergamot, Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Juniper, Coconut, lavender and Rosemary essential oils can help combat and relieve hand dermatitis and even psoriaris,” explains Lea Harrions, founder of essentialoildiffuserusa.com, a website that just announced the best essential oil diffuser for large room award.

These essential oils found on your hand butter can soothe the skin, moisturize it and prevent it from either spreading or from being aggravated. These botanical extracts have healthy omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids perfect for soothing irritated skin.

Final Words

Hand butter or creams alone or those found in your grocery may help in moisturizing the skin especially those with dermatitis. But preventing it from coming back may be a different thing. To cure your hand eczema, use a topical lotion or antifungal lotion. But if you prefer the holistic approach, hand creams or butter especially those that are greasier can work perfectly. The greasier the butter is, the more oil it contains and the more effective it is in trapping the moisture in your skin, alleviating any flare ups while keeping the skin moist and rehydrated.

Before you use hand butter with natural essential oils, make sure you are not allergic to any of the botanical oils. It may irritate the skin and pose more problems. If you are not sure, or if it is the first time you are trying a new product, apply a small amount first to say, elbow or wrist. Wait for any allergic reactions like redness, rashes or itchiness. If you do not have any of these 24 hours later, then it is safe to use that hand butter.

If the condition of your skin does not improve despite using hand butter with essential oils or have tried everything to keep your hands moist, it is the time to consult your dermatologist before everything goes out of hand.