With the COVID-19 outbreak, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are encouraging everyone to wash their hands frequently. But as you might have already noticed, washing your hands more frequently than usual can damage the skin on your hands. For that reason, here are seven tips for keeping your skin healthy while washing often.

Wash with warm water

Warm is the keyword here. Hot water strips your hands of any natural oils, so keep it lukewarm.

Use moisturizing soap

Because many soaps can strip the skin and cause them to be dry and cracked, wash your hands with soap that’s moisturizing. Look for soaps with a creamy consistency, and look out for soaps with ingredients such as glycerin and lanolin.

Apply moisturizer

After giving your hands a good rinse, apply hand cream immediately afterward. Also, make sure to use creams or ointments rather than lotions, which have too much water content.

Wear gloves

By wearing gloves after moisturizing, you will keep your hands moisturized for hours and stop them from getting chapped.

Use skin balm

If washing your skin led to dry or cracked skin, apply skin all such as vaseline directly to the affected areas. If you have deep fissures, which often occur at the sides of the fingers by the nail inserts, consider liquid Band-Aid.

Substitute hand sanitizer for soap

If your hands are too chapped to wash, temporarily use hand sanitizer. Just don’t do it before you eat.

Blot dry:

Instead of wiping your hands dry, which can create micro-abrasions, blot your hands dry with a soft, clean towel.