Buying hand lotion during the winter months is a tough task with so many brands and varieties on the market. Most people purchase hand lotion to combat dryness, cracked winter skin or skin conditions that are assisted by moisturizing. There are some, too, who use hand lotion because of its preventive qualities. If you keep your hands moist enough, you can prevent many of these other problems that arise from dry skin.
The best hand lotion is the lotion that specifically addresses your skin type and condition. For example, if your condition is liver spots, it helps to use a tinted hand lotion. They are made with slight color to match a wide variety of skin tones. While these lotions do not get rid of liver spots, they help the appearance of the spots to blend in with your skin and become less noticeable. Liver spot sufferers also choose medicated hand lotions. Those with anti-wrinkling formulas help to make the skin tighter and appear younger. Other chemicals in the formula fade the spots and make them harder to see at first glance.
Choosing a liver spot lotion comes with risks, however. Since it has a fade action, the lotion can tend to make the entire area of skin where the lotion is applied much lighter than the rest of your skin. Rather than working directly on the spot, the creams and lotions dedicated to liver spot reduction halt the production of melanin in the skin. The lotions clump melanin cells together and can do more to draw attention to skin blemishes than it does to downplay them. It also can make the liver spots worse.
Allergies can also play a role in selection of hand lotions. Skin that is hypersensitive to chemicals, scents and preservatives found in some beauty products might benefit from hypo-allergenic brands. Otherwise, the skin runs the risk of developing contact dermatitis, which is the cause of at least 5.7 million doctor visits per day. The best choice is to go with an unscented lotion, which usually has a hypo-allergenic guarantee. This protects you against allergies and will not clash with the scent of your body soap or perfume.
Perfumed hand and body lotion are often heavily scented and meant to serve as both a moisturizer and perfume. You must be careful not to overdo it when you rub it onto your skin after showering or bathing, however. Some brands, especially designer brands, only require a little rubbed on the body to be effective. Using too much of it or using it in conjunction with a same-name perfume could be disastrous. Hand body lotion scents should be subtle enough not to set off any allergies even of passersby.
Hand and body lotions that contain sun block keep UV rays from the sun from damaging your skin. While direct sun exposure is necessary for the skin to get required amounts of vitamin D, melanin in the skin absorbs UV rays before they can do any damage to the skin. UV rays can cause tanning, burning, wrinkling and aging and can lead to serious forms of cancer and skin melanomas. While sun block lotions will not be able to protect the skin completely from the rays of the sun, they can reduce the amount of rays that get absorbed through the skin.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and is usually an accurate projector of your inner health. Not only is it a protective covering, but it also aides in releasing toxins from the body through fluids like sweat. In addition to choosing the right hand lotion for your skin type, there are other good habits you can start in order to keep your skin functioning at its best.
Though we are tempted to use any product that touts itself as antibacterial, we should avoid using them. These products with strong chemicals to kill bacteria and germs are much harsher than milder soaps and cleaners. Do not sleep in makeup. It, too, is harsh on the skin and over time creates a build-up that makes the face and neck vulnerable to acne and rashes.
Avoid using scalding hot water when you bathe. Although the heat may feel good to your muscles, hot water can break capillaries and cause broken veins to appear on your skin.
One other type of hand lotion on the market has been made for first responders during emergency. Unlike the other lotions that prevent dryness, aging or exposure to the sun, this lotion blocks biological agents from getting into the body through the skin. It is designed to be worn under latex gloves and minimizes perspiration and any reactions the body might have to allergies.
Some have found ways to make hand lotion at home with great success. However these home recipes do not preserve as well as lotions that can be found over-the-counter in health and beauty store. Beeswax, herbal teas, palm oil and other essential oils will grow bacteria after some months without preservatives.