Smack the crack (How to keep your hands soft and supple)

The other day Dave (our back-of-house operations guru), was complaining about how soft his hands had become.

Unfortunately it appears that working in the Happy shed has a downside - soft and supple hands.

We know right - working with beautiful shea butter and plant oils is a tough gig :)

Unfortunately we’re not all that lucky.

If you’re like most people your hands take a real battering, especially in winter. The cold temperature, dry air and constant washing to keep the germs away leaves your hands looking like a dry and cracked shadow of themselves.

The worst is when you get that crack right next to your fingernail. You know the one - it looks like it’s nothing but it stings like an angry bee! Ouch.

And who wants sore, cracked hands when you're showing off your latest fidget spinner tricks? Not me... (You can safely ignore that bit of cheek if you don't have school aged kids and have no idea what a fidget spinner is!!)

Well here are our top 5 tips for getting rid of the cracks in your hands and giving you soft and supple clappers just like Dave.

1. Wash gently

You need to wash your hands to keep healthy, BUT you need to do it gently. Choose a moisturising hand wash or one that’s made for sensitive skin. Try to avoid soap and hand washes that use sodium laureth sulphate (look to avoid products with SLS or SLES on the label). Make sure you rinse really well because any soapy residue dries out your skin.

2. Use Antibacterial gel sparingly

Antibacterial hand gels are definitely convenient. We’ve all been in a situation where we needed to wash our hands but were light years away from some soap. But it’s best to keep the antibacterial gel for when you are desperate. The high alcohol content is extremely drying and fast tracks dreaded cracks.

3. Wash up with gloves

There’s no greater silence then that moment when someone asks “Who’s washing up”? If you draw the short straw then attack it with gloves on. The lemon-scented detergent is great for cutting grease from pots and pans but it also does it to your hands. Glove up to keep your hands protected.

4. Exfoliate

Your hands build up dead skin cells and toughen up with calluses. To keep everything turning over don’t forget to give your hands some exfoliation. It’s very easy - next time you’re having a body scrub focus some scrubbing on your hands. They will thank you for it. Our personal pick is theSpoonful of Sugar Exfoliating scrub but coffee grounds mixed with a little oil is also a great DIY option.

5. Moisturise Regularly

You hardworking hands are always fighting an uphill battle so regular moisturisation is vital. The best time to moisturise is after you wash your hands.

Our go-to guy is thePep Me Up Hand and Foot cream because it not only deeply hydrates but protects your hands from moisture loss. If you like something lighter for you hands than theOver The Moon Rich Repair cream andWarm Fuzzies Firming Body Cream both do admiral jobs as well.

Bonus tip #1 - For an intensive hand treatment before bed apply a deeply hydrating oil like olive oil, rosehip, macadamia or sesame oil to your hands and pop on some cotton gloves or socks. Even better, try the TLC Intensive Repair Oil or Blissed Out Body Oil. You’ll have the smoothest, softest hands in no time.

Bonus tip #2 - Same goes for your feet!! Except for the wearing gloves when you wash up bit. We don't expect you to be quite that clever ;)