A Men's Guide: How to Prevent Dry, Cracked, & Chapped Hands and Skin This Winter

For many men, the signs of winter mean time to hit the slopes or break out the snowmobile. For many men, it also means six months of dry, cracked, and chapped hands or skin. Stop being the guy with bleeding knuckles and red winter irritation and follow our tips to have irritation, chapped free hands and skin this winter.

What Causes Dry, Chapped Skin in Men?

1. Your skin is covered with small molecules of moisture, all spread about over your body. As the cold, dry winter air blows over your skin, it blows these molecules off your skin, leaving it exposed to dryness. This is why it’s imperative to use a men’s body lotion or men’s hand lotion on your skin throughout the day.
2. Jacking up the thermostat during the winter also causes an increase in evaporation of water molecules from the skin. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air, it’s easier for the moisture to be sucked out of the skin and into the air.
3. Guys often think frequently running water over their hands or washing their hands can help dry skin. The opposite actually happens. Rubbing your skin with water and using soaps strip away oils on the skin that hold in moisture. The less oils on the skin, the drier it feels.
4. Dry skin cracks easily and flaky, cracked skin only exaggerates the problem. When the top protective barrier of skin is broken, moisture loss compounds. The best hand lotion for men will prevent this protective layer from being broken in the first place.

What You Can Do About Dry, Chapped Skin

Apply men’s hand lotion or body lotion for men before your hands are even dry or cracked. It’s easier for the skin to defend itself when it is moisturized instead of when it’s already cracked. Make sure to continuously apply the men’s hand balm or body lotion throughout the day. The best hand or body lotion for men is serum like, meaning it’s not a thick cream. A thick cream will be greasy and also not moisturize the critical lower levels of skin.

If you work with your hands, make sure you get the best non greasy hand lotion for men. This will prevent slip and slide when you need grip.

If you live in a cold area of the country, we suggest applying a men’s body moisturizing lotion onto areas of your skin that get the most dry, right after a shower and immediately after washing your hands. This will help lock in moisture.