Why Avoid Excessive or Hot Handwashing in Autumn
In dry autumn, people usually focus on facial moisturizing but often overlook hand care.
In daily life, hands are frequently exposed to sunlight and involved in various tasks. Frequent washing or using soaps containing disinfectants and antibacterial agents can damage the skin. Improper handwashing most easily harms the palm center—the area with thick stratum corneum and sparse sebaceous glands—making it prone to roughness, dryness, cracking, or peeling. The back of the hand has soft, delicate skin thinner than the cheeks and is highly susceptible to aging and laxity.
Therefore, during autumn, proper handwashing techniques should be adopted to protect hands: First, avoid excessive handwashing; when washing clothes, do not let hands soak in water for extended periods. Second, avoid excessively hot water when washing hands, as overheating destroys the skin’s protective lipid film, causing further drying or cracking of the stratum corneum. The optimal water temperature should be between 20°C and 25°C. Third, use non-irritating, neutral hand washes, preferably containing moisturizing ingredients such as vitamin B5, vitamin E, lanolin, or aloe vera. Avoid strong alkaline soaps and detergents. Finally, after washing, do not let hands air-dry naturally, as moisture evaporates from the skin into the dry air along with residual surface water.
The correct approach is: After washing, gently pat hands dry with a clean, soft towel. Apply moisturizing hand cream immediately while the skin is still slightly damp to lock in moisture effectively.