The Best (And Worst) Things You Can Do To Your Hands

A lot of us take care of our face, but neglect our hands. I thought I was doing a good job. I put SPF 45 on the back of my hands every day. I carry a little pot of Jurlique Rose Hand cream in my purse to put on my hands after I wash them. But I just learned that I have a habit that was undoing all my hard work – washing dishes without wearing gloves. I usually do just a few dishes at a time, and it was too much work to put them on for just a mug or a lunch plate. But I’m wearing them every single time, from now on.

The problem is that dishwashing liquid is alkaline, which is hard on the skin. The skin has a pH of between 4 and 6.5, which is slightly acidic. Dish washing liquid is extremely alkaline to dissolve grease and dirt. Unfortunately, that also strips your skin of its natural acid mantle, which is there to protect your skin. Harsh alkaline soaps age the skin.

It's not just dishwashing soaps. A lot of big brand soaps (Camay, Dial, Irish Spring, Ivory, Palmolive and Zest) are also very alkaline, with pHs that range between 9 and 10. Dove is the mildest, with a pH of 7.

It’s important to understand that a pH 8 soap is ten times more alkaline than a pH 7 soap. A pH 9 soap is ten times harsher than a pH 8 soap. So a pH ten soap is A THOUSAND TIMES MORE ALKALINE than pH 7.

To take care of your hands:

* Wear a high SPF sunscreen like Ti-Silc on the backs of your hands every day, even in winter and on cloudy days

* Wear gloves every time you wash dishes or handwash clothing

* Use a mild pH soap like Dove when washing your hands

* Put lotion on your hands after you wash them, every time!

* Always wear gloves when you garden or do heavy housework

* Wear gloves to protect your hands from cold weather.

* Get manicures from reputable spas or nail salons that practice good sanitation.