3 Unexpected Reasons Your Hands Are Dry & Scaly ( + What To Do About It)

There are a few areas of the body that deal with chapped, dry skin more often than most. The lips certainly experience their fair share of flakes and cracks. Elbows are often rough or ashy (especially this time of year). Even the skin around the eyes is prone to dry patches more so than the rest of the face. 

But in my opinion, the worst area to get dry patches on is the hands. Cracked, angry skin here isn't just annoying, itchy, or unpleasant to look at, it can be downright painful. It's all the more frustrating considering how much folks rely on hands for our day-to-day—dry skin on the hands isn't something one can easily forget about. 

And while dry hands are more common this time of year (thanks to cold, dry weather and indoor heating!), there are many other reasons that cracked skin just won't go away—that has nothing to do with the time of year. 

That's why restoring those lipids is crucial, which you can easily do with a nutrient-rich hand cream.

Derms generally recommend applying your cream ASAP, but according to board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., any time under two minutes can lock in the moisture—just don't put it off any longer than that. 

When we talk about changes to the skin and hands due to age, fine lines, dark spots, and crepey skin come to mind. But one of the most insidious changes is loss of hydration. 

As you grow older, your skin loses structural components that keep it supple and strong. We're looking at you, collagen, elastin, squalene, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and so on. Your body's natural oil production also decreases1 as you age, which can result in cracks and fine lines. 

When these elements break down or decline, your skin barrier function suffers—and a weak barrier doesn't hold in water as well. This is known as transepidermal water loss2, and it's when moisture in the skin literally evaporates into the air around you. 

It's why derms often tout the importance of moisture and a good, thick cream to keep the skin hydrated. It's important to find formulas that use humectants, emollients, and occlusive ingredients, as these work together to keep skin hydrated long term.

Humectants attract and hold water in the skin, so they're great for water retention. Look for aloe vera, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. Emollients help support the skin barrier, providing nutrients to bolster the skin. Look for ingredients like oat extracts, ceramides, peptides, and botanical oils. Occlusives sit atop the skin, sealing all the moisture in and creating a barrier. Look for shea butter, thick plant oils (like olive or coconut), and waxes. 

Sulfates—such as sodium lauryl sulfate or Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)—are harsh detergents that disrupt the microbiome3, strip the skin of its protective barrier, and can trigger inflammation4. This is why most beauty companies have started moving away from the ingredient, switching to more gentle alternatives instead. 

However, sulfates are still quite ubiquitous in the hand care space. While you can't always control what hand wash you're using (public bathrooms, for example), I do recommend switching to a sulfate-free hand wash in your home.