We use our hands for tons of daily tasks, but we rarely pay attention to them at the end of the day when we are following up with our usual skincare routine. This negligence makes the skin around the nails turn dry and rough.

Well, No matter how fab your nail polish shade may be, your nails would not look as pretty if the skin around them is dry and split.

Wait a minute..

Having dry skin around your nails would not just be unsightly, but pretty painful as well!

So is there anything that you can do to have healthy cuticles and prevent getting all that dry skin around your nails?

The answer is yes!

We are bringing you the solutions to prevent dry skin around your nails, right at your fingertips! Keep on reading.

How To Prevent Dry Skin Around Nails

Moisturize Your Cuticles Regularly

 

The obvious tip! isn't it? 

Your hands and cuticles need nourishment as much as the skin on your face does.

While you are following up with your daily nighttime skincare routine before hitting the bed, remember to moisturize the skin around your nails with a cuticle oil or moisturizer. It will make sure that the dry and peeling skin gets healed overnight!

Check out our range of all rounder, natural Skin Moisturizers that can be used as hand cream to heal dry cuticles as well as to protect them.

When you are applying cuticle oil or just any sort of moisturizing product on your cuticles, spend good 1-2 minutes to massage it into your skin as it will help stimulate the blood supply.

Don't Use Acetone Based Nail Polish Remover

Acetone is a quite powerful solvent that is found in nail polish removers. It dissolves stubborn nail polish in a jiffy, making the removal process easier and faster.

The only downside of this powerful ingredient is that its repeated use can dry out your nails and the skin around them like nothing else! Which is why, professional manicurists usually don't suggest the use of acetone for removing nail polish.

There are tons of brands in the market that make acetone free nail polish removers. The key ingredient of non-acetone nail polish removers is ethyl acetate which is as powerful as acetone, but it generally does not cause any harm to the nails or the skin surrounding them.

Wear Gloves While Doing Household Chores

 

Protect your hands with gloves while doing common household chores like washing clothes/dishes or cleaning. They will shield your hands from the exposure to certain harmful chemicals that are present in cleaning agents. You can get a pair of disposable rubber gloves from any departmental store.

Additionally, Do try to avoid overexposing your hands to water for long periods because it can also dry out your cuticles.

Don't Pick At Your Hangnails

 

Pesky hangnails are no fun, but preventing them is next to impossible if you don't take the cuticles moisturization part seriously!

A lot of people have a tendency to pick at their hangnails or gnaw at them whenever they see one besides their nails. The consequences of doing this can be terribly painful and it can even lead to formation of warts.

The best way to remove a hangnail whenever you spot one is by gently cutting it off with a  hangnail remover. Soak your fingertips in warm water beforehand to make the removal process easier.

P.S. - While it is OK to remove your hangnails, you should not do the same with your actual “cuticles”.

Ella Toombs, a dermatologist from Washington D.C. tells WebMD that “They (cuticles) are supposed to be soft, and cutting can make them hard, more likely to fracture. If you cut it, it has an increased tendency to split off."

Hence, use the hangnail remover or the scissor only for removing hangnails and not for the cuticles in any way.

Avoid Frequent Use Of Hand Sanitizers

 

Hand sanitizers are the greatest invention for germaphobes, there is no doubt about that!

But here is the thing, since they are primarily formulated with alcohol, their frequent use can end up making your hands and cuticles really dry!

Try to limit its use to only when it is absolutely required.

Also Read: 5 Ways To Whiten Nails At Home

Get A SLS Free Liquid Hand Wash

 

Sodium Laureth Sulphate (a.k.a SLS in short) is a very common emulsifying ingredient in cleansing products like hand washes and soaps. This ingredient is known to be a major skin irritant, especially for those with very dry and sensitive skin type.

Since we use liquid hand washes multiple times on a daily basis, we unknowingly end up exposing the sensitive skin of our hands to this moisture-sapping agent! Therefore, it is a better idea to switch to a SLS free liquid hand wash.

Another common skin drying ingredient that should be avoided in liquid hand washes and soaps is Paraben.

Soak Your Nails In Warm Oil

 

Need an instant fix to your dry cuticles problem before a big event or a date? Soaking your finger tips in warm olive oil or coconut oil will be of help!

Dipping your nails in warm oil will soften the dry skin and make it appear healthier instantly. You will be amazed to know that this ultimate fix for dry cuticles is used by the world famous makeup artist Bobbi Brown!

Read more tips and tricks for your nails and skin on DeBelle Blog.