Essential Oil for Dry Hands: Our 15 Favourites

Have you ever shaken someone’s hand only to find that your hands were dry? It can be embarrassing and annoying. Dry hands aren’t life-threatening, but they can cause uncomfortable moments. Hand creams and essential oils with antifungal and antimicrobial properties are effective remedies for dry skin. Essential oils nourish your hands.

Hand washing can cause dryness, but good hygiene is still important. According to CDC studies, washing your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds can reduce microbes on your skin. The friction helps remove dirt and grease.

However, frequent hand washing can strip our skin of natural oils, causing dryness and discomfort. While cleaning our hands with soap and water is necessary, it can also leave them feeling dry and needing moisture. This is where moisturizing becomes important.

It’s easy to incorporate essential oils into your daily hand care routine. You can moisturise your hand by mixing a few drops of your favourite essential oil with a carrier oil like almond or jojoba oil. Massage the mixture onto your hands and let the natural goodness of the essential oils nourish your skin.

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to 15 essential oils for dry hands and allow you to find one that’s right for you.

15 Top Picks For Essential Oil for Dry Hands

• Chamomile
• Frankincense
• Rose
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Myrrh
• Sandalwood
• Helichrysum
• Ylang ylang
• Vanilla
• Jasmine
• Patchouli
• Tea Tree
• Carrot Seed Essential Oil
• Cucumber Seed Essential Oil

Chamomile Essential Oil

Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe dry and irritated skin, including the hands. Its soothing and gentle nature makes it suitable for sensitive skin. It can help relieve redness, itching and dryness.

Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense has rejuvenating properties that can benefit dry skin. It promotes cell regeneration and helps maintain skin elasticity, making it useful for preventing and treating dryness and roughness. Its moisturizing properties can nourish and hydrate the skin, including the hands.

Rose Essential Oil

Rose oil is known for its moisturizing and moisture-retaining properties. It can help retain moisture in the skin and prevent dryness. Its soothing effect makes it suitable for dry, sensitive or mature skin. It can also improve the overall texture and appearance of the hands.

Geranium Essential Oil

Geranium oil has balancing properties that can help regulate oil production in the skin. It can help dry and oily skin by moisturizing dry areas while controlling excess oil. Its moisturizing and soothing effect makes it a boon for dry hands.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender oil has soothing and healing properties that can benefit dry skin. It helps soothe irritation, inflammation and itching. Its moisturizing properties can nourish and hydrate the skin, including dry hands. It also promotes relaxation, which can help relieve stress-related symptoms of dry skin.

Myrrh essential Oil

Myrrh is known for its moisturizing and rejuvenating properties. It can help prevent moisture loss and improve skin elasticity. Due to its soothing and healing properties, it is suitable for dry, chapped hands. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve the symptoms of dry skin.

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sandalwood oil is known for its moisturizing and soothing properties. It helps retain moisture in the skin and prevents dryness. Its soothing nature can relieve itching and dryness on the hands. It also has a soothing aroma that promotes relaxation.

Helichrysum Essential Oil

Helichrysum has regenerative and healing properties that can benefit dry skin. It promotes cell renewal and improves the texture and elasticity of the skin. Its moisturizing effect can help fight dryness and roughness on the hands.

Ylang-ylang Essential Oil

Ylang-ylang oil has moisturizing properties that can hydrate dry skin, including on the hands. It promotes balanced oil production, making it suitable for dry and oily skin types. Its floral aroma provides a soothing and invigorating experience.

Vanilla Essential Oil

Vanilla oil has moisturizing and antioxidant properties that can nourish and protect dry skin. It helps prevent moisture loss and promotes soft and smooth skin. Its soothing aroma can provide a sense of relaxation.

Jasmine Essential Oil

Jasmine oil has moisturizing and soothing properties that can benefit dry skin. It helps improve skin elasticity and prevents moisture loss. Its aromatic scent promotes relaxation and lifts the mood.

Patchouli Essential Oil

Patchouli oil has moisturizing and regenerating properties to help prevent and treat dry skin. It moisturises and soothes dry patches, making it suitable for dry hands. Its earthy aroma also gives a sense of grounding and calm.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help treat dry, irritated skin, including on the hands. It helps relieve itching and redness while preventing bacterial infections that can worsen dryness.

Carrot Seed Essential Oil

Carrot seed oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that can help nourish and rejuvenate dry skin. It moisturizes and revitalizes the skin and improves its texture and appearance. Its properties make it a boon for dry hands.

Cucumber Seed Essential Oil

Cucumber seed oil is known for its moisturizing and cooling properties. It helps replenish moisture in the skin and relieves dryness and irritation. Its refreshing effect can relieve dry, itchy hands.

How to reduce the risk of dry hands

A few simple measures can make all the difference to minimise the risk of dry hands. Dry hands are common and are not a health problem, but they are still uncomfortable. Maintaining a good relationship with moisturizers can reduce the likelihood of dry hands, especially if you wash and sanitize your hands frequently.

Excessive sun exposure can lead to dry skin. Protecting your hands with sunscreen can help prevent them from drying out from the sun’s strong rays. Overnight treatments that penetrate the skin can also be helpful. Essential oils have soothing and healing properties for dry and damaged skin, so finding the right oil is important. Aloe vera is a highly effective natural ingredient that cares for the skin of your hands.

Wearing gloves when washing up can prevent your hands from getting wet, which can contribute to dryness. Using a humidifier in your home is another way to combat dry skin by adding moisture to the air. Finally, not using hot air dryers can be a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of dry hands.

How to tell when your hands are drying up

Identifying dry hands and recognizing the need for moisturization is usually straightforward. Dry hands often exhibit roughness and a slightly scaly texture. Engaging in manual labour can also lead to cracked skin. In cases where dryness is not visible, you can assess by rubbing your hands against your cheeks for smoothness or roughness.

Can washing your hands too much cause dry skin?

Frequent handwashing is crucial for hygiene. Our hands encounter germs and bacteria, some harmful or life-threatening. Regular handwashing with soap eliminates both visible and invisible dirt and bacteria. However, concerns arise about its potential to cause dry skin.

Frequent handwashing can indeed result in dryness. Yet, considering the potential harm from disease transmission, the inconvenience of dry skin becomes insignificant. Unclean hands can facilitate the spread of diseases, regardless of germophobia.

Is coconut oil good for dry hands?

Coconut oil, extracted from coconuts, provides significant benefits for the skin, including dry hands. It is suitable for all skin types and is a natural alternative to chemical-based products. The saturated fats in coconut oil penetrate the skin, nourishing it and making it supple. It moisturizes and helps even out the skin tone.

Coconut oil contains vitamin E, which is very useful for the skin. It is important to purchase coconut oil from a reputable manufacturer that offers natural, preservative-free products to ensure the integrity of its benefits. In addition, coconut oil is rich in lauric, capric and caprylic acids, which makes it an effective remedy for dry skin, eczema, skin breakouts, psoriasis, cuts, premature ageing, athlete’s foot, insect bites, burns, as well as healing dry or cracked hands and heels.

What food should be avoided for dry skin?

Foods to avoid for dry skin:

• Sodium-containing foods
• Sugary drinks
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Tea
• Fried foods with trans fats
• Refined carbohydrates
• Foods rich in vitamin A

To maintain hydrated skin, avoiding these foods and drinking plenty of water is important. Foods high in salt can contribute to dehydration. Drinking enough water is beneficial for your skin as it helps prevent dehydration. If you consume skin-drying foods like coffee, drink plenty of water to compensate for the fluid loss.

Final Thoughts

Chamomile essential oil is the best choice for dry hands. Its strong anti-inflammatory action soothes and nourishes dry and irritated skin. Suitable for sensitive skin, chamomile relieves redness, itching and dryness.

Incorporating chamomile essential oil into your daily hand care routine will restore moisture and improve skin health. Be sure to practice good hand hygiene by washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. However, frequent hand washing can strip away natural oils and lead to dryness. Moisturize your hands with chamomile essential oil mixed with almond or jojoba oil to replenish moisture and nourish your hands.

To minimize the risk of dry hands, use sunscreen, wear gloves when washing dishes, use a humidifier and avoid hot air dryers. Coconut oil is also an excellent natural option for moisturizing dry hands due to its nourishing properties and valuable fatty acids.