How to avoid dry hands and chilblains this winter. Some first-hand tips to help

Dry hands are a common winter skin complaint that can be minimised with a few simple lifestyle tweaks, says writer Lucy Slight. Photo / Getty Images

If there’s one season when your skin is likely to be at its driest, it’s winter, and writer Lucy Slight knows first-hand what it’s like to deal with dry skin. Always armed with hand creams and living in a constant state of trying to balance her body temperature to avoid skin conditions such as chilblains, Lucy shares her tips (and favourite products) for keeping hands smooth and soothed as temperatures drop.

Cold air, hot showers, central heating and a lack of humidity. Winter is upon us, and while many of us may be enjoying the pleasure that comes with a scalding hot shower and turning up the dial on the heat pump, it seems once again, our skin is bearing the brunt.

As I sit here typing, there are no fewer than three hand creams on my desk. I have one in the car too, and one that rotates between my handbags. Dry skin is the bane of winter for me, and even though so far this winter has been relatively mild (according to Niwa, temperatures have been above average for June), my hands are still suffering.

Dry skin on hands in winter is primarily due to lower humidity levels, both outdoors and indoors, which reduce the moisture content in the skin. Cold air and wind can strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to dehydration.

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Additionally, frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitisers, which are common in winter to prevent illness, can further deplete the skin’s moisture barrier. Hot showers and central heating also contribute to skin dryness by reducing humidity and stripping oils from the skin.

I will share some of the hand creams and moisturisers I swear by in a moment, but first, let’s talk simple lifestyle tweaks that will go a long way to minimising the occurrence of dry, flaky skin.

Your hot shower may be sweet relief at the end of a long day, but if you’re plagued by dry skin, it’s time to reduce the temperature. The ideal water temperature for avoiding dry skin is “lukewarm”, which is around 37C. Hot water can strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness and irritation. Using lukewarm water helps maintain the skin’s moisture barrier while still being effective for cleansing. Choose a mild, non-foaming body wash to avoid stripping natural oils from your skin too, such as Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash, $20.99.

After washing, it’s important to gently pat the skin dry and apply a moisturising lotion immediately to lock in moisture. Keeping your hands covered with rubber gloves when cleaning, and warm gloves made from natural fibres such as wool when heading outdoors, will also help to prevent moisture loss.

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The way you ingest water is important for maintaining hydration levels from the inside out, too. If you’re prone to guzzling large amounts of water infrequently, try adjusting your method of consumption and sipping water throughout the day instead. Continuous sipping helps maintain consistent hydration levels, supports better absorption, and prevents the sudden need for frequent urination that can occur with large, infrequent intakes. It also helps keep the body’s systems running smoothly, aiding in digestion and nutrient absorption.

Chilblains is another common winter skin ailment that can affect both the hands and feet, and like dry skin, it’s a condition that requires avoiding exposure to extreme temperatures. Up until last winter, it had been over 20 years since I’d last experienced a bout of chilblains, but a combination of developing a penchant for going to bed with a hot water bottle, and walking barefoot on the freezing cold bathroom tiles of my new house, caused the condition to rear its ugly (literally, ugly) head.

Chilblains, or pernio, are inflammatory skin lesions resulting from abnormal reactions to cold exposure. Common symptoms include redness, swelling, blistering, and itching, usually affecting the fingers and toes, but also the ears and nose - essentially, any extremity.

According to a study published in Oxford Academic’s Rhuematology in 2022, chilblains occur due to prolonged cold exposure leading to inflammation of small blood vessels in the skin, which appears as raised red lumps. Women are more likely to experience the condition, as well as those with low body weight, smokers and people with underlying conditions such as Raynaud’s.

This condition is exacerbated by rewarming too quickly after being cold, which causes blood vessels to expand rapidly, leading to leakage of blood into the surrounding tissues, so this winter I am implementing a number of strategies to avoid a flare up again.

These include: avoiding heating my hands up too quickly from cold (so no hot water bottles or holding hot cups of tea), keeping slippers at the bathroom door to avoid exposing my feet to cold tiles especially at night, not wearing socks to bed (overheating is a cause for me) and not setting the shower temperature too high when my body is cold.

It’s really a balancing act in avoiding extreme temperature changes, as sudden re-warming of cold skin is the true mitigating factor in causing the condition to appear in the first place. If it’s already too late and those red lumps have begun to pop up, there are some medications that can be prescribed by your doctor for help improve blood flow or topical corticosteroids which reduce inflammation and itching.

Applying moisturisers to keep skin hydrated and help to soothe dry, itchy skin is also a worthwhile habit to get into, and having well-moisturised skin can help the chilblains to look less inflamed too.

Tried and tested creams for dry skin

Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Relief Cream $39

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector $34

Paume Probiotic Hand Balm $36

Aēsop Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm $49

Lucy Slight is a beauty and lifestyle columnist for the New Zealand Herald. She has worked in print and digital publishing for the past 17 years in both New Zealand and Australia, across a number of well-known fashion, beauty, entertainment, food and home titles. Recent insight includes the skincare that tradies actually use, how to make your cut and colour last longer, and what you need to know about blepharoplasty.