The cold weather and regularly dip your hands in soapy water are common causes of dry and cracked hands. But you can also get dry skin due to vitamin deficiency or a generally poor diet. Having someone else washing dishes will make a big difference, but changing your diet could also help you.
Nutrients that nourish dry skin
Are the hands not cracked to what they were? You can save them with healthy foods.
Vitamin A, biotin, collagen, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics all help maintain healthy skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Vitamin C also helps to make collagen that helps healing wounds, which include cracks that can develop in dry skin. In addition, the Harvard this School of Public Health notes that mineral zinc is necessary to create new skin cells and repair those damaged.
Skin, hair and nail supplements may seem an easy solution, but nutrition experts say that eating healthy foods should be your first priority. “A balanced diet that includes enough nutrition and calories to support skin health is absolutely the best basis,” explains Maria Sylvester Terry, RDN, founder of a nutrition and well-being coaching in New Orleans.
“Get vitamin C from sources such as berries, peppers, tomatoes and oranges, and vitamin A from food such as sweet potatoes, carrots, fish such as tuna, squash and broccoli, means that you will get these vitamins in combination with other antioxidants adapted to the skin.” It also recommends whole grains and green leafy vegetables for their B vitamins, their fibers and their antioxidants.
“And obtaining zinc in foods like lean red meat, poultry, seafood such as oysters, nuts and beans will also provide essential proteins which are the block for the construction of strong and healthy skin,” explains Sylvester Terry.
Lock essential fats in humidity
Another thing you can do to avoid dry and cracked skin on your hands – or elsewhere on your body, moreover – is to make sure you eat enough healthy fat sources that provide essential fatty acids or AEF.
Oregon State University explains that the deficiencies of EFAS linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid increase water loss through the skin, which means that your skin can become dry and scaly. “You will get a lot of consumption of small portions of plant foods rich in oil such as plants and olive oils, nuts, seeds and avocados daily,” explains Sylvester Terry.
Omega-3 fats found in fatty fish can also fight against dry skin, adds Sylvester Terry. The food directives of the American Ministry of Agriculture for Americans recommend consuming 8 ounces or more per week of seafood, including choices rich in oil such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout.
Other ways to protect your hands
Harvard Health Publishing says that the use of oil jelly and hydrating oils, such as mineral oil, on cracked and dry hands is an effective and inexpensive way to hydrate them. They also note these tips to avoid dry and cracked skin:
- Use a humidifier in winter and keep indoor air at around 60% humidity.
- Avoid scented soaps and products containing alcohol.
- Avoid taking long and hot baths and showers.
- Resist the temptation to scrape your skin (apply a moisturizer on site instead).
It is believed that vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and the function of skin barrier. Some observation reports have suggested that vitamin can lighten itching, such as the guy you may get on the hands cracked and dry, but it is not so clear. A review article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology concluded that there is not enough research evidence to recommend the use of vitamin D for skin health.
