Soie — Hand Beauty

Hand Sanitiser and Rough Hands: How to Keep Sanitising Without Losing Moisture

Sanitising our hands has become part of daily life, and so has the dry, rough feeling that follows. This page explains, in general terms, why hand sanitiser roughens the hands and sets out the order that lets you keep sanitising while keeping them moisturised.

At the shop door, at the office entrance, stepping off the train. Count the number of times you sanitise your hands in a day and it may well exceed the number of times you wash them. Each application brings a brief tightening of the skin on the backs of the hands, and by evening the fingertips feel rough. Rough hands from hand sanitiser have become a familiar complaint in a few short years.

Giving up sanitising is not a realistic option. The question is not whether to sanitise but how to keep moisture in the hands while you do.

This page looks at how alcohol dries the skin, when sanitising is gentler than washing, the order of sanitising and moisturising, and the habits that work for people who sanitise many times a day, all within the limits of general skin knowledge rather than medical advice.

Why hand sanitiser leaves hands rough

The alcohol in a hand sanitiser evaporates within moments of being spread over the skin. As it goes, it tends to carry water from the surface of the skin with it, and the film of sebum that covers the skin is thought to be thinned at the same time. The effect of a single application is slight. Repeated ten or twenty times a day, it unsettles the balance of water and lipids in the outer layer of the skin.

The backs of the hands and the fingers have little sebum and thin skin to begin with. Each application takes a little moisture, and the next arrives before the last has been replaced. The pattern shows itself as tightness, roughness and hangnails at the fingertips.

Dry skin feels irritation more readily

Skin whose sebum film has thinned is more exposed to whatever touches it. That is why a sanitiser that once went unnoticed begins to sting. The structure of the skin of the hands is explained in our Hand Beauty Guide.

Washing or sanitising: which is gentler on the hands?

It may come as a surprise, but when there is no visible dirt, using a hand sanitiser that contains moisturising ingredients is considered less likely to roughen the hands than repeated washing with soap and running water. Frequent washing strips sebum readily, and the friction of drying adds to it.

When the hands are visibly dirty: wash with soap and running water, lukewarm, rinsing thoroughly and pressing dry.
When they are not: choose a sanitiser with moisturising ingredients, and avoid washing and sanitising back to back.
When alcohol stings: hand sanitisers that contain no alcohol are an option.

Whichever you choose, the shared condition is that moisturising once the hands are dry is never skipped. How to replace moisture after washing is set out on our page about moisturising after washing hands.

The order that keeps moisture in while you keep sanitising

Sanitiser first, moisturiser second. Applying sanitiser straight after moisturising makes it spread poorly and lifts off the moisturiser you have just applied. Spread the sanitiser over the whole hand, wait until it is completely dry, then place one or two pearl-sized drops of moisturiser on the back of the hand.

Spread the sanitiser and let it dry. Reach between the fingers and around the nails, and wait until the skin is dry to the touch.
Moisturise as soon as it is dry. Work from the backs of the hands, then between the fingers, then around the nails.
Use a non-sticky texture by day. A light product that does not interfere with the next thing you touch can be used after every application.
At night, wash and layer. Rinse the day away with soap, moisturise carefully, and follow with a cream if the skin is very dry.

Moisturising as the last step of the morning routine protects the hands until the first sanitiser of the day. Keeping the sanitiser and the moisturiser side by side makes the order look after itself.

Habits for people who sanitise dozens of times a day

Retail, hospital and clinic work, care work, childcare, food service. In jobs where dozens of applications a day are unavoidable, the realistic aim is to bring the number of moisturising applications close to the number of sanitising ones. A small amount, many times: that is the principle that makes it sustainable.

Keep it within reach: beside the sanitiser, in a pocket, in a locker. The further you have to walk, the sooner the habit lapses.
Do not forget the fingertips and nail contours: the last place the sanitiser dries is also the place that dries out fastest.
With gloves, moisturise after removal: hands that have been damp inside a glove dry out quickly once it comes off.
Do not push through stinging: if sanitiser stings, or redness and itching persist, do not self-diagnose; consult a dermatologist.

Hand care by profession is covered on our page for people who work with their hands.

Frequently asked questions

How soon after hand sanitiser should I moisturise?

As soon as the sanitiser has dried completely. The minutes immediately after are when water leaves the skin most readily, so spread one or two pearl-sized drops from the backs of the hands between the fingers and around the nails. A non-sticky product can be used after every application.

Can I moisturise first and then sanitise?

Sanitiser goes first. Applied over fresh moisturiser, it spreads poorly and lifts the moisturiser off. Moisturise before you leave the house in the morning, and during the day wait for each application of sanitiser to dry before moisturising again, so that neither step undoes the other.

Sanitiser has started to sting. What should I do?

Stinging usually means the sebum film has thinned and the skin is more exposed. Switch to a sanitiser that contains no alcohol, avoid washing and sanitising back to back when the hands are not visibly dirty, and moisturise every time they dry. If redness or itching continues, consult a dermatologist.

Which is gentler, washing or sanitising?

When the hands are visibly dirty, wash with soap and running water. When they are not, a sanitiser with moisturising ingredients is considered less likely to roughen the skin than repeated washing. Avoid doing both in succession, and moisturise after either one once the hands are dry.

I sanitise dozens of times a day. Is there a realistic way to avoid rough hands?

Bring the number of times you moisturise close to the number of times you sanitise. Use a small amount, often. Keep a moisturiser beside the sanitiser and in a pocket so the hands are moisturised the moment they are dry. At night, wash with soap, moisturise carefully and add a cream.

Soie's approach: a light serum after every application

Soie's Enlight Hand Serum, a beauty serum made only for the hands, is designed for days of frequent sanitising. It brings together EGF and KGF (skin-conditioning ingredients) with five ceramides and peptides (moisturising ingredients) in a texture that melts in and leaves no stickiness, so it can go on the moment the sanitiser is dry without slowing down the next task. The 30 mL bottle fits a pocket or a desk.

At the end of the day, wash the traces of sanitiser away with Moist Fragrance Hand & Body Soap, which moisturises as it cleans, and apply the serum once more. Choosing the hand serum and the hand soap in the same fragrance returns a soft scent to hands that otherwise smell of alcohol all day.