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What is the Best Hand Lotion for Nurses? My favorite by far is the Gold Bond Healing Skin Therapy Lotion. It is non-greasy and works really well.
But, today I’m going over my top choices for moisturizing lotions that help nurses keep their hands working hard.
Self-care in nursing is almost as important as the profession itself. It is vital for nurses to take care of themselves. One of the biggest issues in today’s nursing world is dry hands. So, we’ll be exploring what our top choices for the best moisturizing hand lotions are, as well as which ones we highly recommend!
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- Features in the Best Hand Lotion for Nurses
- Why Do Nurses Have Dry Hands?
- Why Does Soap Dry Out Your Skin?
- Why is it Important for Nurses to Moisturize Their Hands?
- Gold Bond Healing Skin Therapy Lotion (Non-Greasy)
- O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
- Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Moisturizing Hand Lotion (Unscented)
- Final Thoughts
Features in the Best Hand Lotion for Nurses
- Ingredients: Combinations of humectants, emollients, occlusives, ceramides, aloe, oatmeal, and cocoa butter.
- Scents: While you can get scented lotions, it is important to consider patient’s reactions to certain scents (if you’re wearing lotion on-shift).
- Exfoliating: Exfoliating lotions or soaps can help to remove dead/dry skin cells. You can then re-moisturize the newer skin underneath.
- Non-Sticky: Having a non-greasy or non-sticky lotion is really important for using your hands after an application.
Why Do Nurses Have Dry Hands?
Nurses have dry hands typically because they wash their hands… a lot! Hand washing or sanitizing is the best defense against the transmission of contagious diseases.
Washing or sanitizing your hands basically all day long can cause severe irritation and dry patches on your skin.
Why Does Soap Dry Out Your Skin?
Soap dries out your skin because it strips away the natural moisturizing oils in your skin (source).
Similar to soap, hand sanitizers also have harsh chemical in them that can cause irritation in your skin.
Why is it Important for Nurses to Moisturize Their Hands?
After washing your hands and removing the natural oils from your skin, it’s important to re-apply moisture to your skin. Investing in a good bottle of hand lotion is vital for nurses to keep their skin healthy from shift to shift. Important ingredients to have in your lotion are a combination of: humectants, emollients, occlusives, and ceramides.
Additionally, washing your hands gently can help prevent dryness. Use warm water, avoid harsh soaps, and don’t wash in cold water.
Gold Bond Healing Skin Therapy Lotion (Non-Greasy)
First up is my favorite hand lotion for nurses ever! The Gold Bond Healing Skin Therapy Lotion is an awesome product that works well to heal dry skin, cracked hands, and prevent future drying out.
In addition, their non-greasy formula is nothing short of magical. As far as patients go, this lotion is hypoallergenic and doesn’t have an overpowering scent. This means that when taking care patients with sensitive senses, they shouldn’t be affected.
Gold Bond claims that this healing lotion penetrates 10 surface layers of skin to deeply nourish your skin. It is also quick-absorbing so you spend less time rubbing it in. Finally, they moisturize and hydrate with a combination of aloe and three nourishing vitamins.
Vitamins Involved:
- Vitamin A: Helps improve the appearance of the skin.
- Vitamin C: Helps protect against environmental stressors.
- Vitamin E: Helps minimize moisture loss.
O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
What is good about O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream? Well, it’s next on our list and a perfect hand lotion for nurses. Why? Because, it offers a concentrated cream that heals and repairs extremely dry or cracked skin. It works by creating a protective layer on the skin’s surface. This helps to instantly boost moisture levels by preventing any moisture loss. Additionally, they use a combination of deep oils and other massaging agents to help improve healing speeds.
O’Keeffe claims that results may vary, but typical results can be seen in as little as overnight. This is almost proven try (for most users) by the raving reviews this hand lotion has gotten. A lot of nurses and healthcare workers claim that this hand lotion helps improve burning from hand sanitizers and other related cleansing agents.
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Moisturizing Hand Lotion (Unscented)
Next up is the Neutrogena Moisturizing Hand Lotion. This organic hand cream is specifically for very dry or cracked hands. It works by using a unique formula to moisturize, hydrate and deliver effective relief for rough skin. Additionally, this lotion is dermatologist-recommended for it’s unique formula of concentrated glycerin. These high levels of glycerin help skin feel soft and smooth after an application.
In addition, this Neutrogena hand lotion is fragrance-free, so you shouldn’t have any pain applying it on cracked skin. In addition, your patients won’t have any weird reactions to an odd-smelling hand lotion. The best part about this hand lotion is you don’t need a lot to have an effective application. Just a small drop helps to provide relief for your working hands.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, when it comes to the Best Hand Lotion for Nurses, you have to get what works for you. Each lotion will work differently for each nurse. However, we can try and point you in the right direction. Our favorite has to be Gold Bond. It has the most effective application (in our experience), and goes on with a non-greasy finish.
