Frequent hand washing can be hard on young hands and since more stringent hand-washing procedures have been introduced, more children in the UK have been suffering with hand eczema, according to The British Skin Foundation[i].
Here we explain how to help children with extremely dry hands to keep their skin clean and comfortable with skin-friendly hand washes and suggest emollients to help calm dry skin flare ups from hand washing.
How does hand washing affect children’s skin?
Hand washing is an important hygiene practice that all children need to learn but since the start of the 2020 pandemic, concerns grew that washing hands intensively could harm delicate young skin.
- The National Eczema Society reported a surge in phone calls from parents worried[ii] about the effects frequent hand sanitizing was having on young pupils’ hands[iii]
- BBC news reports claimed that school hand-washing was 'damaging children's skin
- A survey by the British Skin Foundation revealed that over half of British children were suffering with skin problems due to frequent handwashingi
If hand washing is causing your child to develop sore red, chapped hands, you may find that switching to gentle eczema-friendly hand care products can help to soothe their sore hands and repair dry skin.
Best hand wash for children with dry skin
Organic Children’s Quick Clean Hand Foam and Berry Smoothie Hand Wash are the soap-free solutions parents of school age children can trust to keep hands clean without causing dryness or irritation.
They are free from ethyl alcohol so are gentle for children who have sore hands from washing.
An eczema-friendly way to clean children’s dry hands at home and when out and about, they're made without ingredients such as soap which can leave a child’s hands stripped of healthy oils.
With it’s sweet shop-like scent, the Berry Smoothie Hand Wash makes hand washing instantly more appealing to young children and contains a blend of Raspberry, Vanilla and Pineapple essential oils.
A planet-friendly hand care product, this child-pleasing hand cleanser comes in a pump bottle that’s easy for small hands to operate and made from 30% recycled plastic.
With gentle foaming natural Coconut and Yucca surfactants, there’s no complaints of dry, stinging hands or eczema flare-ups for parents to worry about either, just reassurance that bad bacteria have been rinsed away.
Organic Children Berry Smoothie Hand Wash 200ml
Wash their hands with nature with this berry-scented hand wash
€14,95
The Quick Clean Hand Foam is a gently cleansing foam for children prone to dry hands also features a special pump which draws refreshing organic actives into a fluffy foam hand wash and is suitable for children of all ages.
With no need for water, it’s perfect for family days out and can also be used as a hand wash and then rinsed away with running water.
Organic Children Quick Clean Hand Foam 100ml
This gentle, fluffy foam cleanser cleans hands on the go!
€13,95
Best family hand wash
If you have older children with dry hands or you would like a family hand wash that’s suitable for all ages, we’d suggest switching to one of our scent-free hand washes.
Entirely free of soap, triclosan and skin-drying alcohols, our Scent Free Hand Wash is non-drying, made without essential oils or fragrance and leaves sensitive hands clean and moisturised.
Scent Free Hand Wash 300ml
Soap-free and organic, this fragrance-free hand wash is a sensitive skin essential
€16,95
Best children’s hand cream
You can further help ease dry skin on children’s hands by applying an emollient lotion to young, dry hands after washing. When choosing a hand cream for a child with chapped hands, look for actives that will help to restore comfort and hydration to the skin barrier such as Marshmallow and Aloe Vera and soothing actives like Chamomile, Calendula, Myrrh and Lavender.
Our Berry Smoothie Hand Cream is a natural hand cream that was made just for children and nourishes delicate young skin with a soothing blend of Chamomile, Sunflower Oil and Aloe Vera.
Featuring the same sweet-shop smell as the Berry Smoothie Hand Wash, this organic children’s hand cream is eczema-friendly and absorbs quickly without feeling sticky or greasy.
Organic Children Berry Smoothie Hand Cream 50ml
Nourishing organic children’s hand cream with delicious fruity scent
€4,95
Alternatively, young hands can be nourished with our Organic Children Aloe Vera Lotion. Made with Aloe Vera, Marshmallow, Calendula and Lavender, when applied to sore, red hands, this gentle natural moisturiser will calm irritation and soothe sore skin.
“I have tried in vain to find something that will soothe my daughter’s eczema prone skin and this is the one product she says doesn't hurt. Thanks Green People.” Laura
Organic Children Aloe Vera Lotion & After Sun 150ml
Soothe, calm and hydrate with an organic Aloe Vera lotion for children
€16,95
If your child needs an extra helping hand with extremely dry skin, you may also like to work a little of our Organic Babies Soothing Baby Salve onto young hands that are chapped or experiencing dryness between the fingers.
This soothing Lavender salve can be used by adults, children and babies and quickly calms the irritating itch of dry, flaky skin associated with eczema on the hands.
“I use this all over on my children's skin who have eczema and multiple allergies. I feel safe using this product on their skin when it is cracked.” Sayra R
Organic Babies Soothing Baby Salve 100ml
Protect, soothe, and calm with our best-selling organic baby salve
€18,95
For more help finding the best skin care for your child’s dry, sore hands or to discover the full Organic Babies & Children ranges, contact our UK customer care team on 01403 740 350 or at @GreenPeopleUK.
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[i] https://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/news/over-half-of-british-children-are-suffering-with-skin-problems-due-to-frequent-handwashing-and-eczema-rates-are-on-the-rise [ii] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-56415838 [iii] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-56415838 |
