Whether you love growing fruit and veg in your allotment or cultivating beautiful flower beds buzzing with bees, you may find that spending lots of time in the garden can lead to the skin on your hands feeling dry and rough.
In this post we explain how to look after hands that may be prone to dry skin, eczema or dermatitis when gardening.
We’ll reveal our best gardeners’ hand cream and hand wash for keeping dry hands calm, comfortable and clean. These hand products draw much of their goodness from the botanicals we so love in our gardens.
Why are my hands so dry after gardening?
In the UK we spend a lot of time growing our gardens with love and while gardening can have benefits for wellbeing and mental health, the garden is home to lots of hazards that can compromise skin comfort.
Factors that may contribute to dry skin after gardening include frequently washing hands with drying soaps and encountering plants and fertilisers that have a pH that is not compatible with human skin.
According to the National Eczema Society compost heaps and fallen leaves may also trigger eczema flare ups if they contain mould spores[1].
The good news is that you can help to protect your hands from dry skin after gardening by finding a good gardeners’ hand cream and taking some small steps to protect your skin.
Protecting with gloves
If you experience problems with your skin after gardening, it is vital that you protect your green fingers with gloves.
A good pair of gardening gloves will protect hands from dirt, bacteria, thorns and thistles and will also offer eczema-prone hands protection against the elements as well as from mould spores.
Gardening gloves can be made with different materials and if you have eczema-prone hands that are irritated by synthetic fibres, consider using gloves that are made with a breathable material such as sustainable bamboo or organic cotton.
Skin-friendly hand care for gardeners
There are some easy ways that you can make sure that your post-gardening hand care routine is gentle on your skin and restores hydration to dry hands.
To minimise irritation when washing your hands after gardening, use a non-drying hand wash instead of a soap.
Follow this with a gardeners’ hand cream that features actives known to soothe irritation, replenish hydration and support the skin barrier.
Some hand care ingredients, namely SLS, synthetic fragrance and ethyl alcohol, are known to be leading causes of skin irritation and we do not use these in any of our hand care products.
Instead, we use naturally soothing, plant-based ingredients which are suitable for sensitive skin.
Our favourite gardeners’ hand wash is our Manuka & Lemon Tea Antibacterial Hand Wash.
Manuka & Lemon Tea Tree Antibacterial Hand Wash 300ml
Powerful organic hand wash for kitchen and bathroom
£16.00
The best gardeners’ hand wash for dry skin
Our best gardeners’ hand wash for dry skin is our Manuka & Lemon Tea Treat Hand Wash.
This natural and organic hand wash is soap-free and SLS-free and does not contain skin-drying ethanol alcohol.
Instead, we formulate it using natural and organic actives that are gentle on the skin. Its foaming power comes from Coconut-derived SCS which cleanses without irritation.
The soothing, hydrating properties of Aloe Vera help prevent sensitive skin from feeling tight and dry.
To protect against bacteria, we add Manuka. Mild to the skin, this natural antimicrobial and antibacterial agent provides broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms, particularly Gram+ bacteria.
Manuka & Lemon Tea Tree Antibacterial Hand Wash 300ml
Powerful organic hand wash for kitchen and bathroom
£16.00
LOVED BY GARDENERS
“I have bought this product for the first time and both myself and my husband like it. It's kept by the kitchen sink. I like it's smooth texture and I feel my hands are being moisturised as well as cleaned. Useful after spending time in the garden. Again worthy of recommendation.”
This gardeners’ hand wash for dry skin has a fresh floral scent that’s provided by Lemon Tea Tree and Orange Oil.
If you cannot tolerate essential oils, this hand wash may not be suitable for you and instead, we’d recommend our Scent Free Hand Wash for ultra-sensitive skin.
Scent Free Hand Wash 300ml
Soap-free and organic, this fragrance-free hand wash is a sensitive skin essential
£15.00
THE BEST GARDENERS’ HAND CREAM FOR DRY SKIN
Quinoa & Calendula Hand & Body Lotion is a welcome treat for hard-working hands. The perfect partner for Manuka & Lemon Tea Treat Hand Wash, this non-greasy hand cream for gardeners uses intense hydrating plant actives to replenish moisture in dry, chapped hands.
Certified organic and gentle on delicate skin, its nourishment is powered by vitamin-rich Shea Butter and Squalane. These are accompanied by Calendula to calm and Quinoa and Perilla to release their reparative properties.
Gently scented with Sweet Orange, Clove and Ginger to release notes of summer on your skin, it is a gardeners’ hand cream that is perfect for reviving and refreshing dry skin.
Quinoa & Calendula Hand & Body Lotion 200ml
Lock in hydration as you nourish dry skin with this natural body lotion
£27.00
The best gardeners’ hand balm
If you prefer to apply a balm instead of a hand cream, One Balm is our favourite barrier balm for gardeners.
A multi-purpose balm than can be applied sore skin anywhere, it contains replenishing, Omega-rich plant actives which restore softness and comfort to dry, cracked gardeners’ hands. It can also be used to care for cuticles after gardening and soothing dry lips.
The perfect size for a gardening caddy or keeping in your pocket, One Balm also comes in a unique pot that is 100% biodegradable. Once it is finished, simply dispose of it with your household waste and it will naturally biodegrade leaving no microplastic residue behind.
ONE Balm 30ml
Use this organic multi-purpose beauty balm to soothe lips, cuticles and dry skin
£15.00
[1] https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/triggers-for-eczema/weather-and-eczema/
Do you need help finding the best gardeners’ hand cream and hand wash for you? Our UK customer care team is happy to help with gardening hands queries and can be contacted on 01403 740 350.
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