Our hands have been on the frontline for more than a year now, as we’ve washed them relentlessly and drenched them in harsh alcohol-based sanitisers. Surely they deserve a little R&R? Often, hand creams feel too greasy to apply – you don’t want that all over your computer keyboard – and so we skip it. If you’ve yet to nab a salon appointment for a manicure or pedicure, now is the time to up your home handcare game.

BE GENTLE

Try to use a more gentle hand sanitiser: I swear by a few Irish ones that are effective but pleasant to use, including waters+wild’s lovely spritz featuring aloe vera and organic herbs (from €20, www.watersandwild.com), and the refillable Sanitising Spritz from family company Esmerelda Botanicals (from €9.99, www.esmereldabotanicals.com), which is based on organic wheat alcohol together with essential oils and glycerin to protect hands.

HANDS ON

As for a robust hand cream, we’ve been relying on AVEENO® Skin Relief Moisturising Hand Cream (€5.89, at pharmacies nationwide and www.Aveeno.ie), which is clinically proven to restore the skin’s natural barrier; this gets compromised by all the extra handwashing (not to mention the endless washing-up). It’s a very light cream and absorbs fast, so is quick and easy to use. It features Aveeno’s pre-biotic triple oat complex – a combination of oat flour, oat extract and oat oil – which helps to balance the skin’s natural microbiome. Glycerin is a key ingredient; this hard-working emollient will help to restore moisture into your nails as well as hands (it’s a common ingredient in nail hardeners). No added fragrance means it’s suitable even for sensitive skin.

NAIL CARE

When your hands are constantly in water, your nails will also suffer. They’re more prone to splitting and brittleness – since our nails naturally absorb water – and so whoever gets stuck with the washing-up should wear rubber gloves, whether or not your nails are varnished. Varnish remover can also dry out your nails, stripping the natural oils. Try to use something more gentle (for example, Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover, €2.50, at www.Boots.ie). Acetone-based removers do work more quickly, but it’s like using a harsh facial cleanser – not very caring for your nails.

Keep an oil pen on your desk or by the sofa and apply regularly. Look to Margaret Dabbs’ Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen (€16 at Arnotts), rich in natural oils, or Sally Hansen vitamin E nail and cuticle oil (€8.99). And try not to leave nail polish on too long: once it starts to chip, remove it, or the colour will dry out your nails.