Our Handcare Top Tips

Never underestimate the importance of taking care of your hands. We use our hands for almost everything, which puts them at risk of bacteria, burns, dangerous substances and more.

Taking care of your hands not only helps protect you, but it helps protect those around you too. Good hand hygiene helps stop the spread of viruses and diseases and ensures your hands remain safe and clean for whatever you need to do.

Look after your hands and they’ll look after you. Improve your hand hygiene and care with our handcare top tips.

Why Handcare Is Important

Handcare is important for many reasons, including:

Personal hygiene

Your hands come into contact with multiple surfaces and substances each day. Keeping your hands clean means you can protect yourself and loved ones from diseases and bacteria, and helps to keep your hands feeling fresh too. The Centre for Disease Prevention lists hand washing as one of the main ways to prevent the spread of disease, which has many knock-on effects for healthcare services around the world.

Health

Poor handcare puts your hands at risk of injury. Even dry skin can be painful and lead to further complications such as infection. By not taking care of your hands, you put them at risk of injuries that could impact your ability to complete everyday tasks such as cooking, eating, writing and more.

Appearance

As one of the most visible parts of our bodies, many people judge someone based on the condition of their hands. Hands that appear clean and cared for make a good impression, and show that you take pride in your appearance.

Professionalism

In many industries, thorough handcare is essential. From healthcare to beauty and hospitality, maintaining effective hand hygiene is a must for creating a safe and healthy environment for customers and clients. People can spend a long time looking at your hands, and it’s important that they are properly cared for to deliver professional services that people can trust.

Common Handcare Mistakes To Avoid

Washing hands is a basic, everyday action, yet there are some ways to get it wrong. Some common handcare mistakes to avoid include:

Using hot water for washing hands

While hot water can help kill germs to make things cleaner, it’s not recommended for hand washing. Hot water can dry out the skin on your hands, as well as pose a burn risk. Instead, make sure you use warm water with antibacterial soap to help wash your hands safely.

Failing to moisturise

Constant hand washing, especially in certain industries such as healthcare and food, can leave your hands dry and cracked, which can be painful. Using a moisturising hand soap or hand lotion is a good way to keep your hands hydrated and ensure a much smoother look and feel.

Not wearing gloves

Gloves provide protection against all kinds of hazards. From heat protection to cross-contamination prevention, gloves can make a big difference to your overall hand hygiene. Use gloves as needed for your role to protect your hands and keep others safe too.

Neglecting your nails

It’s important to take care of your nails to help prevent painful breaks, fungal diseases and more. Regularly trimming or filing your nails, in addition to cuticle care can keep your nails in good condition.

Our Top Handcare Tips

Proper handcare is someone everyone can do to help prevent the spread of disease. Some of our top handcare tips include:

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly

You should wash your hands regularly throughout the day. This should be done after using the toilet, handling food, blowing your nose, touching animals, etc. The NHS recommends washing your hands for around 40 seconds, enough for two rounds of “Happy Birthday”.

Use the right handcare products

Choosing the right handcare products can make a big difference to your hand health. Antibacterial soaps and gels are essential for killing germs and bacteria, so make sure you use something more than water to wash your hands.

Choose products that are right for your skin type. There are a lot of different types of soap and handwash, so it should be easy to find something suitable for your skin.

Keep hands soft and hydrated

Moisturise your hands regularly to keep them soft and hydrated. Avoid greasy moisturisers if you need to grip things, and instead, try a lighter hand cream or wait until the product is fully absorbed before you continue with your activities.

Use gloves as needed

Some jobs require gloves to help individuals protect their hands from different hazards. The HSE has some useful guidance for hand protection to help you determine the most appropriate glove type for your needs. Always wear gloves when needed and dispose of single-use gloves responsibly to help manage hazards and to protect the environment too.

Use SPF outdoors

SPF is essential for protecting your skin from UV and UVA rays. When you apply SPF, make sure your hands are also covered, especially if you’re working outdoors.

You're In Safe Hands With phs Direct

Proper handcare is essential for everyone, and it’s even more important in a work environment – especially if you’re dealing with food, people and animals. Making sure your workplace has the right handcare supplies can help keep employees and visitors safe and ensures you’re fulfilling some of your basic health and safety responsibilities.

phs Direct supplies a range of handcare products, including soap and soap dispensers. Our name is recognisable because we supply businesses all over the UK with our products, giving our customers a name they can trust. Contact us today to place an order for handcare supplies and help maintain proper handcare for all.