Are you a carpenter? Here’s how to take care of your hands

Carpenters’ hands are used to creating, getting dirty and making original products. From useful objects in everyday life, to essentials in the home, to artistic productions and the fruit of the most creative flair. They mould, carve and repair with the craftsmanship typical of artisans, and in each creation they channel all their commitment and enthusiasm for what is a centuries-old art.

However, the carpenter’s activity is not without its specific risks, which are present in all the different phases of work and are linked to numerous factors. In fact, even when the manual skills are excellent and the technologies used meet the highest standards of modernity and safety, risky situations can arise for the safety and health of the operators, especially in the context of craft workshops.

 

The risks of the carpenter’s job

The possibility of injury can arise from incorrect use of tools, inattention or the absence of PPE or automatic protection mechanisms. But there are also risk factors in this sector that involve, for example, the respiratory, auditory and musculoskeletal systems, as well as the body’s most exposed organ, the skin. It is above all the skin of the hands that is always in the front line in all types of woodworking: it comes into contact with wood dust, which is often irritating, allergenic or carcinogenic, but also with the chemical agents of glues and paints, such as hardeners or solvents.

Such substances can undermine skin health, leading to redness, irritation and dryness, but also to eczema or contact dermatitis of an irritative or allergic type. In addition, the frequent washing to which the hands are subjected can compromise the protective surface barrier of the epidermis, exposing it to a greater risk of injury, which can be particularly annoying and painful.

So, if you are a carpenter, how can you preserve the well-being of your skin and keep your hands in good shape? It is essential to adopt a specific protection, cleansing and care programme, such as the one proposed by Nettuno and dedicated specifically to those who work in the carpentry sector.

Nettuno: complete solutions for your hands

Within our catalogue there are formulations dedicated to professionals who use their hands every day, exposing them to small or large risks to carry out the work they love with dedication. The Nettuno programme essentially involves three steps, namely hand protection before the work shift, hand washing after each task and, finally, skin care to keep it intact and soft. The range of products for carpenters takes into account your specific needs and the substances your hands come into contact with during daily activities.

The handwashing phase occurs frequently during a professional’s day and is indispensable for removing dirt and chemicals after each shift, but also during breaks or before switching from one job to another. This is why hand-washing paste for carpenters is an essential ally. Its task should be to thoroughly cleanse your skin, without compromising its integrity and physiological functions: this is precisely the task that the hand-washing paste from the Linea Più proposes, containing effective vegetable and mineral microgranules with abrasive power, but also intensely emollient and moisturising substances.

To thoroughly clean their hands, woodworkers can also make use of the washing power of Nettungel Orange hand-washing gel, enriched with citrus solvents and mineral microgranules and designed for the removal of technical dirt such as glues, fresh paint, resins and sealants.

Among the most innovative formulations designed for your work are the Nettuno handwash creams, such as MacroCream or the Linea Blanca Extrafluida. While the former contains microspheres of vegetable origin (hazelnut and almond shells) and emollient ingredients, the Blanca Line is enriched with mineral microgranules and extra-nourishing olive extract.

To protect your skin and encourage its natural regenerative processes, however, it is useful to have a comprehensive prevention programme, including a protection phase before your shift and a care phase immediately afterwards, which are essential to create healthy habits and an approach to work that always puts health first.

 

Protective hand cream: what is it for and when to use it?

The Nettuno team’s experience in hand care has led us to develop two product lines designed to provide all-round skin health protection. In professions like yours where hands often come into contact with irritating materials, it is essential to protect the skin surface with ingredients capable of creating an effective protective layer.

Protexsol Professional barrier cream has been designed by Nettuno’s R&D team precisely to provide valuable help in all cases where hands encounter oily and greasy substances. Applying it before the start of each work shift covers the skin with an invisible glove that shields it from the action of oil, lubricants, oily paints, solvents, glues and resins, but also from metal dusts, glass fibres or lacquers.

Performing this action are the emulsifiers contained in the formulation, which lower the penetration of harmful substances into the skin. To make use of its properties, simply apply it to dry skin and let it absorb, to facilitate the formation of an invisible, non-greasy, non-sticky protective film that leaves no residue on the skin.

The effect of Protexsol Professional lasts up to three to four hours, after which it must be reapplied to maintain its high protective power. As it is water-soluble, it is also very easy to remove this barrier cream: just wet your hands with warm water and rub them in. Furthermore, the skin tolerability of the product is very high, thanks to the absence of silicones or colourants and a neutral pH of 5.5.

Finally, to take care of your skin after work, it is a good idea to keep the emollient cream Protexem Rinnova on hand, which can be used on both hands and face. How does it work? Equipped with intensely moisturising ingredients, it deeply nourishes the skin and prevents it from being damaged by frequent washing and continuous contact with chemicals with a strong inflammatory or allergenic power.

Simply apply a layer on the surface of your hands to restore the essential hydrolipidic layer and facilitate the physiological regenerative processes of the skin, thus preventing dryness and flaking. Safeguarding the integrity of your epidermis allows you to keep your hands in good order for a long time, keeping them healthy, efficient and well cared for even after years of work.

Our professional formulations are the result of active field study and research into the most effective protection, cleansing and skin care systems. Oriented towards the maximum protection of workers’ well-being, they also aim at full environmental sustainability, to reduce the impact on the Planet of every industrial activity.

Discover the lines designed for carpenters now or contact us for more information on our professional products!