Hands at work in winter, how to protect them?

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and its functions are essential for our well-being. There are many roles that the skin plays, but in particular it is responsible for connecting us with the world through its sophisticated perceptual functions, keeping us safe from pathogens and protecting us from the external aggressions to which we are subjected every day.

Healthy skin is an impenetrable shield, but when its health is compromised, its barrier function is
also severely weakened. The chemicals with which it comes into contact, especially in the workplace, but also the extreme temperatures, wind, humidity and temperature changes characteristic of winter, can put it to the test.

There are many professionals who carry out prolonged activities in the open air or in unheated environments and who expose their hands to numerous health risks: we are talking, for example, about farmers, construction workers, installers, but also those who work in the metalworking or automotive industries.

In all these contexts, it is easy for the skin of the hands to become inflamed, dehydrated, sensitive, red and chapped, even to the point of manifesting real dermatological pathologies. How can this be avoided? By putting into practice the best advice for safeguarding the well-being of hands at work in winter and by using Nettuno products designed for the skin care of professionals.

Protect your hands with PPE and barrier creams

As mentioned, contact with aggressive chemical or environmental agents can irritate the skin, weaken its hydrolipidic layer and undermine its physiological balance. For any professional who uses his or her hands as a working tool, among the main danger factors are undoubtedly contact with the irritants typical of the task he or she performs, but also thermal shocks from cold, skin maceration caused by occlusive PPE and even exposure to UV rays (not everyone knows that they are present even in winter).

If you do not take proper care of your skin, you may suffer from irritation, cracking and redness, and even develop real contact dermatitis or eczema, inflammatory reactions that can become disabling and prevent you from performing your work normally. The first step to protect your health is to protect your hands with simple PPE such as work gloves, wearing them whenever useful and, of course, when their use is expressly required by safety regulations. Always choose the most suitable type for the substances you come into contact with and make them your allies, especially on the coldest days of the winter season.

An effective trick to avoid the macerative phenomena associated with prolonged use of gloves and occlusive clothing is to rely on barrier creams designed specifically for the purpose, such as Protexins Plus. Indeed, the closed, hot and humid environment can damage the integrity of the superficial stratum corneum of the skin, which becomes excessively soft, wrinkled and flaky, as well as more exposed to fungal infections, erythema and cold-related inflammatory states. Protexins Plus is insoluble in water and effectively protects you from these disadvantages, but also from contact with aqueous substances such as paints, water-based dyes, weak acids, cutting oils, alkalis, cement, salts and detergents, lime and fertilisers.

You can also use professional barrier creams as an excellent solution when PPE is neither expected nor necessary and its use would hinder the performance of your daily activities. For
example, Protexsol Professional is Nettuno’s barrier cream specially designed to protect your hands from oily and greasy substances such as lubricants, metal powders, grease, oil-based paints, carbon black, solvents, fibreglass or resins. Applied to the skin, it creates a true repellent film that shields it from external aggression, becoming an invisible glove that prevents direct contact with irritating substances, while leaving you maximum freedom of movement and full tactile sensitivity. The skin is not left oily or greasy and is protected for 3 to 4 hours. When it is necessary to remove the protective layer, simply wet your hands with warm water and rinse the product off.

In fact, its use also simplifies subsequent cleansing operations, offering an extra advantage in your winter strategy for hand protection: shortening the washing time and avoiding rubbing the skin to remove stubborn dirt helps to reduce irritation and stress.

 

Watch out for detergents and water temperature

It is well known that too frequent washing can impair the efficiency of the hydrolipidic layer covering the skin and, consequently, significantly weaken its resistance. Many professions, however, require continuous washing of hands, which are exposed to chemical agents or difficult dirt that it is good practice to remove on a regular basis. So how do we balance the needs of health and hygiene with the well-being of the skin?

First and foremost, always prefer detergents specially formulated for professionals, such as those in the Nettuno handwash lines. Their ingredients are able to emulsify dirt with ease, without rubbing, friction or abrasion, leaving the skin perfectly cleansed and soft.

Also, never use water that is too hot or too cold, as the thermal shock would worsen the condition of the epidermis. Following too sudden a change in temperature (from cold to hot or from hot to cold), the circulatory system would not be able to activate its adaptation systems and you would experience extreme vasoconstriction and vasodilatation, which would cause irritation, inflammation, intense dehydration, dryness and skin imbalances.

 

If you work outdoors, beware of UV radiation

If you work outdoors, you are constantly exposed not only to the cold, but also to UV rays: while the sun has many benefits for the body, it is also essential to protect yourself from the harmful action of its ultraviolet radiation, present even in winter and capable of causing oxidation, photo-ageing phenomena and real damage to the DNA of skin cells.

Protexsun Protection SPF 50 is the solution you are looking for when you want to shield your skin from UVA/UVB rays, preventing sunburn and free radical damage. It has a protection factor of 50 and you can apply it on your hands, but also on your face and all over your body. It contains vitamin E, glycerine and creatine and, to take advantage of its barrier effect, simply apply it before exposing yourself to the sun and remember to reapply it regularly to keep its UV shield intact.

 

The Nettuno programme: after protection and washing, also care

In every worker’s daily routine, protection should be the first key step, combined with washing with professional cleansers and nourishing the skin after the shift with worker-specific moisturising creams.

Deeply moisturising the skin is the number one rule to enable it to get through the harsh winter season unscathed. The moisturising and emollient hand and face cream Protexem Rinnova should be your number one work partner throughout the cold months: spread it on dry, cleansed skin until it is completely absorbed and enjoy the pleasure of clean, moisturised and soft hands after every work shift.

Nettuno’s mission has always been to spread a true culture of health in every company, relying on the effectiveness of high quality products formulated with the utmost attention to an issue we deeply believe in: environmental sustainability.

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