Product Review: Look after your hands

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we’re all washing our hands for 20 seconds, several times a day, as advised by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Already, we’re feeling the effects with dry, red raw and chapped skin. It may seem like a relatively unimportant detail given the scale of the crisis, but if this goes on, you might want to take care of your hands now before things get ugly.

Margaret Dabbs Hand Cleansing gel (30ml, £12)

Thanks to the price and quality of this posh hand sanitiser, you can still get hold of some, although even Margaret Dabbs are limiting their sales and apologising for their late despatch time. (I bet they never saw this as one of their best-sellers!). Hand sanitisers are necessarily brutal, albeit a rare sight these days. This one contains 65 percent alcohol (the CDC minimum is 60 percent to kill harmful germs and bacteria) and is enriched with hempseed oil and white waterlily which keep your hands hydrated. Plus, it is anti-aging and suitable for all skin-types including those who are pregnant or diabetic. It also has a light and uplifting scent of Mandarin and Geranium (none of that chemically, hospital-like smelling stuff).

Comfort Zone Skin Regimen Hand Cream (75ml, £20)

With all this washing, you want a seriously nourishing hand cream. Skin Regimen combines beauty with sustainability, their formulas using superfood extracts and powerful botanicals. This cream has a Longevity Complex™ made up of Wild Indigo, Maqui Berry, Organic Spinach and Carnosine to counteract the effects of stress and ageing accelerators. Tulsi Oil, known as Holy Basil, is a sacred herb used in ayurvedic medicine for stress. It is made up of 97% natural origin ingredients and is free from silicones or synthetic fragrances. The cream is rich but sinks in super quickly and makes your skin glow. Apply this throughout the day and give your hands a massage while you’re at it.