Dry hands are one of my biggest skin care dilemmas. It's been especially bad lately since, like most of us, I've been washing my hands a little more frequently than usual. Most hand soaps and hand sanitizers aren't especially dry skin-friendly, so my hands have been looking extra flaky and rough.
I know what you're thinking — just use hand lotion like a normal person! Though I have tons of hand creams and body lotions that I've purchased in an effort to motivate myself to moisturize more, the truth is that I'm just not a huge fan of moisturizer. I hate waiting for creams to sink in, and they sometimes make me feel like I'm leaving a greasy residue on everything I touch.
That's why I decided to delve into the world of hand masks — and I've found one that I absolutely cannot live without.
The Aveeno Repairing Cica Hand Mask is available individually at retailers like Target and Ulta. However, I typically order the five-pack available on Amazon since it's still a great value at about $3.20 per pair.
Aveeno Repairing Cica Hand Mask
The Aveeno Repairing Cica Hand Mask is essentially a pair of plastic gloves that are lined with a moisturizing blend of shea butter extract and oat kernel oil designed to repair your skin's natural moisture barrier while soothing sensitivity.
To use, you simply place the gloves on clean hands and let the mask do its magic. After 10 minutes, you can remove them and then massage in any excess product, though I recommend keeping them on for an extra 10 minutes if your hands are particularly dry. I've also slept in the gloves overnight when my skin needs some extra love, and I basically feel like I'm waking up to brand new hands.
I was amazed the first time I used this mask. I had an extremely red, flaky patchy of skin near my wrist that looked completely healed and back to normal after wearing the gloves for about 20 minutes. One of my favorite features of the mask is that you are still free to use your hands for other tasks while the formula does its magic. I was even able to use my phone through the gloves, and Drew Barrymore recently showed on Instagram that they're great to use while cleaning!
If you're dealing with extra dry feet this time of the year, I'm also a huge fan of Aveeno's Repairing Cica Foot Mask. It's essentially the same idea as the hand mask — a pair of plastic socks lined with a moisturizing blend of shea butter and prebiotic oat.
I typically put on a pair of real socks over these to help keep them secure while I walk around my house, then I'll remove them after about 15 minutes. Like the hand mask, this leaves my skin feeling soft and silky smooth, and the excess moisturizer absorbs quickly, so you don't have to worry about sliding around.
Aveeno Repairing Cica Foot Mask
Both the hand and foot mask are so hydrating that I'm typically able to go a week or two without using a pair, so a five-pack lasts me quite a long time. Plus, there's something quite relaxing about taking those 10 to 20 minutes to indulge in a bit of much-needed self-care.
For more stories like this, check out:
- Two TODAY editors never leave home without this $13 cream for dry skin
- Over 7,000 Amazon customers — and one TODAY editor — swear by this hand cream
- 8 affordable hand creams TODAY editors can't live without
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