Hand Care With OCD – How To Take Care Of My Hands Through Obsessive Hand Washing
I was diagnosed with OCD quite a number of years ago and I go through cycles where I am obsessively washing my hands and I wanted to talk about hand care with OCD and how I take care of my hands through obsessive hand washing.
The triggers are generally illnesses as I am a germaphobe and scared of catching something that will make me vomit as I also have Emetophobia – a fear of being sick. As we are in the middle of a pandemic, this means my hand washing has increased again to a level where my hands were becoming sore, cracked and painful.
Due to this, having clean hands is an obsession and I wash my hands far more than a normal person. Even right now with everything going on, I still wash my hands a very high number of times per day. My hands never feel clean. They always feel heavy, dirty and something I am trying to control as much as I can.
So with continual handwashing, your skin can dry out, become irritated and even crack and become sore. I’ve got a specific hand care routine and I try and avoid using hand sanitiser unless I have no other choice or use one that isn’t alcohol-based.
I’ve listed hand sanitisers that I use that are very powerful but gentle on the hands as well as other products I use and why I use them.
Taking care of your hands is very important and I see a lot of time people struggling with hand care.
The following items I have listed include an Amazon link, As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please note that links included within this post include Amazon Affiliate links and I earn a small commission for purchases through these links. These are my tried and tested products that I am using right now.
Hand Care With OCD – How To Take Care Of My Hands Through Obsessive Hand Washing
Sterizar Alcohol-Free Hand Foamer Sanitizer 600ml
My favourite hand sanitiser is the Sterizar Alcohol Free Hand Foamer Sanitizer 600ml as this kills a lot of germs and viruses including norovirus which is known as a stomach bug.
This is really important and whenever someone is ill in my house, I use this after hand washing to make sure my hands are clean. But I also have the cleaning products and wipes which I use around the house when people are poorly in my home.
It’s very gentle on the hands and works against many viruses! I found my hands are in much better condition when using this over alcohol which can be bad for your hand’s long term.
Antiseptic
Sometimes my hands can start to crack and become sore so buying Germolene is a must as I pop it on my hands when they are bad and it stops them getting infected.
My Christmas tree tore my hands to shreds and I covered them in Germolene for a few days and it stopped the pain as well as giving an antiseptic coating to my hands.
I found this for £1 on Amazon by clicking here for 30g or 55g for £1.72 by clicking here.
There is also Savlon but in all honesty, I gravitate towards Germolene more. You can grab Savlon for around £1.20.
I use TCP on my hands when I have cuts or scrapes as it really helps stop me getting infections. I had a cut from catching my hand and it wasn’t healing too well thanks to my chronic illnesses, so I used TCP and it cleared it up for me. It’s very cheap from Amazon!
Handwash
Hand wash is a tough one as this can be the main issue in contributing to your hands being dry, sore, chapped etc and I found a few hand washes that personally I think helped a little bit.
Carex Dermacare Aloe Vera Antibacterial Hand Wash is the handwash I have all over my house and the one I use the most. It’s very gentle and hasn’t caused any problems such as itching or soreness. It’s gentle but also has the antibacterial properties we crave for when looking for hand wash.
Baylis & Harding Jasmine and Apple Blossom Anti-Bacterial Hand Wash is another handwash I regularly use as it is gentle and has the antibacterial properties I search for, plus it smells really lovely!
Method has a range of handwash that I love, Meadow Flowers is simply lovely, Botanical Garden I use all the time too! Others I have used are Green Tea and Aloe, French Lavender and Sweet Water. They are all usually around £2.
Dove is another good one for around £1 which is budget-friendly too.
Hand Scrub
Sanctuary Spa has a wonderful hand scrub that I use. But I also found a Blackberry & Thyme Exfoliating Hand Scrub that is just as wonderful and a fraction cheaper.
As well as this, I use a Kaeso Mulberry and Pomegranate Sorbet Hand Scrub that smells delicious but also gentle enough for hands.
If you wanted to use something other than a product, there are exfoliating gloves that you can use on your body and gently on your hands and at less than £3, bargain!
Be careful when using exfoliators on your hands and only use one designed for hands as they can scratch and cut easily as the skin on your hands is not as hardy as say your legs.
Hand Cream
I love hand cream and literally have over 50 of them. They are in my bedroom, bathroom, office, handbags and even in the kitchen.
From pump bottles after hand washing to squeezy bottles for easy transport. They are literally everywhere!
I also have different hand creams for different things.
Aveeno hand cream is a great one for sensitive skin as it is unscented and a brand I’ve used on my children’s eczema. So I know it’s good stuff and it is really cheap too.
O’Keeffe’s® Working Hands® Hand Cream is another hand product that I use a lot and a lot of people seem to use this that have dry, cracked hands. It’s great for when your hands are really rough and dry.
Garnier Skin Naturals Handrepair Intensive Restoring Hand Cream I keep in my bedroom and use it before I go to sleep as it really helps when my hands are looking awful. And at £2, can’t go wrong!
Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Hand Cream is another intensive hand cream I have in my handbag, this is under £3 too and worth keeping on hand for the dry moments!
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Fast Absorbing Hand Cream Light Texture is on my office desk as this is a lightweight moisturiser for my hands and doesn’t;t leave a residue which can be annoying when using a computer all day.
E45 Dermatological Moisturising Lotion is also in my bedroom as a pump option as it is easier to dispense throughout the night, sometimes I work late and get into bed to continue working. It’s also a great cream if you have dermatitis or eczema.
Nail Care
Your hands can get dry but also your nails can become weak, flake/peel and have ridges so taking care of your nails is just as important too.
A good base coat like Rimmel London Nail Nurse Stronger Nail Polish Base Coat is good for having just a clear surface or using as a base coat to protect your nails.
Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Nail Care Treatment I use to help my nails grow and look better than they usually do. It’s helped mine grow stronger and more resilient to peeling.
I also have a good manicure set that includes clippers and cuticle pushers/remover and this helps to take care of the whole nail area.
Finally – Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Moisturising Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is a cuticle cream I use all the time and it has a lovely lemon scent and doesn’t;t leave my fingers greasy. Softens the cuticles quite quickly and makes it easier to remove them.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have OCD or not, you should be taking care of your hands but these products have been specially picked out to make sure your hands are taken well care of and avoiding using anything that causes more problems.
I’ve had to take really good care of my hands and avoid infections, dry skin and sore/chapped hands.
How do you take care of your hands?
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please note that links included within this post include Amazon Affiliate links and I earn a small commission for purchases through these links.
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One Comment
Aiamon
Thanks for sharing your ideas. It’s really informative.