13 Best Home Remedies for Dry and Rough Hands

Who doesn’t love to have soft and smooth hands with a pink tone? If your hands are dry and rough, you no more need to keep it forever. There are many home remedies for dry and rough hands and you can use them easily without any hassle.

Causes for Dry and Rough Hands

Before you go on to read these home remedies for dry and rough hands, you need to understand the causes that lead to such condition of your hands.

• Dry air
• Cold and dry weather
• Low humidity
• Sun exposure
• Washing hands frequently or keeping hands immersed in water for long time
• Dealing with harmful chemicals, specially with bare hands
• Swimming in chlorinated pools
• Using harsh soap bars to wash hands
• Improper care of hands
• Inadequate moisturizing of hands
• Skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema etc.
• Allergy affecting hands
• Some medications also cause dry hands

The solution to get soft hands is to take proper care of your hands and using the right products like soaps, moisturizers etc. so that your hands don’t become rough and dry.

Home Remedies for Dry Rough Hands

If somehow, you get dry rough hands, try these natural remedies to make your hands softer.

1. Give Oil Massage to your Dry and Rough Hands

Oils are one of the ancient and proven methods to make anything soft. Hands are no exception. You can massage your dry rough hands with oil and get soft hands. However, you need to do this regularly. It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to massage your hands daily with an oil. You can use any oil but some oils are better than others such as olive oil and coconut oil. Olive oil has antioxidants and healthy fatty acids that moisturize dry hands in excellent ways. The medium chain fatty acids of coconut oil does the same thing, moisturize your hands beautifully.

Get this:

• Oil (olive/coconut/ any other oil)

Do this:

• Warm the oil of your choice. It should be warm and not hot oil.
• Massage your hands with this warm oil daily for 5-10 minutes initially.
• As days go by and your hands become less drier and rough, you can reduce the time of massaging your hands. You can now massage them for only 1-2 minutes everyday and then 2-3 times a week.

2. Olive Oil and Sugar Scrub to get rid of Dry Rough Hands instantly

If you are in a hurry and can’t wait to get soft hands, instead of massaging them with olive oil, make a scrub using sugar and olive oil. This way, you can get rid of dry and rough hands in less than one minute! Isn’t this amazing!

But how does this happen? Olive oil moisturizes and hydrates the skin cells of your dry rough hands whereas sugar exfoliates and sloughs off the rough dead skin cells giving way to healthier new cells.

Get this:

• Olive oil- 1-2 tbsp
• Sugar- 1-2 tbsp

Do this:

• Mix the equal amounts of olive oil and sugar.
• Now rub this scrub into your palms and hands with gentle circular motions for a couple of minutes.
• Leave the scrub into your hands for another couple of minutes.
• Now wash it off with warm water and pat dry
• Apply moisturizer
• Feel the softness in your hands.
• Do this 2-3 times a week.

3. Rub Fresh Cream on your Dry and Rough Hands

Oils are not the only things that have high fatty contents. Milk cream is another ingredient which is high in fat content. This fatty composition of cream provides ultimate moisturization to your dry and rough hands. What more, lactic acid present in milk and its cream exfoliates the dry skin as well as maintains the pH level of your skin to keep it smooth and soft.

Get this:

• Milk cream/ Fresh cream
• Gram flour (optional)- 2 tbsp

Do this

• Take some fresh cream and apply on your palms, fingers, all over your hands.
• Wait for a few minutes, about 5-10 minutes.
• Now rub it slightly all over your hands for another 1-2 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water.
• If your hands are extremely rough and dry, use this remedy daily otherwise 2-3 times a week is enough.
• You may also give it an exfoliating effect by adding gram flour to cream.
• Mix about 2 teaspoons of fresh cream with 2 tablespoons of gram flour and make a paste. Decrease or increase the quantity of both the ingredients as per convenience. You need a smooth paste.
• Apply this to your hands.
• Leave it for 15 minutes
• Now rub it slightly for 1-2 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.
• Repeat 2-3 times a week.

4. Honey, the sweet remedy for Dry Rough Hands

Honey health benefits need no introduction. The good news is that honey is also good for your skin health. It is one of the best natural moisture loaded with antioxidants, antimicrobial and humectant properties. Its humectant effects help in locking the moisture and keep your hands soft and smooth.

Get this:

• Honey- 1-2 tsp
• Olive oil (optional)- ½ tsp
• Lemon juice (optional)- few drops

Do this:

• Honey, by itself, is a good remedy for dry rough skin of your hands. Just rub a little honey into your palms and all over hands for few minutes.
• Wash off with warm water.
• Pat dry and apply some moisturizer.
• To make it more effective, you can add little olive oil and lemon juice to honey.
• Mix the things well.
• Apply this to your hands.
• Leave for 15-20 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water, pat dry and moisturize your hands.
• Repeat 2-3 times a week.

5. Oatmeal-Honey Scrub for Dry and Rough Hands

With the great moisturizing effects of honey, you can add the excellent exfoliating effects of oatmeal and convert your dry rough hands into super soft hands. Oatmeal naturally cleanse and exfoliates the skin of your hands.

Get this:

• Ground oatmeal- 2 tbsp
• Honey- 1 tsp
• Lemon juice (optional)- few drops
• Water- as required

Do this:

• Combine oatmeal, honey and lemon juice, if using.
• Mix some water to this to get a paste like consistency.
• Apply this paste onto your hands.
• Leave it for a couple of minutes.
• Now rub your hands gently for about 5-10 minutes. If required, use some water when it gets tough to rub due to dried paste.
• Now wash off with warm water and pat dry.
• Apply moisturizer.
• Repeat 1-3 times a week depending on the roughness and dryness of your hands.

6. Aloe Vera for Dry Cracked Hands

What to do when your hands are not only rough and dry but cracked too! Use aloe vera! That’s the perfect solution for cracked hands, especially skin cracks on your knuckles. This is also a perfect solution for flaky dull hands that you get in winters. Due to the miraculous enzymes and other components present in it, aloe vera provides a right balance of moisture, proteins and vitamins to your dry hands. Not only this, aloe vera is a herb that also helps in healing the cracks in your hands by regenerating skin cells. You can apply it on your hands when and as you wish because its not at all oily or greasy. What more can you wish as the best remedy for dry and rough hands!

Get this:

• Aloe vera leaf (or aloe vera gel)

Do this:

• Cut open the aloe leaf.
• Scrape out the gel from within the leaf.
• Apply this gel on your hands.
• Leave it there for at least 15-20 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water, pat dry and moisturize your hands.
• While you can apply this gel as many times a day as you wish, you should at least apply it twice a day.
• When using store bough aloe gel, try to buy the one that doesn’t contain any other substance and is pure aloe vera gel.

7. Avocado Mask for Dry and Rough Hands

Whenever it is about fatty natural ingredients, avocado finds a place in such a list along with oils and other natural moisturizers. Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats, good dry skin. Additionally, this fruit also contains high amounts of vitamins A, C and E, all good for skin.

Get this:

• Ripe avocado- ½
• Honey- 1 tbsp

Do this:

• Take out the pulp out of the ripe avocado.
• Add honey to this and mix well to get your hand mask
• Apply this all over your hands.
• Wait for about 10-15 minutes before washing it off.
• Repeat twice a week to get ultra soft hands.

In fact, you may also use avocado oil to massage your hands daily or 2-3 times a week.

8. Ripe Bananas for Dry and Rough Hands Remedy

Not only ripe avocados, even ripe bananas are good for giving you softer hands. If you are also struggling with aging wrinkled hands, you can use bananas in hope to get softer young looking hands, all thanks to the great moisturizing properties of this tasty fruit called banana!

Get this:

• Banana, preferably an over-ripe one- 1-2
• Honey (optional)- 1 tsp
• Olive oil (optional)- ½ – 1 tsp

Do this:

• Take the banana, peel it and mash it properly.
• If using, add the honey and/or olive oil to the mashed banana.
• Mix them well to get a paste like thing
• Apply this to your hands.
• Leave it for about 20-30 minutes.
• Wash off with lukewarm water.
• Pat dry and if it feels like, apply some moisturizer.
• You can repeat it once or twice a week.

9. Petroleum Jelly Home Treatment for Dry and Rough Hands

Petroleum jelly, also popular by the name of Vaseline, is one of the finest remedies for dry skin. It locks in moisture effectively. In fact, you can get a soft pair of hands overnight, just by using petroleum jelly and a pair of socks! Doesn’t that sound good!

Get this:

• Petroleum jelly aka Vaseline
• A pair of socks or gloves (if not, use a plastic bag)

Do this:

• At night, just before you go to sleep, wash your hands properly with a mild soap or cleanser.
• Pat dry your hands.
• Take some petroleum jelly and apply this to your hands.
• Rub it for a minute or two, all over your hands.
• Slip on the socks, gloves or plastic bags over your hands.
• Now, go to sleep to wake up with soft hands in the morning.
• In fact, if you don’t cover your hands with anything and just apply Vaseline on it and go to sleep, then also you will wake up with softer hands in the morning! Just that, your bedsheets and pillow covers too may get a taste of petroleum jelly!

10. Apple Cider Vinegar Soak for Dry Cracked Hands

If your hands are dry and cracked, you can use apple cider vinegar to heal it. Vinegar, as you might be knowing, helps restore the pH balance of your skin. This, in turn, helps retain moisture. It also exfoliates skin to help slough off rough dead skin cells to give you softer hands.

Get this:

• Apple cider vinegar- 1 cup
• Olive oil- 2-3 tbsp
• Warm water- 2 cups

Do this

• Take a large bowl, large enough to soak your hands.
• Pour all the ingredients (vinegar, oil and water) in this bowl.
• Soak your hands in this solution for about 10-15 minutes.
• Now pat your hands dry and apply moisturizer.
• Repeat 1-2 times a week.

11. Vitamin E oil for Dry Rough Hands

Vitamin E oil has powerful antioxidants and it moisturizes your hands not only to give you softer skin but also to help fill up the fissures. It heals your dry cracked hands excellently. This is possible because vitamin E oil helps rejuvenate your skin and heal the ruptured skin of your hands.

Get this:

• Vitamin E oil- ½ tsp (you can use a vitamin E capsule too)

Do this:

• If using Vitamin E capsule, puncture it to get the oil from it.
• Rub the oil on your hands for few minutes, as long as it is not absorbed into the skin.
• That’s all.
• Repeat this 2-3 times a day.

12. Make Homemade Lotion for Dry and Rough Hands

Instead of investing in expensive hand lotions and creams, why not make a lotion at home! This will be, in fact, more effective because you will use all natural ingredients for this homemade hand lotion and thus you save yourself from using chemical laden hand creams that might aggravate your problem of dry skin on hands.

Get this:

• Coconut oil- 1/3 cup
• Sweet almond oil/ olive oil/ peanut oil/ any other vegetable or plant oil of your choice- ¼ cup
• Cocoa/ Shea/ jojoba butter- 1 cup
• Beeswax (grated)- 1/8 cup
• Honey- 1 tbsp
• Aloe vera gel- 1 tbsp
• Any essential oil (optional)- 3-4 drops
• Wheat germ oil/ vitamin E oil (optional)- few drops

Do this:

• Combine coconut and the other oil of your choice along with the butter that you are using.
• Add the beeswax also to the other ingredients.
• With the help of double boiler or microwave oven, heat the mixture. Keep the heat setting on low, whatever medium you use.
• When all the things melt down, remove the mixture from heating medium.
• Add honey and aloe vera gel to the solution.
• If using essential oil and/or wheatgerm/vitamin E oil, add them too.
• Give the mixture a good stir.
• Let it cool down to the room temperature.
• Now keep it in the refrigerator so that it gets hardened.
• Once it hardens, take it out and using a blender, whip the lotion for about 5 minutes.
• Pour it into a jar with a lid.
• Cover the jar with the lid and leave it to get solid.
• Use it 1-2 times a day to get soft hands.
• Don’t forget to apply it on your hands before going to bed at night.
• Store your homemade hand lotion in refrigerator.

13. Baking Soda- Lemon Juice Remedy for Dry and Rough Hands

If your hands are not only dry and rough but also black and dull, you can use this remedy to get soft and younger looking smooth hands. Baking soda balances the pH level of your skin. It also exfoliates the skin and sloughs off dead cells so that you may get new skin cells. Lemon juice is one of the best remedies for skin lightening. The citric acid present in lemon juice lightens the dark spots and discoloration on your skin. Antioxidant rich honey used in this remedy makes your hands soft and wrinkle free to give you a youthful pair of hands!

Get this:

• Baking soda- 2 tsp
• Honey- 2 tsp
• Lemon juice- 2 tsp

Do this:

• Mix all the ingredients well to get a smooth paste.
• Wash your hands with gentle soap and warm water. Pat them dry.
• Apply the mixture to your hands and rub lightly for couple of minutes.
• Leave it there for another 10-12 minutes.
• Wash off with lukewarm water.
• Pat dry and apply moisturizer.
• Repeat 2-3 times a week.

Tips to Prevent Dry and Rough Hands

If you believe in the saying, prevention is better than cure, these tips to prevent dry, rough and cracked hands, are for you.

• Forget washing hands every now and then. Nature has provided powerful means to protect your skin from bacterial infections so it is not at all essential to wash hands every second hour with soap and water.
• Even when washing hands is inevitable, use mild soaps. Harsh soaps are a major cause of dry rough hands.
• Also never use too hot or too cold water to wash hands. This leads to extreme dryness.
• If you can’t bear wet hands, pat them dry with soft cloth or towel. Don’t use hot-air dryers to dry your wet hands. Hot air leads to extremely dry skin. Make this habit of carrying handkerchief with you.
• Don’t torture your hands while working with them in kitchen, garden etc. Wear cotton gloves when you do household or gardening work. Wear rubber gloves when you wash dishes. This will help protect your hands from water and soaps or chemicals and even mud that might give you dry rough hands.
• Scrub your hands at least once a week. This helps slough off dry, dull skin cells and prevent them from getting hardened.
• Use humidifier in winter season. This helps prevent dry and rough hands.
• Always wear gloves when working out in the gym. Dumbbells etc. can lead to rough skin on your hands.
• Always apply hand cream or moisturizer before going to sleep at night. You can make hand lotion at home too. See the remedies given above to find recipe of such home-made hand lotion.
• What you eat is also important when it comes to your skin. Have foods high in vitamins and other essential minerals so that your skin gets enough nutrients to keep itself glowing and soft.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated. Dehydration always lead to dry skin.
• Protect the skin on your hands from harmful UV sun rays. For this, use sunscreen.

Taking these simple measures will prevent dry and rough hands. And if you get them, use one or more home remedies to get rid of dry and rough hands.