Useful information

How to choose hand cream

2021/12/01

It’s getting cold, and it’s time to be concerned about dry skin. Recently, there have been more opportunities to disinfect hands with alcohol, so I think it’s getting easier to dry the skin.
Hand cream is indispensable in such a case.
The other day, I was just watching a special feature on hand cream on the morning news program “Asaichi” (NHK). Among them, they said that “hand cream should be used properly
according to the condition of the hands.” This time, I will introduce the factors by which to choose hand cream.

Four types of rough skin

What is your hand like now? Is it dry or is it drier than usual, and are you worried about chapping and cracks?
TV news “Asaichi” divided the hand condition into the following four types.
Type ① Your hands are dry and difficult to open a plastic bag.
….. The hands become rough from dryness of the skin and lacking moisture
Type ② The finger skin becomes stiff, and rings don’t fit
…… The stratum corneum of the skin is thick and hard
Type ③ The skin becomes smooth and thin, and fingerprint authentication does not respond
…… The stratum corneum has become extremely thin due to alcohol-based disinfection, etc.
Type ④ Stockings are snagged by chapped and cracked finger skin.
…… A state where the skin is cracked

How to choose hand cream by rough skin type

What kind of hand cream should I choose for each condition?
The ingredients of hand cream differ depending on the product. Actually, the purpose is slightly different depending on the ingredients.
On “Asaichi” it was divided into three types, “moisturizing type”, “urea type” and “vitamin type”, depending on the ingredients. The moisturizing hand cream is recommended for the rough type ①, the urea type hand cream is recommended for the stiff type ②, and thevitamin type is recommended for the slippery type ③ and the cracked type ④.

There are 3 types of hand creams

By the way, when you go to drug stores, you can find many hand creams on the shelves.
Check the ingredient list to determine if it is moisturizing, urea-based, or vitamin-based.
● What is urea-based hand cream?
Urea-based hand cream has “urea” at the beginning of the ingredients. Many of the package labels also say “urea compound”.
Urea has the function of softening hardened dead skin cells, and softens stiff skin. However, avoid using it as it will stain when there are cracks, scratches, etc.
● What is vitamin-based hand cream?
Vitamin-based hand cream has “vitamin B2”, “vitamin E”, and “vitamin C” as the main ingredients. These vitamins have the function of improving blood circulation and enhancing cell regeneration, and support the recovery of rough hands such as those with cracks and chapping.
● What is a moisturizing hand cream?
And when it comes to moisturizing hand creams, this is the most common hand cream, as was reported on “Asaichi” as “80% of hand creams are moisturizing”. If it is neither urea nor vitamin, you can think of it as a moisturizer.
The main ingredients are heparinoids, vaseline, ceramide, collagen, shea butter, jojoba oil, etc.
By the way, urea-based hand creams and vitamin-based hand creams also contain moisturizing ingredients, so they have moisturizing capability.

3 types to choose according to the strength of action

Another point that I would like you to pay attention to when choosing a hand cream is the display of “quasi-drugs,” “medicinal products,” “class 2 drugs,” and “class 3 drugs.” These are classifications by the Pharmaceutical Machinery Law.
“Class 2 drugs” and “Class 3 drugs” (a type of over-the-counter drug) are drugs that can be purchased at pharmacies and drug stores without a prescription. They are used for the
treatment of illness, and the effect of the active ingredient contained in it has been recognized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
“Quasi-drugs” are those that contain a certain concentration of ingredients that are efficient for the effects approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The main purpose is prevention, not treatment.
By the way, those labeled as “medicinal” are also quasi-drugs.
In addition, those labeled as “Quasi-drugs” were originally classified as pharmaceuticals, and have been transferred to quasi-drugs.
By the way, some hand creams are not labeled as “pharmaceutical products”, “quasi-drugs”
or “medicinal products”. They are classified as “cosmetics”. They have a milder effect on the body than quasi-drugs and are used to keep the skin healthy.
In other words, remember that the effects on the skin are stronger in the order of “pharmaceutical products”> “quasi-drugs (medicinal products)”> “cosmetics” (not shown).
When choosing a hand cream, choose from the ingredients (moisturizing, urea, vitamins) and strength of action (pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, cosmetics) according to the condition of your hands.