I don’t know about y’all, but my skin has been drier than usual this year—especially my hands. No matter how much hand cream I slather on, it never seems to be enough,

and my cuticles and nails are suffering the consequences. (Yes, my nail beds suck.) And even though this happens to some degree every winter, it seems to be worse than ever this year. 

“Hands become more prone to dryness in the winter due to the lack of moisture in the air,” explains Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at the Shafer Clinic in New York City. “When the temperature begins to drop, the air becomes drier and harsher, which in turn weakens the skin barrier and pulls moisture from vulnerable skin. This often leads to dry, flaking, cracked hands.” And thanks to all of the additional safety measures we’re taking during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our hands are losing even more moisture than usual. From washing our hands more often to all that sanitizer, they need more TLC than ever.

Below, Engelman shares her tips to help combat all these factors for soft, hydrated hands 365 days a year.