Written by OSEA Staff | Published March 19, 2025
Beyond the holiday gift-giving season, winter is also when people are most likely to catch a cold or come down with the flu. In the United States, flu season peaks between December and February¹. Cold season starts in late August or early September and lasts until March or April². You can take different steps to reduce your risk, like discussing preventive care with your doctor and improving indoor air quality.
Washing your hands tops the list of things you can do at home and on the go. Here, we discuss why frequent handwashing is vital, how to do it correctly, how handwashing affects skin and how our products can help.
The Reason for Frequent Handwashing During Cold & Flu Season
Cold germs spread quickly, so frequent handwashing is essential to avoid getting sick. When a sick person coughs or sneezes, respiratory droplets can land on surfaces. Anyone who touches the contaminated surfaces and then touches their mouth, eyes or nose runs the risk of getting sick, too³. The respiratory droplets that contain the flu virus can travel up to 6 feet⁴, which is another reason to take precautions.
Cold and flu germs can land on surfaces like doorknobs, keyboards and countertops. Frequent handwashing removes germs, so you won’t get sick when you touch your mouth, nose or eyes.
How to Wash Hands Properly
Sprinkling warm water over your hands for a few seconds won’t cut it during cold and flu season. Proper handwashing ensures germs won’t stick around and potentially get you sick or spread to other surfaces. Here’s how to do it the right way.
1. Place Hands Under Running Water
Turn on the faucet and let the water cascade over your hands for a few seconds. Cold and warm water are both effective at removing grime⁵. Wetting your hands first helps the soap lather and create tiny pockets that can hold grime⁶.
2. Lather Up
Apply soap to wet hands and rub them together to create a cloud-like foam. Wash every part of each hand, including under the nails, between fingers, and across the palm, wrists and back. Devote 20 seconds7 to the task.
3. Dry Wet Hands
After 20 seconds of washing, rinse off and then use a clean towel to dry your hands. Dab with the towel instead of rubbing to help prevent skin irritation.
How Frequent Handwashing Affects Skin
Although washing your hands frequently is necessary, it can affect how your skin looks and feels. Water and soap remove grime and skin’s natural oils8. Frequent handwashing might make your hands feel tight and look dry.
It’s common to have dry hands in winter—the height of cold and flu season—due to the lack of moisture in the air. The drying effect from frequent handwashing can add to the discomfort.
Tips to Protect Your Hands
You can take steps during and after handwashing to minimize dryness while improving the look and feel of your skin.
Avoid Hot Water
Water can remove germs regardless of temperature. However, it’s best to use cool or lukewarm water to prevent dryness. Hot water removes skin’s natural oils, causing dryness and irritation9.
Use Moisturizing Products
Choose skincare that cleanses without stripping skin. Try Undaria Algae™ Body Wash, as the pH-balanced formula mineralizes skin while keeping its natural oils intact. Glycerin moisturizes and hydrates skin, and jojoba, coconut and avocado oil leave skin feeling soft and comfortable. After just one wash, 97% of users find that their skin feels clean and fresh without feeling stripped*—an important balance in cold weather.
After washing your hands, apply Undaria Algae™ Body Butter and allow the Undaria seaweed to replenish the moisture barrier while the shea butter leaves skin looking smoother. The Anti-Aging Body Balm is also an excellent choice after washing up. Passion fruit seed oil enhances skin’s ability to remain hydrated, and safflower seed oil soothes irritated, chapped skin. Not only does the balm produce noticeable results after the first use, but 94% of users find that their skin looks healthier and silkier after 2 weeks**, and 81% observe improved skin tone after 4 weeks of use**.
If winter is taking its toll on your hands between the dry air and frequent washing to help protect you from cold and flu germs, show your skin some TLC with OSEA.
*Based on an independent third-party consumer perception study of 32 women.
**Based on a third-party consumer perception study conducted over 4 weeks on 32 women ages 37–65.
Sources
1. Influenza (Flu). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season.html
2. Common Cold. John Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/common-cold
3. WebMD Editorial Contributors (30 November 2024). Common Cold Prevention. WebMD. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-prevention-hand-washing
4. About Flu. National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.prevention.va.gov/flu/about.asp
5. Katella, K. (13 March 2020). How to Wash Your Hands – Properly. Yale Medicine. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-to-wash-your-hands
6. Hand Hygiene Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/faq/index.html
7. About Handwashing. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html
8. VUMC News and Communications. (7 April 2020). Frequent hand-washing can cause dry, cracked skin. A dermatologist offers tips for care. Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://news.vumc.org/2020/04/07/frequent-hand-washing-can-cause-dry-cracked-skin-dermatologist-offers-tips-care/
9. Gupta, A. (2 December 2021). Ditch long, hot showers during winter, or be ready for skin problems. HealthShots. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.healthshots.com/beauty/skin-care/heres-how-bathing-with-hot-water-can-affect-your-skin/
