PREPARE DON'T REPAIR
Are your workers winter ready?
People who work with their hands on a daily basis rely on good skin condition. Damaged and broken skin does not just affect your workers’ skin health, it can have a detrimental impact on work productivity.
As the winter months approach, so do colder temperatures and windier days. A robust skin care programme informed by best practice and scientific research can help your workforce maintain good skin condition year round, creating a better work environment for all.
In 2021 alone there were an estimated 8000 new cases of ‘skin problems’ reported in the UK, that were made worse by work
(reference: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/dermatitis/skin.pdf)
Our skin condition tests found that 93% of industrial workers had dry skin, with 72% having visual signs of skin damage to their hands.
(reference: SC Johnson Professional Skin Health Assessment Report 2017 with 417 workers at four companies across eight separate sites)
Each case of dermatitis has the potential to cost an employer up to £6000.
(reference: Diepgen TT.L. et al; Contact Dermatitis 2013; 69-88-106)
Our research
We carried out extensive research into attitudes towards skin care protection and restore creams, to find out what any possible barriers to use were.
- Sensory issues: workers disliked creams that were sticky, took too long to dry or affected grip
- Immediate benefit: rather than regular use, immediate relief was sought with moisturisation creams when skin condition was particular poor
- Last resort: moisturisation creams were not used as part of an ongoing skin care programme
- We concluded that users need both instant benefit and the demonstration of improved skin condition over time from their skin creams
A winter warning
A good skin care programme is essential all year around – but becomes even more crucial during winter. Water loss from the skin increases as a result of colder conditions, lower humidity and higher winds
For those who work with their hands, and especially for those who work outdoors, if a robust skin care system isn’t in place a worsening skin condition can become easily noticeable by midwinter.
The solution: The 3-Moments for Skin Care
Developed by our R&D experts, the 3-Moments for Skin Care shines a spotlight on the three key moments when workers should apply skin care products.
Our goal is to help you implement a full skin care programme, including skin care products and education, to help your workforce maintain healthy skin year round.
Protective skin creams used prior to and during work help to reduce direct skin contact with workplace substances and contaminants.
Proper hand cleaning throughout the working day using the appropriate cleansing product helps prevent contaminants from becoming ingrained into the skin.
Restore creams at the end of the working day then help to maintain good skin condition by supporting
the skin’s natural barrier.