Using Barrier Creams at work to protect your hands

1. Barrier Creams
They don’t replace proper P.P.E.
Through the vigilant use of barrier
creams, it is possible to prevent many
of the skin conditions
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2. It may
• A barrier cream for hands belongs under the
category of “protective equipment,” and as such
can diminish the risk to your health by warding
off infection and skin allergies that can stem from
contact with industrial grade raw materials. It
is a highly recommended
item in worker safety.
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3. Read the Chemical MSDS Sheets
• The traditional use for a barrier cream is to
provide a barrier between the skin and the
outside environment. Barrier creams are often
used by people who work with caustic
chemicals or other hazards that would
damage their skin.
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4. specifically formulated
• Using a barrier cream specifically formulated for
hands, particularly when you work in an industry
where there is a high risk of acquiring contact
dermatitis, is not only necessary, it is imperative.
If you work in a factory where you handle
corrosive and potentially dangerous materials on
a daily basis, or if you work in a chemical
environment, or auto repair shop, having barrier
cream on hand will prevent any incidences of
redness, irritation, dryness, and skin allergies.
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5. If
• Using a barrier cream is an effective way to keep
the skin from becoming irritated. There are a
variety of widely available barrier creams. The
type that you choose for your skin will depend on
your budget as well as the degree of irritation you
are experiencing.
• If your skin is in good condition, but you want to
make sure it stays that way, a barrier cream
alternative, such as Vaseline® or other petroleum
jelly may be all that you need to keep your skin in
shape.
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6. • Our skin is the largest organ of our body. It is our
first line of defense against external dirt,
infection, and other irritants that could
potentially damage our health. As such, it serves
as a body armor of sorts that protects our more
vulnerable internal organs from harm. But what
do you do to prevent this all-over shield from
being breached and subsequently injured by
irritants, skin allergies, redness, dryness,
chapping, and sores? The answer to this is to use
barrier creams.
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7. • Barrier preparations which can be a cream,
ointment or aerosol spray often contain
substances which repel water such as
silicone, zinc oxide, or dimethicone. Typical
applications are in occluded skin-to-skin
contacts such as body folds or flexural areas.
A common use for barrier creams and
ointments is diaper rash.
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8. Industry
• Barrier creams have been used in industry to
protect workers' skin from the contaminants
encountered in manufacturing trades. In this
application a barrier cream may also be water
repellent but may also need to repel certain
solvents present in mineral oils, gasoline, paints,
lubricants and ink. The use of china clay or
kaolinite is added to physically block the skin's
pores. Industrial barrier creams have different
formulations according to the type or work
undertaken
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9. • A barrier cream acts as a skin protectant that wards off
harmful elements from the outside which can penetrate
our epidermis and cause untold damage to the largest
organ of our body. While these creams are not as popular
as sunblocks, anti-wrinkle creams, and other moisturizing
lotions out in the market today, they still play an important
role and are essential when it comes to protecting your skin
from all manner of substances, from corrosive raw
materials and industrial grade liquids in the industry you
work in, from water-based irritants in laboratories,
hospitals, and the food industry, from diaper rash and bed
sores, or for general hypoallergenic cream protection from
skin allergies in people with sensitive skin.
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10. • Barrier creams provide the ultimate protection of
your skin’s corneal layer. When generously
slathered on skin, it joins with your skin’s natural
hydro-lipid film, a fatty element that holds all the
layers of skin together, and which by itself is
inadequate as a protective shield against
pollution, dust, dirt, and other contaminants.
Strengthening the corneal layer with barrier
cream will prevent the breakdown of the fatty
hydro-lipid film, and hence keep our skin layers
intact, forming a virtually impenetrable shield
against harmful elements
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11. • While there are barrier creams specifically
formulated for industrial and professional use,
these products are also suited for everyday use in
the home. This is particularly true when you are
tasked with the care of an elderly or incontinent
patient who requires skin protection against
constant exposure to urine and feces. Urine, in
particular, is a proven irritant to the skin, and can
result in diaper rash in newborns and infants.
Using a skin barrier cream on a baby’s bottom
will considerably lower this risk, while
moisturizing a baby’s delicate skin, as well.
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12. Some
• Some barrier creams have been formulated to
contain hypoallergenic cream ingredients to
prevent an outbreak of skin allergies. There
are even some products which are specifically
geared to help heal skin already contaminated
by bacteria and fungi, and are ideal products
to use in hospital or laboratory settings.
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13. Slathered on your hands and forearms
• Irritant contact dermatitis is both a physically and
mentally incapacitating skin condition, which is
characterized by itchy red rashes, blisters, and
eventually open bleeding sores that can prevent
you from performing your work. Barrier creams
slathered on your hands and forearms form a
protective hypoallergenic cream coating to ward
off this type of skin irritation, allowing you to
complete your work without worrying about
calling in sick or losing your job due to this
debilitating skin condition
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14. Prevention not cure
• The importance of using barrier creams for
hands cannot be stressed enough, and it will
save you a lot of grief from having to go on
sick leave to see a doctor for treatment of
debilitating skin allergies and irritations.
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15. • If you have sensitive skin and wish to provide it with
stronger protection from irritants and other skin allergies
from the environment, a barrier cream, such as sunblock
with a high SPF level, is a good skin protectant to use.
• If you are recovering from a dermatological medical
procedure, such as a skin peel or laser treatment, a post-
procedure barrier cream can protect your skin while it
heals.
• Barrier creams, as the name suggests, provide a protective
barrier between your skin and the environment, and to
prevent skin allergies like contact dermatitis, and other
irritations caused by extreme weather conditions, industrial
grade chemicals.
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16. Ask your Supervisor
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