why does excessive hand washing lead to dry hands

Question

water is.. moisture. shouldn’t it moisturise our hands rather than drying them out???

In: Biology

Answer 1

Water evaporates relatively quickly from the skin, which is why even if you don’t dry them manually, your hands will stop being wet just a few minutes after washing them. However, the oils that your skin secrete form a protective barrier that slows water loss, and constantly washing your hands removes this barrier